10 Horror Movies Where Nobody Wins

Most horror movies are fairly straightforward.

Big scary bad thing versus a put-upon protag, spooky shenanigans in various forms occur, ideally buckets of blood and viscera splash across the screen and then the main character comes out on top.

It’s cathartic and enjoyable almost every time, but there are some horror movies that like to turn the formula on its’ head. Some go the way of Scream by being self-aware, others follow in the footsteps of a film like Funny Games where the villains are the victors.

But there are a special few where something different happens altogether. There are some horror films where all the blood, all the violence, all the scares…mean nothing at all.

Imagine that! Nothing was gained despite all the loss that happened in the runtime of the movie – our hero is battered and bruised and our villain is still there.

Perhaps the most horrifying thing of all is when all that suffering means nothing at all…

Well, that was a tad existential... let’s get onto the list shall we?

Robert Eggers has proven himself to be one of the most exciting modern horror directors, with his sophomore effort The Lighthouse being a terrifying and intriguing take on folk horror.

It’s a relatively simple concept; two wickies, Winslow (Robert Pattinson) and Thomas (Willem Dafoe) are tasked with maintaining an isolated lighthouse with only each other for company. It’s a masterclass in building tension, with the two leads giving utterly fantastic performances.

But how to end a tale of madness, betrayal and mermaids? Well Eggers decided to keep the audience on their toes.

Overcome with an insatiable need to look into the ‘light’, Pattinson’s character kills Thomas and ascends the steps, expecting something, anything from looking into the heart of the structure. The camera holds, watching as he convulses with manic laughter whilst the light looks like it is burning him alive. Then he slips, tumbles down the steps, and the film draws to a close with his naked body being picked apart by seagulls.

Both men were driven mad with their hunger for…what exactly? It isn’t clear what the lighthouse represents, but it slowly picks apart their minds until they’re driven to violence. The two fought for authority over the other throughout the film, but their power struggle meant nothing before the mighty and unknowable forces that lurked out at sea.