(DML Top 20 Lists - Psychological Horror Films ranked)

Honorable Mention

Don't Look Now (1973), Director: Nicolas Roeg, rated R for language, violence

The Most Harrowing Experience That You May Ever Endure

Starring: Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania, Massimo Serato, Renato Scarpa, Leopoldo Trieste

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"She says it's like a city in aspic, wrapped over from a dinner party, where all the guests are dead or gone." - Heather, speaking about Venice

Why watch this? This is a fine psychological horror film that will stay with you.

Plot Summary: A grieving couple travels to Venice after the death of their young daughter, seeking solace and distraction. There, they encounter two sisters, one of whom is psychic and offers a message from the beyond about their daughter. The husband, initially skeptical, begins to experience unsettling visions, leading to a chilling and unforgettable climax.

Dad's Preview: This film deals with grief and its effect on a marriage. The mood of the film possesses a dread that is ever-present. Through its characters, the young couple are led, finding only clues to the next macabre discovery. You know something looms ahead, and you don't want to see it. This film has one hell of an ending, and that you will never see coming.

Casey Prod., Eldorado Films; British Lion Films

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #20 Top

Cape Fear (1962), Director: J. Lee Thompson, rated Approved

CHILLING SUSPENSE in the screen's most gripping war of nerves!

Starring: Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Lori Martin, Martin Balsam, Jack Kruschen, Telly Savalas, Barrie Chase, Paul Comi, Page Slattery, Will Wright

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I got somethin' planned for your wife and kid that they ain't nevah gonna forget. They ain't nevah gonna forget it... and neither will you, Counselor! Nevah!" - Max Cady

Why watch this? This is a law-abiding citizen's worst nightmare.

Plot Summary: Max Cady, an ex-convict, is released from prison and travels to a small town to seek revenge on Sam Bowden, the lawyer who testified against him. Cady begins a menacing campaign of intimidation, stalking Bowden and his family while exploiting the limits of the law to avoid arrest. With his family's safety at risk and the police unable to help, Bowden is forced to take matters into his own hands in a final confrontation.

Dad's Preview: From the minute Max Cady saunters onto the screen, this thriller oozes noir and dread. The way he wears that Panama hat and slithers into this helpless family's life, like watching cancer in accelerated motion. That's all Robert Mitchum, tapping again into his menacing side, ala Night of the Hunter (1955). Gregory Peck and newcomer Lori Martin also give fine performances. This tense classic builds and builds to a memorable ending, thanks to a superb, intense musical score.

Melville Productions, Talbot Productions;
Universal-International

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #19 Top

The Menu (2022), Director: Mark Mylod, rated PG

Wonderful surprises await you all.

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Paul Adelstein, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, John Leguizamo, Aimee Carrero, Reed Birney, Rebecca Koon

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"So once again, thank you for dining with us tonight. You represent the ruin of my art and my life, and now you get to be a part of it. Part of what I hope is my... masterpiece." - Chef Slowik

Why watch this? This will not be what you expect, but it's one clever film about food and its obsessions.

Plot Summary: A young couple travel to a remote island to dine at an exclusive and very expensive restaurant, Hawthorne. Run by a celebrity chef, the restaurant boasts a lavish tasting menu promising a unique culinary experience. However, as the evening progresses, the guests realize the chef has some shocking surprises planned that go far beyond haute cuisine.

Dad's Preview: The film's introduction is similar to an Agatha Christie novel, which begs the viewer to figure out the purpose of assembling this cast of characters. As the evening enfolds, we learn that each diner is somewhat unlikable, and the Chef has things specifically designed to expose their detestable natures. Poor Margot, who is there only by chance, is stuck in the middle. This film introduced me to Anya Taylor-Joy, as Margo, and, wow, what an actress. She stands toe-to-toe with veteran actor Ralph Fiennes, and never flinches. This mind field of revenge and obsessions will shock you, thrill you, and completely entertain you, each course more delicious than the last.

