The best psychological thriller/horror movies?

[aneeshm]

I'm compiling a list of the best psychological thriller/horror movies.

One of the primary criterion for this list is that the amount of blood, gore, and graphic violence be kept to a minimum. It should be able to get into your head, and stay there for at least a few days. You can get desensitised to violence, but you can't ever become immune to the disturbing power of an idea that hits that assumption-shaking sweet spot in the psyche.

Till now, I've managed to search the internet and the following is the list I made. The problem, however, is that I have no idea which movie is gory and which is not, because it's compiled from a rather eclectic bunch of sources.

If anyone has seen any of the following, I'd like to know if it fits what I have in mind - maximum fear, tension, and suspense, but the blood and guts should be kept to minimum (preferably zero). I'm open to including a slightly violent movie if it has a good enough psychological effect/premise, however.


Arachnophobia (1990)
The Innocents (1961)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Eraserhead (1977)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Quatermass and the Pit (1968)
The Shining (1980)
Audition (1999)
The Thing (1982)
Se7en (1995)
Carrie (1976)
Bad Ronald (1974)
The Birds (1963)
Carnival of Souls (1962)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Psycho (1960)
The Vanishing (1988)
Don't Look Now (1973)
The Changeling (1980)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
28 Days Later (2002)


I'd also like to know if there are any other movies which come to mind but which aren't included.

 

[RedRalph]

Jacob's Ladder

 

[El_Machinae]

Jacob's Ladder

I was going to recommend the Silent Hill video game. It's heavily based on Jacob's Ladder.


I quite liked Nicole Kidman's The Others.

 

[Phlegmak]

Perfect Blue.

Yes, it sounds like a porno, but it's not. It's an anime movie that's basically a psychological thriller. It does have some nudity, but it's not pornographic.

 

[Aegis]

I really liked The Ring (not Ringu, I thought that was terrible). It had a great story and was verra creepy.

 

[Imrahil91]

El Orfanato [The Orphanage] (2007)
Rec (2007)

Both Spanish movies. Rec is maybe a little too gory, but I liked it so much I still recommend it.

28 Days Later is quite gory btw. It's a zombie* movie too. But if you like zombie movies I can tell you the best ones from after 2000.

*Some like to call them "infected", but they act like fast zombies.

 

[GinandTonic]

Alien

12345

 

[bhsup]

Manchurian Candidate (original)
Stepford Wives (original)

 

[Mise]

Jacob's Ladder's great, kinda wanna watch that again. Blair Witch Project sucks. Se7en is pretty gruesome in parts, but also great.

 

[jessiecat]

Alien

12345

I agree.

Alien
Aliens
The Shining
Carrie
Omen
The Thing
The Fog
The Others
Poltergeist
Witchfinder General (uncut)

 

[GinandTonic]

Aliens

I'ld say Alien is psychological horror while Aliens is more of a war movie with elements of streight and psychological horror.

And can we have

The Wicker Man

 

[Annex]

Jacob's Ladder's great, kinda wanna watch that again. Blair Witch Project sucks. Se7en is pretty gruesome in parts, but also great.

I agree. Blair Witch may have some tension, but it wasnt particularly frightening at all, because nothing ever happens.

Se7en is the most gory of the movies on the list, but not excessively so, in my opinion.

 

[warpus]

I'm compiling a list of the best psychological thriller/horror movies.

If the goal of this exercise is to end up with a girl in your arms, on your couch, then I recommend "Wolf Creek", which worked the best for this purpose, for me.

I don't remember how much blood and gore there was, though.

 

[El_Machinae]

I thought 28 days later was really good, but I don't think it fits the OP.

The Ring was scary for me, but I'm a horror movie newb.

 

[Patroklos]

28 Days Later is quite gory btw. It's a zombie* movie too. But if you like zombie movies I can tell you the best ones from after 2000.

For those taking this list for action, do NOT make the mistake of watching 28 weeks later. Pretend it doesn't exist.

 

[jessiecat]

I agree.

Alien
Aliens
The Shining
Carrie
Omen
The Thing
The Fog
The Others
Poltergeist
Witchfinder General (uncut)

I forgot 2 of my alltime favourites, The Night of the Hunter and Cape Fear (both starring Robert Mitchum,
the originals not the remake of Cape Fear).

 

[Yeekim]

I must say that Pet Sematary is one of my all time favorite horror movies.

 

[Ramius75]

Jaws ????

i think the psychological effect is global...

 

[scherbchen]

Jaws ????

i think the psychological effect is global...

still has me spooked about vast, open bodies of water. I'll stick to the kiddy pool, thank you very much.

since Spanish movies have been mentioned I would nominate Tesis.

other than that the first Alien movie has to be up there with the best of them.

 

[Arwon]

I actually think 28 days Later fits well. There's gore but it's the psychological element that stays with you, particularly the last third of the movie when the rules are turned upside down and Cillian Murphy

Spoiler :

has to become one of them, in order to save the other two from Chris Eccelston.

It's a clever "zombie" movie.