Messed Up Horror Movies

Updated May 1, 2024

For Messed Up Horror Movies, there is no limit to the films reporting on this topic. Here are 25 of the top ones.

Oldboy (2003)

★★★★

3.4 out of 4 stars

From Park Chan-wook, starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok
Rated R

Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean psychological thriller film directed by Park Chan-wook. It follows Oh Dae-su, a businessman who is mysteriously abducted and imprisoned in a strange hotel-like room for 15 years without explanation. When he is finally released, he embarks on a quest for revenge against the person responsible for his imprisonment. Along the way, he discovers secrets about his past that have been kept hidden from him. The film has been widely praised for its surreal visuals, labyrinthine story, and thrilling action sequences.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

★★★★

3.3 out of 4 stars

From Darren Aronofsky, starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
Rated R

Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky. The film follows the lives of four characters - Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto), his mother Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), his girlfriend Marion Silver (Jennifer Connelly), and his best friend Tyrone C. Love (Marlon Wayans). All four characters struggle with addiction and are desperate for a better life. The story follows the downward spiral of the characters as the consequences of their choices begin to take hold. The film explores themes of drug abuse, poverty, loneliness, and desperation as each character struggles with their individual addiction. In the end, Requiem for a Dream is a powerful and heartbreaking look at how addiction can ruin lives.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

★★★★

3.3 out of 4 stars

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
Rated R

A Clockwork Orange tells the story of Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a charismatic, sociopathic delinquent whose pleasures are classical music, rape, and ultra-violence. After he and his gang are arrested for murder and rape, Alex is sentenced to 14 years in prison. After two years, he volunteers for an experimental behavior modification program that promises to "cure" his violent tendencies, but at a cost. Alex's newfound morality is tested by a society that no longer accepts him, leading him to a harrowing and surreal confrontation with his own past. With its groundbreaking visuals, black humor, and exploration of the meaning of free will, A Clockwork Orange is one of the most iconic films of the 20th century.

The Exorcist (1973)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From William Friedkin, starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb
Rated R

The Exorcist is a 1973 horror classic, directed by William Friedkin and based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty. It follows the story of Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old girl living with her movie star mother, Chris MacNeil, in Georgetown, Washington D.C. After Regan's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Chris calls an exorcist to try and rid her daughter of an unknown and powerful demonic spirit. As the exorcism unfolds, the supernatural forces that inhabit Regan become stronger and more violent. With the help of two Catholic priests, Father Damien Karras and Father Lancaster Merrin, Chris battles for her daughter's soul and must ultimately face her own inner demons. The Exorcist is a chilling and intense film that blurs the lines between the physical and spiritual worlds and features haunting performances by Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, and Linda Blair.

I Saw the Devil (2010)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Jee-woon Kim, starring Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Ho-jin Chun
Rated Not Rated

In "I Saw the Devil", director Jee-woon Kim tells the story of Kim Soo-hyeon (Lee Byung-hun), a secret agent who is grieving the horrific murder of his fiancée at the hands of a psychopathic killer. He sets out on a brutal mission of revenge and engages in a violent game of cat and mouse with the murderer, Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik). As the pursuit progresses, Soo-hyeon begins to unravel and is consumed by an overwhelming rage and thirst for vengeance. The film follows Soo-hyeon's journey as he descends further into darkness, and struggles to maintain his humanity in the face of such violence.

Happiness (1998)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Todd Solondz, starring Jane Adams, Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dylan Baker
Rated NC-17

Happiness is a dark comedy-drama film directed by Todd Solondz and released in 1998. It follows the lives of three sisters and their struggles with loneliness, depression, and sexual frustration. The sisters, Joy, Trish, and Helen, spend much of the film looking for true happiness and trying to make sense of their lives. Joy, the eldest sister, is a successful writer, but she is struggling with her own feelings of emptiness. Trish is married to a cheating husband, and she is trying to find comfort in her faith. Helen is a sexually promiscuous woman who is searching for something real. All three sisters are trying to find happiness and make sense of their lives, and the film follows their journeys.

Mysterious Skin (2004)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Gregg Araki, starring Brady Corbet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elisabeth Shue, Chase Ellison
Rated Unrated

Mysterious Skin is a 2004 independent drama film directed by Gregg Araki. Based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Scott Heim, the film tells the story of two pre-adolescent boys who are sexually abused by their baseball coach. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet as the two boys, who are now adults. The film follows two parallel storylines: one in which the older Neil attempts to uncover the truth about his childhood, and the other in which Brian, the younger version of Neil, struggles with the effects of the abuse. Neil is a hustler who is haunted by a vague memory of being abducted by aliens. He falls in love with a young woman, Wendy, who may be the only one who can help him uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Brian is isolated and lonely and begins to explore his sexuality. The film is an intense exploration of repression, trauma, and identity. It is an unflinching examination of the psychological effects of childhood sexual abuse. The film is ultimately a story of healing and growth.

The Skin I Live In (2011)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Pedro Almodóvar, starring Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes
Rated R

The Skin I Live In is a 2011 Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Antonio Banderas as plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard. Robert is obsessed with creating a new type of synthetic skin that is capable of withstanding burns, cuts, and other forms of damage. He test his invention on a mysterious woman who he has kept captive in his mansion. The story unravels a tangled web of dark secrets, revenge, and a twisted relationship between Robert and the woman. Ultimately, it is revealed that the woman is actually Robert's daughter, who he had transformed in order to take revenge on the man who raped her mother.

Funny Games (1997)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Michael Haneke, starring Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, Arno Frisch, Frank Giering
Rated Not Rated

Funny Games is a 1997 psychological thriller film written and directed by Michael Haneke and starring Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, and Arno Frisch. The plot follows two young men, Peter and Paul, who hold a family hostage in their vacation home and subject them to a sadistic game of torture. As the family struggles to stay alive, the two men gain more and more control over their victims and their environment, while remaining seemingly indifferent to the consequences of their actions. The film is an exploration of the power dynamics between the captors and their victims, as well as an examination of modern media violence. The film ends with a question of whether the audience has become complicit in the torture.