- 8 hours ago
The best horror movies are the ones you don't understand.
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00:00Films are perfect for when you're after some surface-level entertainment.
00:04There is no simple pleasure quite as enjoyable as zoning out, laying back,
00:08and whacking on a movie that you don't have to pay full attention to,
00:11falling into some cheap laughs or easy scares for 90 minutes before getting on with your day.
00:16Sadly, though, there will always come a time when shoveling in snacks
00:20to baseless scary movie installments loses its sheen,
00:23and we become hungry for something that Doritos and Anna Faris just can't provide.
00:27Upsetting, but true.
00:29Never fear, though, as of course there is a world of cinema out there
00:33that veers in exactly the opposite direction.
00:35Instead of bumbling through their runtime with little to offer than some shiny, entertaining images,
00:40these films pride themselves on offering an experience that dives deep into unknown territories,
00:46crafting immersive worlds, concepts, and mysteries for audiences to unravel time and time again.
00:52These might be even harder to find in the horror genre, but they do exist,
00:56creating truly unnerving pieces that improve with each watch
01:00as you comb over the clues they leave to reach mind-blowing finales.
01:05With that in mind, then, I am the bottomless pit that is Ash from WhatCulture,
01:10and these are eight horror movies that get better the deeper you go.
01:138. Suspiria
01:15Known most recently by its 2018 remake, Suspiria is a cult classic of the genre from Dario Argento,
01:22and one so sumptuously shot and soundtracked that it is easy to see why it has had such a lasting
01:27presence on the horror community.
01:29Intertwining a rainbow of colour into a story about a ballet school with a supernatural presence
01:34lurking in its walls, Suspiria is never forthcoming with its narrative.
01:38Instead, relying on suggestive shots and a drip-fed story to reach the conclusion that
01:43lead Susie Banyan is dealing with a coven of witches.
01:47This revelation doesn't come until late into the film, contextualising the events that we have
01:51just watched play out, like dogs turning aggressive, students getting dramatically murdered,
01:55and a strange, breathy figure appearing in the night into something tangible,
02:00meaning it is ripe for re-watching as soon as you have gotten through its snappy runtime.
02:05Suspiria is classic yellow horror, and Argento's pinpoint vision for the film
02:09means that it is a joy to dig into all the little clues that craft a witchy hole.
02:14Inspired in part by a true story, as heard by the film's co-writer, Dario Nicolodi,
02:19and in part by the 1845 novel Suspiria de Profundis,
02:23the European influences that make up the story are ever-interesting to consume.
02:28And combined with his fairy tale inspirations,
02:30even more intriguing to attempt to piece together as you dig into Suspiria's vibe.
02:357. Black Swan
02:37Darren Aronofsky doesn't make basic movies.
02:40Whether it's Requiem for a Dream, Mother, or Noah,
02:43the director is known for his off-the-wall envisioning of life in an entirely new and
02:47uncomfortable way, bringing the darker aspects of his character's psyches to the forefront
02:52for a nightmarish ride.
02:53His horror efforts in Black Swan are where this talent for the macabre becomes most apparent,
02:59detailing Wand Dancer's fall from grace as she works through a hallucinogenic struggle
03:03to become prima ballerina of Swan Lake.
03:05Diving into Black Swan provides a wealth of interesting dissections,
03:09playing off the representations of the White Swan that Natalie Portman's character embodies so well,
03:14and the Black Swan that she aspires to be able to connect with in the same way as Mila Kunis.
03:19Whether this is the death of innocence and welcoming of her budding sexuality,
03:23or perhaps the insinuation of abuse at her mother's hands is up to the audience to decide,
03:28with the film's mesmerising interpretive qualities something to really get your teeth into.
03:33Black Swan's psychological edge and constant shifting between reality and imagination is one
03:38that makes it a difficult but rewarding watch, much like many other Aronofsky films too.
03:43In any case, it is one that only gets better the further you pick it apart,
03:47since you can be sure that everything the director has put in there has its own firm reasoning behind it.
