10 Weirdest Virtual Reality Horror Movies

1. Videodrome

The Cell
Universal Pictures

Videodrome was released in 1983, when virtual reality barely existed. (The term "virtual reality" was only coined the following year). Even though the concept wasn't well-known at the time, David Cronenberg's magnum opus still managed to handle the concept of reality merging with an artificial world so flawlessly, it's allowed Videodrome to remain relevant 40 years after its release.

The story centres around TV station programmer Max Renn (James Woods), who's desperate to boost his ratings. When he stumbles upon a torture-porn channel called Videodrome, Max orders for it to broadcast on his channel. Soon after, Max begins suffering from horrific hallucinations, and finds himself unable to tell what's real anymore.

Even though any true horror fan has seen Videodrome, it's worth a revisit, since it's probably more harrowing than you remember. The way it highlights humanity's symbiotic reliance on technology and obsession with questionable entertainment isn't just creepy but prophetic. In fact, the film's themes are so spot-on of today's society, one may find it more disturbing than the iconic visuals. Even though we all remember the "Long live the new flesh" chant and the cerebral imagery, it's Videodrome's grim and accurate outlook on humanity's future that stays with you.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows