10 Intense Movies That Captivated The Hell Out Of You
2. Deliverance
Deliverance was the film that made hillbillies seem like a plausible threat back in 1972. Years later this classic picture about a river-rafting trip into the Georgia back country gone terribly wrong has lost none of its intensity or power.
Some movies are famous for keeping up a sense of true uneasiness from the moment they begin (The Shining, to name one). Given that there's no supernatural threat or any monsters to be had here, though, it's mighty impressive how director John Boorman - adapting James Dickey's wonderful novel - imbues Deliverance with a feeling of dread and foreboding that never goes way.
As our unknowing foursome hit the river and their ill-fated journey begins, the sense of tension rises to near unbearable levels until... well, we're all familiar with the "Squeal like a piggy, boy!" scene. It's a moment that has since become the stuff of parody, but remains as horrific as ever viewed in the context of the film.
Deliverance demands your undivided attention by way of its atmosphere, as man is continually pummelled by a nature he made the mistake of underestimating. Watching this film is a true heart-in-mouth experience: intense and disturbing.