03:536. Psycho
03:54Of course, no list on horror movies that build up their own fascinating mythos to dive into
03:59would be complete without Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
04:02One of the granddaddies of the slasher genre and a perfectly constructed scarefest,
04:07it has long been hailed by film students the world over that have had to pick through
04:10its meticulously pieced together shots,
04:13revealing thematic undercurrents that are easy to miss when it is so easy to become wrapped up in Psycho's plot.
04:19Psycho is the story of Marion Crane on the run, at least initially,
04:22stealing a huge sum of money and stopping off at the Bates Motel as she makes her way out of town.
04:27Unfortunately for her, Norman Bates and his mother aren't very hospitable owners,
04:31resulting in Marion's death and the consequent search by her family and friends for the missing woman.
04:35As the narrative unfolds with each twist and turn,
04:38Hitchcock drops sneaky clues that give way to the true nature of the characters he has created on screen,
04:44such as Norman's predatory bird collection giving way to his true intentions,
04:48and Marion's penchant for mirrors to reflect her duplicitous personality.
04:52Spotting all these moments becomes half the joy of picking through such a seminal movie,
04:56since it always feels that there is something new no matter how many times one can watch it,
05:00and that is why it remains such a masterpiece to this day.
05:045. Us
05:05Much in the same vein as Get Out, Jordan Peele's second movie,
05:09and testament to the power of his laser-focused horror, Us,
05:13hides its true intentions under layers of symbolism.
05:16Telling the story of a family accosted by their own doppelgangers as they holiday in Santa Cruz,
05:21Peele's ability to tell a scary story that overlays far more intense and deeper societal issues
05:26is the work of an artist,
05:28elevating what would be a good horror movie by any standards to new and scary heights.
05:33Going deeper into Us reveals Peele is folding in a story of the underclass,
05:38utilising the tethered as underground representations of those in poverty who are oppressed and then cut off from the world,
05:44vying for their time in the sun quite literally.
05:47Mixing in themes of class,
05:49privilege,
05:49and ignorance into what is already an intense horror home invasion makes it all the more interesting.
05:55But he doesn't stop there.
05:56Peele is also an avid cinephile,
05:58and works hard to incorporate his love of film into his work at every point possible.
06:03Borrowing from B-movie classics like C-H-U-D, or Chud,
06:06which appears at the start of the film as an indication of what is to come,
06:10cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers, anyone,
06:12to long-loved masterpieces like The Shining,
06:15which breathes life into the creepy, murderous twins,
06:18his work is peppered so heavily with knowing nods
06:21that it will have any film lover whipping their head around uncontrollably.
06:24It's a joy to dig into,
06:26and far too easy to find oneself lost in the minute details of its construct,
06:30rather than the overarching film itself with multiple watches.
06:344.
06:35Shaun of the Dead
06:36What appears on the surface as simple, dumb, fun,
06:40Shaun of the Dead is the bonkers horror comedy
06:42that imbues its story with plenty of fun extras for avid fans to unpack.
06:47Meaning you get the movie that keeps on giving,
06:48should you ever want to try and get to the bottom of its bountiful easter eggs.
06:53Simon Pegg in Nick Frost's Love Child marks the start of the Cornetto trilogy,
06:57with this initial installment telling the simple tale of two losers
07:00trying to survive the zombie apocalypse
07:01and rescue their friends and family in the process.
07:04The whole film is the launching point for a masterclass in horror history,
07:09with famous horror directors and actors hidden throughout name tags and restaurant titles,
07:13and George A. Romero's Living Dead series aped to no end
07:16as lines are recycled in Shaun of the Dead's new context.
07:20Expert's attention to detail is also paid to every unfolding plot point on screen.
07:24In fact, each progression of the story is earmarked with foreshadowing
07:28that can be found hidden throughout the movie,
07:30with clues tucked into everything from background posters to the main cast dialogue.
07:34As Frost said, unveils exactly how everything will play out from his big plan in the opening.
07:39Edgar Wright's love letter to the genre is one that becomes a straight Easter egg hunt
07:44the more you rummage through its shot list,
07:46with each discovery even more hilariously attentive than the last.
07:503. Midsommar
07:52Just like Jordan Peele, Ari Aster is another horror director
07:55that has recently released his sophomore effort out into the world
07:58to a burning inferno of critical praise and fan hype.
