The Most Disturbing Horror Movies That You’ll Only Watch Once
**Everybody loves a good scare, as the undying popularity of horror movies continues to prove. From unexpected jump scares and eerie atmosphere, to terrifying creatures and supernatural occurrences, a lot of fun can be had with the genre. However, these films aren’t always meant to be a pleasant experience, and there are some horror movies that are actually scary and truly disturbing and twisted that even the most seasoned enthusiast would struggle to sit through.**
Everybody loves a good scare, as the undying popularity of horror movies continues to prove. From unexpected jump scares and eerie atmosphere, to terrifying creatures and supernatural occurrences, a lot of fun can be had with the genre. However, these films aren’t always meant to be a pleasant experience, and there are some horror movies that are actually scary and truly disturbing and twisted that even the most seasoned enthusiast would struggle to sit through.
Whether it’s due to graphic violence, excessive gore, controversial subject matter, or unsettling imagery, these movies are hard to unsee. The scariest horror movies will definitely have viewers questioning the filmmaker's intentions and leave them with no desire to revisit them in the near future. These most disturbing horror movies in cinematic history are full of controversial plots and genuinely nightmare-inducing sequences, which often end up becoming hot topics of discussion among fans and critics alike. Feel good family fun, this certainly is not.
35 'Barbarian' (2022)
Director: Zach Cregger
Barbarian is one of the most bonkers horror movies to hit screens in recent memory. On the surface, it seems like your standard creepy horror flick. A woman named Tara (Georgina Campbell) books an Airbnb, only to find it has been double-booked by a mysterious stranger named Keith (Bill Skarsgård). Just when you think you know where the narrative is going, Barbarian flips the script and goes to a totally unexpected and wild place.
The film’s second half is completely demented and gross, but it does not reach the disturbing level of some of the higher-ranked films on this list due to its unexpected humor and self-awareness. Barbarian is a totally wild and unpredictable ride that will have viewers questioning what it is they just witnessed.
Rent on Apple TV
34 'The Perfection' (2018)
Director: Richard Shepard
Netflix has released a slew of original horror films, but one that stands out (and is easily underrated) is The Perfection, starring Get Out and M3GAN’s Allison Williams. Williams plays troubled music prodigy Charlotte, who returns to her prestigious music school to find that she has been replaced by new star pupil Lizzie (Logan Browning).
The pair are sent down a sinister path there is no returning from, embarking on the ultimate revenge plot. While viewers may initially make comparisons to a rivalry narrative like Black Swan, it turns out The Perfection is much more David Cronenberg's body horror style. The film takes big swings and risks, featuring some incredibly repulsive and striking imagery that will leave you squirming.
The Perfection Release Date: September 20, 2018
Director: Richard Shepard
Runtime: 90
33 'Funny Games' (1997)
Director: Michael Haneke
Despite not technically being a horror movie, Michael Haneke’s original Funny Games is one of the most terrifying non-horror films of all time, and is truly difficult to stomach. The psychological thriller follows two young men (Arno Frisch and Frank Giering) who hold a family hostage in their lakeside vacation home. They abuse and force them to play sadistic games for their own sick entertainment.
The psychotic Paul (Firsch) and Peter (Giering) often break the fourth wall throughout the film, directly addressing the audience. The pair tease the viewers, asking them moral questions and therefore making them feel complicit by simply watching the torture play out on screen. It’s an effective narrative technique that makes the whole viewing experience much harder to digest. By the end of Funny Games, audiences will be asking themselves what exactly they got out of watching something so horrid.
Funny Games (1997) Release Date: March 11, 1998
Cast: Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, Arno Frisch, Frank Giering
Runtime: 108 minutes
Watch on Max
32 '[Rec]' (2007)
Directors: Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró
The use of found-footage filmmaking is extremely popular within the horror genre, thanks to the success of films like The Blair Witch Project. One of the most effective and frightening uses of the stylistic technique can be seen in the Spanish horror film [Rec]. Entirely using found footage, it depicts a television reporter (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman (Pablo Rosso), who follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building.
There is a virus outbreak, trapping everybody inside and slowly turning people into vicious cannibals. The found-footage presentation makes [Rec] feel terrifyingly authentic and intimate, fully immersing the viewer in a very realistic manner. The gruesome effects, convincing acting, and production elements make it feel as if you are watching a real TV report, and the film’s bleak ending will leave viewers feeling extremely unsettled.
[REC] Release Date: November 23, 2007
Directors: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
Cast: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Pablo Rosso, David Vert, Vicente Gil
Runtime: 80
Rent on Amazon
31 ‘Host’ (2020)
Director: Rob Savage
We have all become far too familiar with Zoom and communicating remotely through work meetings and social catch ups during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, director Rob Savage capitalized on the popularity of the application (and social circumstances) to make Host, a film that proves you don’t need a big budget to make something terrifying.
Filmed entirely through webcams and set on a computer screen, a group of friends perform an online seance and accidentally invite a demonic presence into their homes. Savage uses simple tricks to conjure up genuinely nasty scares during a heart-pounding runtime of just under an hour. Host is a brilliant technical experiment, and Zoom meetings will never be the same again.
Host Release Date: July 30, 2020
Cast: Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore
Runtime: 56 minutes
Watch on Shudder
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Hey, I'm Hamza Ilyas, Dubai's very own sports and entertainment guru. Started off at The Aquila School and kicked it at Ajman Academy too. Now, I'm all about bringing you the hottest takes and coolest news from the world of sports and entertainment. Buckle up, it's gonna be one heck of a ride. Connect With Me