10 Most Underrated Psychological Horror Movies
2. Jacob’s Ladder
Possibly the most psychedelic film on this mostly understated list (sorry, The Cell), Jacob's Ladder is a rare mashup of the war film and psychological horror genres.
No, Apocalypse Now does not count, even with that intense closing act.
This deeply creepy 1990 Vietnam war film remains underrated despite Tim Robbins’ powerhouse performance as the titular hero. A disturbed veteran, Jacob is constantly plagued by strange visions of gore-strewn hospital floors and faceless surgeons. These nightmares soon overwhelm his day-to-day existence and attempts to establish a stable life for himself in a shadowy, nameless city.
But is there another reason that Jacob can't really readjust to life back at home?
A rare American film which reckons with the horrors of the Vietnam war in all their bloody, unvarnished reality, this film boasts a brilliant final twist which makes sense of its many hallucinatory diversions. Seemingly inscrutable for much of its run time, this is a rare unnerving Lynchian nightmare that actually has a satisfying and poignant explanation at the end of its twisty story.