13 Horrific Horror Movie Moments That Come Out Of Nowhere

Pedro Almodovar's sole horror film to date was, accurately, described by the great director as a "horror story without scares or frights" and it's true that the film doesn't contain scares in the traditional sense, but don't let that fool you. This is still a blood-curdling movie that uses its narrative to rattle viewers instead, and the main tool in its arsenal is what is quite arguably one of the most horrifying, harrowing plot twists ever put to film.

The film tells the story of unstable plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) who has lost both his wife and daughter, and has been conducting illegal experiments to create the perfect synthetic skin. He has also been keeping a mysterious woman named Vera (Elena Anaya) captive at his house, but who, exactly, is she?

Well, she was originally Vicente (Jan Cornet), a young man who Ledgard believes raped his daughter; she eventually committed suicide. In revenge, Ledgard kidnapped Vicente, gave him a forcible sex change and used extensive surgery to transform him into a replica of his late wife. 'Messed up' doesn't even cover it.

Many of the best plot twists are subtly hinted at numerous times before the final reveal, but the twist in The Skin I Live In isn't one of those. There aren't many clues at all and when the reveal does come along, viewers will feel like they've been punched repeatedly in the windpipe with a knuckleduster. Shockingly brilliant stuff.