10 Psychological Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die

7. Stoker

The Silence Of The Lambs
Fox Searchlight

After the sudden death of her father, India Stoker finds her world is completely turned upside down when the mysterious Uncle Charlie appears out of the woodwork. Within hours of arrival, Charlie has been invited to stay by India's grieving and sexually-frustrated mother Evelyn. However, try as Evelyn might to seduce him, Charlie's eyes are firmly fixed upon his niece.

Loosely based on Alfred Hitchcock's 'Shadow of a Doubt' (which you should definitely check out), Stoker is perhaps the closest to the man's work that modern cinema has seen for quite some time. It's perhaps nowhere near as horrific as other entries on this list, but Stoker is a delicious slice of pure gothic horror, served with a thick smattering of psycho-sexual melodrama that will keep you wincing throughout.

It's unequivocally graphic without showing much of anything at all, relying on the power of suggestion and the fragile stability of its characters, saving all of its shocking moments until the very end.

Largely slept-on during its initial release, Stoker has been slowly gaining a loyal following. It may only be seven years old, but it already has all the makings of a future cult classic.

Contributor
Contributor

UK based screenwriter, actor and one-half of the always-irreverent Kino Inferno podcast. Purveyor of cult cinema, survival horror games and low-rent slasher films.