Psychological Horror backdrop

Psychological Horror movies

Mind-driven fear: paranoia, hallucinations, breakdown, and unreliable perception where the threat may be internal or unclear.

201. Infection

Infection
Horror Drama Psychological Horror Psychological Drama
6.0
20041h 38minJapan
Director: Masayuki Ochiai

Overview

Infection takes place in a dark, isolated hospital, where one doctors mistake has led to dire consequences for a patient. In a hospital death is just a breath away.

Themes

Institutional cover-up pressure, Mass contagion, Deception under pressure, Fear and moral ambiguity, Care under resource strain, Guilt and accountability in teams


202. Dead End

Dead End
Mystery Horror Thriller Psychological Horror Survival Thriller
6.5
20031h 23minFrance, United States
Director: Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Overview

Christmas Eve. On his way to his in-laws with his family, Frank Harrington decides to try a shortcut, for the first time in 20 years. It turns out to be the biggest mistake of his life.

Themes

Fear as control, Deception under pressure, Family stress under danger, Isolation in remote setting, Consequences of shortcuts, Paranoia after trauma

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

203. Gozu

Gozu
Horror Comedy Crime Thriller Mystery
6.9
20032h 10minJapan
Director: Takashi Miike

Overview

Minami mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty and betrayal, Power and control dynamics, Identity ambiguity through disguise, Surreal hotel environment, Underworld coercion

Available on

Screambox Amazon Channel
Cineverse
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

204. A Tale of Two Sisters

A Tale of Two Sisters
Drama Horror Mystery Psychological Horror Unreliable Perspective Mystery
7.1
20031h 55minSouth Korea
Director: Kim Jee-woon

Overview

Two sisters return home after a stay in a mental institution, only to face disturbing events and a strained relationship with their stepmother. As eerie occurrences unfold, dark family secrets begin to surface, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.

Themes

Grief and guilt, Dysfunctional family dynamics, Unreliable perception, Intergenerational trauma, Psychological coercion, Domestic secrecy

Available on

AMC Plus Apple TV Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

205. May

May
Drama Horror Comedy Psychological Horror Dark Comedy
6.6
20031h 33minUnited States
Director: Lucky McKee

Overview

A socially awkward veterinary assistant with a lazy eye and obsession with perfection descends into depravity after developing a crush on a boy with perfect hands.

Themes

Mental illness stigma, Childhood trauma, Social isolation, Murder motif, Lgbt relationship tension, Obsession with perfection

Available on

Amazon Video
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

206. Willard

Willard
Horror Drama Thriller Psychological Horror Revenge Thriller
6.1
20031h 40minUnited States
Director: Glen Morgan

Overview

Desperate for companionship, the repressed Willard befriends a group of rats that inhabit his late father's deteriorating mansion. In these furry creatures, Willard finds temporary refuge from daily abuse at the hands of his bedridden mother and his father's old partner, Frank. Soon it becomes clear that the brood of rodents is ready and willing to exact a vicious, deadly revenge on anyone who dares to bully their sensitive new master.

Themes

Power dynamics, Misfit loneliness, Workplace domination, Revenge through subjugation, Confinement and revolt, Animal companionship vs loneliness

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

207. Red Dragon

Red Dragon
Crime Thriller Horror Serial Killer Crime Investigation Suspense
7.2
20022h 4minGermany, Italy
Director: Brett Ratner

Overview

Former FBI Agent Will Graham, who was once almost killed by the savage Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, now has no choice but to face him again, as it seems Lecter is the only one who can help Graham track down a new serial killer.

Themes

Dual identities, Abuse and control, Media manipulation, Police profiling, Traumatic upbringing, Obsessive compulsion

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

208. Below

Below
Thriller Horror Mystery Mind Game Thriller Psychological Horror
6.1
20021h 45minUnited States
Director: David Twohy

Overview

In the dark silence of the sea during World War II, the submarine USS Tiger Shark prowls on what should be a routine rescue mission. But for the shell-shocked crew, trapped together in the sub's narrow corridors and constricted spaces, this is about to become a journey into the sensory delusions, mental deceptions and runaway fears that lurk just below the surface of the ocean.

Themes

Survival under pressure, Deception and cover-up, Paranoia in cramped spaces, Record suppression, Mistrust in confinement, Duty versus self-preservation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

209. The Mothman Prophecies

The Mothman Prophecies
Drama Horror Mystery Psychological Horror Investigation Mystery
6.4
20021h 59minUnited States
Director: Mark Pellington

Overview

Reporter John Klein is plunged into a world of impossible terror and unthinkable chaos when fate draws him to a sleepy West Virginia town whose residents are being visited by a great winged shape that sows hideous nightmares and fevered visions.

Themes

Grief drives isolation, Small-town paranoia fuels fear, Science versus superstition challenged, Foretelling obsession escalates risk, Memory intrusion shapes perception, Communication from beyond unsettles rationality

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

210. Suicide Club

Suicide Club
Drama Horror Thriller Psychological Horror Investigation Suspense
6.5
20011h 39minJapan
Director: Sion Sono

Overview

When 54 high school girls throw themselves in front of a subway train it appears to be only the beginning of a string of suicides around the country. Detective Kuroda tries to find the answer to this mystery, which isn't as simple as he had hoped.

Themes

Investigative pressure, Media spectacle, Urban alienation, Youth vulnerability, Online listing influence, Social contagion dynamics

Available on

Apple TV
Screambox Amazon Channel
Fawesome
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.