08:02He's taken his work into a new direction post-hereditary,
08:05but retains all of his intense, painterly style,
08:09of course imbuing it with some trademark slow-burning dread
08:12that culminates into an ending that isn't easily forgotten.
08:15Midsommar depicts Danny and her boyfriend Christian
08:17as they take a trip to Sweden with his friends,
08:19attempting to salvage a relationship that is strained by Danny's grief
08:22at having tragically lost her family.
08:25Considering it is a hefty two and a half hours of movie to get through,
08:28there is plenty to go deeper with after your first watch of Midsommar.
08:32Inspired by actual Swedish cults and a plethora of mysterious folklore,
08:36looking into the themes that Aster uncovers with his movie
08:38provides a wealth of creepy reading material to get through
08:42that only intensifies the strangeness we experience on screen tenfold.
08:46Digging into Aster's narrative also reveals heaps of symbolism,
08:49with mirrors and symmetry defining shots to reflect the duality of life,
08:53death, good and evil these characters are working through.
08:56Even the crazy bear ending is shown through symbols before we actually get to it,
09:00with Pell, the friend that takes them all to Sweden,
09:03sitting in front of a giant bear picture as he discusses Danny joining them on the trip.
09:07There are loads of tiny moments like this to catch as the film plays out.
09:112. The Cabin in the Woods
09:13Essentially Evil Dead turned up to 11,
09:16The Cabin in the Woods sees a group of stereotypical teenagers,
09:19a rambunctious jock, a promiscuous bimbo, an intelligent nerd,
09:23a ridiculous stoner and a shy virgin,
09:26head out to the titular cabin for a weekend away.
09:29Only instead of a weekend of fun,
09:30the group are accosted by a zombie redneck torture family
09:33that have been awoken by messing with a book in the basement,
09:36meaning they get slowly picked off in increasingly violent ways.
09:40The premise is one that is all too familiar,
09:43or at least it appears so,
09:44until a government agency is discovered to be controlling the group behind the scenes
09:47in order to maintain a pact with ancient gods that threaten to wipe out the planet,
09:52if not appeased.
09:53You know, your average stakes then.
09:55What makes The Cabin in the Woods so brilliant
09:57is that this agency adds another layer to just about every horror movie out there in existence.
10:02Instead of horror films being an effort in creating the most gruesome entertainment possible,
10:06this movie gives meaning to the sadism,
10:09and explains why tropes are so common in a genre that has room to be so experimental,
10:14becoming a wider theory that sprinkles a healthy dose of fun
10:16throughout the film experience as a whole.
10:19Combined with the countless references to horror film greats
10:21that make for some good old-fashioned scavenger hunting with the pause button,
10:25and The Cabin in the Woods holds a tale that only gets better the more you bury into it.
10:301. Triangle
10:32A science fiction horror movie that will tap dance on your synapses and send your brain into overdrive,
10:38Triangle is a film that dresses itself up as a simple lost-at-sea narrative,
10:42selling itself on a group that gets caught in a storm whilst yachting
10:45and after jump ship onto an abandoned cruise liner that by chance is passing by.
10:50Jess and her friends soon then find themselves victims of a mysterious murderer,
10:53and learn that floating atop their capsized yacht is a far preferable fate
10:58to whatever is happening aboard the newfound ship.
11:01As it turns out, this is not your average spooky story,
11:04since the ship doesn't subscribe to any normal experience of space and time.
11:08Instead, Jess has become party to a time loop,
11:11forced into a self-fulfilling prophecy where she kills her friends over and over again
11:15in an attempt to break free of its consequences.
11:17On first watch, Triangle is a tangled mess of timelines that is difficult to prise apart.
11:23There's exact doubles, jumping forward and backward in the narrative,
11:26and heaps of death that doesn't quite make sense until you have seen all the way through.
11:30Even then, the precise nature of the loop is still a tricky one to understand in its entirety,
11:35requiring multiple rewatches to get to grips with it before you can dive into the theories of its causation.
11:40Triangle is like horror's answer to Primer.
11:43The more you dig, the deeper you go, and the more crossed wires you find along the way.
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