10 Psychological Thrillers That Totally Messed With Your Head
5. Under The Skin
Director Jonathan Glazer's adaptation of Michael Faber's 2000 novel might not typically be classed as a psychological thriller; on release in 2013, it was promoted first and foremost as dark science fiction with an erotic edge.
Even so, Under The Skin can certainly be classed as a psychological thriller, given how deeply it focuses on the mindset of its enigmatic protagonist. As it offers very little in the way of a clear explanation as to precisely what is going on, it's one that really jumbles your brains.
Scarlett Johansson's unnamed woman (generally described as an alien, although the film doesn't go out of its way to confirm this) is a taciturn predator whose apparent sole purpose is to lure men with the promise of sex, and lead them to their deaths.
But as events unfurl, she comes to question her purpose, and seeks some understanding of the world and body that she finds herself in.
Performed and shot in an unusually grounded and realistic manner for something with such an otherworldly concept, Under The Skin is demanding viewing, and really goes out of its way to put the audience in the shoes of a total outsider.