10 Psychological Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die
More often than not, the scariest things of all are simply in your head.
Let's face it: When it comes to horror, we're spoilt for choice.
There's slasher films, monster movies, splatter flicks, Giallos, sleazy Italian gore epics and a metric butt-ton of other niche genres that will appeal to any taste.
Whilst it's true that masked killers and swamp monsters are guaranteed to bring the cheap frights, sometimes the scariest things of all can be those that are all too real to us.
Which brings us on to psychological horror films.
Films of this ilk tend to focus their narratives around the often fragile mental states of their characters, giving viewers the kind of intense and cerebral thrill that few other genres can offer. Be they explorations of grief, trauma, loss or simply a long-standing mental illness, the psychological horror genre is home to some of cinema's most unsettling experiences. Often eschewing buckets of gore and jump scares in favour of a creeping terror that slowly burrows itself into the deepest recesses of your mind.
So sit back, relax, and prepare to put your mind through the wringer as we explore ten psychological horror films that you really need to see.
10. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
Kicking off proceedings with a hearty dose of high-camp, Robert Aldrich's 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' is one of the genre's most beloved, iconic and heavily parodied offerings.
Telling the story of alcoholic ex-vaudeville star 'Baby Jane' Hudson and her wheelchair-bound sister Blanche, who reside within a decaying Hollywood mansion. The delusional Jane is so convinced she'll be a star again someday that it completely consumes every aspect of her life, causing her to resent and mistreat Blanche, who unlike Jane was a successful film actress back in the day.
What starts as simple neglect soon turns to outright torture and the cracks in Jane's already fragile psyche deepen as the film progresses. Leading to some incredibly nasty scenes that are every bit as deplorable now as they were back in 1962.
The film is arguably better known for the infamous feud between stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis that occurred on the set. It's easy to see from watching the film that their mutual hatred of one another has seeped into every frame of the picture, making its abject cruelty feel all the more real, giving it a truly disturbing edge that undercuts its campier elements.