Psychological Horror backdrop

Psychological Horror movies

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

191. Martyrs

Martyrs
Horror Drama Thriller Psychological Horror Revenge Thriller
7.0
20081h 39minCanada, France
Director: Pascal Laugier

Overview

A young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child leads her and her best friend, also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.

Themes

Cycle of abuse, Survivor guilt dynamics, Revenge and coercion, Dehumanization through torture, Secret society ritualism, Transcendence through pain

Available on

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

192. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Drama Horror Psychological Horror Tragic Drama
7.3
20071h 56minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Tim Burton

Overview

The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Revenge motive, Power abuse, Social injustice, Corrupt authority, Cannibalism via pies

Available on

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

193. An American Crime

An American Crime
Crime Drama Horror Psychological Horror Tragic Drama
7.2
20071h 37minUnited States
Director: Tommy O'Haver

Overview

The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.

Themes

Dysfunctional family, Child abuse, Single mother, Murder and abuse, Torture and branding, Basement confinement

Available on

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

194. The Girl Next Door

The Girl Next Door
Thriller Crime Drama Horror Psychological Drama
6.5
20071h 31minUnited States
Director: Gregory Wilson

Overview

In a quiet suburban town in the summer of 1958, two recently orphaned sisters are placed in the care of their mentally unstable Aunt Ruth. But Ruth's depraved sense of discipline will soon lead to unspeakable acts of abuse and torture that involve her young sons, the neighborhood children, and one 12-year-old boy whose life will be changed forever.

Themes

Abuse of authority, Gendered violence, Institutional neglect, Childhood vulnerability, Familial coercion, Trauma memory

Available on

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

195. Inland Empire

Inland Empire
Horror Thriller Mystery Drama Fantasy
6.8
20063hUnited States, France
Director: David Lynch

Overview

When actress Nikki Grace gets the lead role in a cursed film, her world becomes more and more surreal, blending realities and ideas of infidelity, reincarnation, and supernatural forces.

Themes

Parallel realities and duplicity, Infidelity and professional risk, Curse and creative ambition, Doppelgänger and identity fragmentation, Deception within production, Surreal cinema as pressure

Available on

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

196. Strange Circus

Strange Circus
Mystery Horror Drama Psychological Horror Unreliable Perspective Mystery
6.9
20051h 48minJapan
Director: Sion Sono

Overview

The erotic novelist Taeko is writing a morbid story of a family destroyed by incest, murder and abuse. Her assistant, Yuji, sets on a mission to uncover the reality of this story, but the reality might be too much to bear.

Themes

Parent child relationship, Incest dynamics, Murder echoes, Art as confession, Child abuse trauma, Reality and fiction

Available on

Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

197. The Uninvited Guest

The Uninvited Guest
Drama Mystery Thriller Horror Whodunit
6.7
20051h 50minSpain
Director: Guillem Morales

Overview

Mysterious events lead an increasingly paranoid architect to believe a stranger is lurking in his large house.

Themes

Deception and misdirection, Marital strain, Obsessive thoughts, Home as trap, Unknown presence, Paranoia and isolation


198. Noriko's Dinner Table

Noriko's Dinner Table
Drama Horror Coming-of-Age Drama Psychological Horror
7.1
20052h 39minJapan
Director: Sion Sono

Overview

A teenager named Noriko Shimabara runs away from her family in Toyokawa, to meet Kumiko, the leader of an Internet BBS, Haikyo.com. She becomes involved with Kumiko's family circle, which grows darker after the mass suicide of 54 high school girls.

Themes

Internet belonging, Website manipulation, Mass suicide, Rental family service, Cult rumors, Youth alienation


199. The Skeleton Key

The Skeleton Key
Drama Horror Mystery Thriller Psychological Horror
6.5
20051h 44minGermany, United States
Director: Iain Softley

Overview

A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Belief vs skepticism, Racial violence and memory, Haunted house legacy, Ritual power dynamics, Plantation ownership and exploitation

Available on

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

200. Next Door

Next Door
Mystery Thriller Horror Psychological Horror Unreliable Perspective Mystery
6.4
20051h 15minDenmark, Norway
Director: Pål Sletaune

Overview

After Ingrid leaves John, he allows himself to be pulled into a mystical and scary world where it is impossible to separate truth from lies.

Themes

Neighbor influence and risk, Seduction as manipulation, Cult pressure and control, Ambition vs consequence, Mystical lure and risk, Surrealism as distraction

Available on

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