Hyperobject Industries, Gary Sanchez
Prod.; Searchlight Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #18 Top

Rosemary's Baby (1968), Director: Roman Polanski, rated Approved

Conceived in terror. Born in fear.

Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Charles Grodin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Come with us quietly, Rosemary. Don't argue or make a scene. Because if you say anything more about witches or witchcraft, we're gonna be forced to take you to a mental hospital." - Dr. Sapirstein

Why watch this? Watching this film is akin to slow suffocation. Our expectant mother is caught in a snare.

Plot Summary: Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, a young couple, move into a new apartment building in New York City with a sinister history. There, they befriend their elderly and overly friendly next-door neighbors, the Castevets. After Rosemary becomes pregnant, she grows increasingly suspicious of her neighbors and her husband, believing them to be involved in a Satanic conspiracy targeting her unborn child.

Dad's Preview: This film became terrifying to me, but only after I grew up. Early on I was confused at why this woman was acting so strange around all these nice, helpful folks. How's that for naiveté? Rosemary is in the dark, too, until, clue by clue, she figures out the dreadful truth. It's an iconic film moment when we see her look at her new baby for the first time...

William Castle Enterprises; Paramount Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #17 Top

The Wicker Man (1973), Director: Robin Hardy, rated R for sex, nudity, frightening scenes

Flesh to touch...Flesh to burn! Don't keep the Wicker Man waiting!

Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Lesley Mackie, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp, Ian Campbell, Russell Waters, Aubrey Morris, Irene Sunter

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man." - Lord Summerisle to Sergeant Howie

Why watch this? The Brits spin a nice horror film, as they lean into paganism.

Plot Summary: A conservative, Christian police sergeant travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. He is met with hostility and denial from the island's insular, pagan inhabitants, who claim the girl never existed. As the pious outsider probes deeper into the community's strange rituals and practices, he grows more convinced a conspiracy is afoot.

Dad's Preview: Many folks, as was I, were raised under Christian values. Anything deriving spirituality from nature, witches, old gods, or chanting rituals was openly chastised and certainly feared. Here, Edward Woodward, portrays police officer Sgt. Howie who is a devout Christian. As part of a missing girl report, he ends up in the middle of an isolated, secret island where his beliefs are in the minority. As he investigates the disappearance, he comes to meet Christopher Lee (in perhaps his best performance ever), the leader of the community. Things get weirder and scarier as the officer comes to a grim realization. This is extreme psychological horror, and will leave you quite spooked.

Peter Snell; British Lion Films

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #16 Top

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), Director: Lynne Ramsay, rated R for language, violence

Mummy's little monster...

Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Rocky Duer, Ashley Gerasimovich, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Alex Manette

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Oh! Yes I do as a matter of fact! I'm going straight to hell. Eternal damnation, the whole bit. Thanks for asking! Ok?" – Eva, when asked about her afterlife by two religious solicitors her front door.

Why watch this? It is a compelling psychological drama about a boy who despises his mother.

Plot Summary: Eva struggles to connect with her son, Kevin, who displays increasingly disturbing and manipulative behavior from infancy through adolescence. As the strained relationship between mother and son escalates, Eva is forced to grapple with her own guilt and the mounting signs of Kevin's malice, which go unnoticed by her husband. Following a catastrophic, violent incident perpetrated by Kevin, the film explores the harrowing aftermath as a community and a mother deal with the consequences.

Dad's Preview: There are few actresses who can embody anguish better than Tilda Swinton - she is amazing here. This film is every mother's nightmare - your son hates you. No matter what she does, he spurns her affections and actively plot's to make her life miserable. Then, the unthinkable happens. There is no why, it mercilessly is just the way it is. I also have to mention two fine performances by the actors portraying Kevin. Young Jasper Newell and teen Ezra Miller really bring this tragic drama to painful life.

