10 Recent Horror Films You Need To Stop Sleeping On

Classed as a horror by Letterboxd and its reviewers, Ciaran Lyons' Tummy Monster undeniably utilises many of the genre's tropes, but comes out feeling more like a psychological thriller once you're in it. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent piece of filmmaking that manages the unthinkable: repeating one line of dialogue over and over again.

A bottle film situated within a Glasgow tattoo parlour, Tummy Monster takes us into the life of Tales (Lorn Macdonald), a thirty-something tattoo artist whose life is going down the pan thanks to his questionable choices. A late-night hit-up from a famous music star promises to change everything, offering Tales the opportunity to snag a selfie, get on the better side of his estranged daughter and revitalise his life in the process. There's only one problem: the star known only as Tummy (Orlando Norman) won't let him get the shot.

This kicks off an hour and a half of grim tension, as after Tummy tries to prove a point by continuously telling Tales to "perform for him" by rubbing his tummy, Tales locks the pair of them in and sacrifices his social life, personal relationships, mental health, sanity and liberty in the effort to outstay his opponent in a miserable game of wits. The visuals are pure horror, the situations cringe-inducing, and the hints at the supernatural suggest something bigger at play in a film that’s worth every repetitive minute.

Now, rub your tummy or I'll think you're an asshole.