10 Most Messed Up Horror Movie Families

3. Mum And Dad - Mum & Dad

Mum & Dad
2am Films/EM Media

Not to be confused with the Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair-headlined Mom and Dad - which could also be worthy of an entry on this list - 2008's Mum & Dad is a British movie that gives a disturbing glimpse at a most messed up of family units.

Whereas that Cage and Blair vehicle is more of a darkly comedic picture, Steven Sheil's '08 feature is one that is very much a brutal, unrelenting, truly twisted film that is a tough watch.

After missing her bus home, Olga Fedori's airport cleaner Lena accepts the offer of her co-worker Birdie to head to her house, where Birdie's father can give drive Lena home. Unfortunately for Fedori's character, that father is one of the demented duo behind the horrors of Mum & Dad - and she finds herself held hostage, tortured and tormented in ways that you can't even really type without feeling ill.

Not only is Lena held captive, it's also shown that she's one of several people being held against their will. And when a house has a designated torture room, you know things aren't going to go well.

The titular twosome of Mum & Dad are monstrous in their methods, with decapitations, dismemberment and a breakfast time viewing of porn with their Corn Flakes commonplace in this eerie household.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.