BBC Films, UK Film Council, Piccadilly Pics, Footprint
Investments, Lipsync Prod., Independent Artina Films,
Rockinghorse Films; Oscilloscope Laboratories

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #15 Top

Get Out (2017), Director: Jordan Peele, rated R for violence, language, disturbing scenes

Just because you're invited, doesn't mean you're welcome.

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, LaKeith Stanfield, Catherine Keener, Lil Rel Howery, Erika Alexander, Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You know I can't give you the keys, right, babe?" - Rose Armitage

Why watch this? You sorta know where it's going, but it gets to you anyway.

Plot Summary: A young Black photographer travels with his white girlfriend to meet her parents at their secluded estate for a weekend getaway. While initially interpreting their overly accommodating behavior as awkward, well-intentioned nervousness, he soon discovers the family's sinister, deeply disturbing motives for inviting him. Suspicion turns to survival as he attempts to escape.

Dad's Preview: If you are a lover of films that psychologically devastate, this is your winner of the week. It plays on many mental horrors that trouble us all in our nightmares: being strapped helplessly in a chair, being hypnotized, being preyed on by a murder-cult. Add to the mix several terrors centered on a secret society that abducts black people for their nefarious pleasures. Jordan Peele's directorial debut is a rollercoaster ride that would thrill the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Sterling. How this film builds dread is truly masterful. This flick flies by, and before you know it, the ending... and I mean THAT ending... hits you hard. This great film sets a new standard for the psychological thriller.

Blumhouse Prod., QC Ent., Monkeypaw Prod.;
Universal Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #14 Top

Bugonia (2025), Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, Rated R for language, violence, gore, suicide

It all starts with something magnificent.

Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone, Vanessa Eng, Marc T. Lewis

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"... this is really difficult for me as well. You killed my family, you killed my community, you killed my co-workers and you killed the bees. So given that, you should really appreciate how professional I'm being by not gutting you." - Teddy

Why watch this? What a thought-inducing, weirdly-wonderful film!

Plot Summary: A conspiracy-obsessed man and his mentally-challenged cousin kidnap a high-powered pharmaceutical CEO, convinced she is an alien bent on destroying the Earth. Held captive in their basement, the CEO must navigate a tense psychological battle as her captor tries to force a confession and save humanity.

Dad's Preview: Just when I start thinking (very stupidly) that new films are just not cuttin' it, this gem explodes from the collective brain trust of Lanthimos and Stone. A remake of the Korean film Save the Green Planet! (2003), Bugonia is an education on several fronts. Much of the dialogue reinforces that impossibility of arguing with a conspiracy theorists, a stress many of us feel today. As the captors interrogate Michelle, the tense, claustrophobic setting is smothering. Then, in a wink, the ending occurs and you have to discard almost everything into a nearby waste basket. I will admit I am warming to the hard-working Jesse Plemons, as his acting career matures. As Teddy Gatz, he's channeling Travis Bickle, and his performance is unforgettable. This will become a sci-fi classic.

Element Pictures, Square Peg, CJ ENM, Pith,
Fruit Tee Enterprises; Focus Features

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #13 Top

Jacob's Ladder (1990), Director: Adrian Lyne, rated R for language, violence, disturbing images

The most frightening thing about Jacob Singer's nightmare is that he isn't dreaming.

Starring: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander, Patricia Kalember, Eriq La Salle

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"If you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth." – Louis

Why watch this? This feels dream-like and surreal... there's a reason for that.

Plot Summary: Jacob Singer, a Vietnam veteran, struggles to distinguish reality from delusion after experiencing horrifying flashbacks and hallucinations related to his service and the loss of his son. His perception of the world around him, including friends, family, and strangers, becomes increasingly distorted with demonic imagery and surreal events. As his grip on sanity loosens, Jacob desperately seeks answers, convinced there's a deeper, unsettling truth behind his terrifying experiences.

Dad's Preview: If you like mind-mending plots, this film is for you. It's incredible mood is set by its franticness, images are a flutter within a dream-like setting. Tim Robbins is excellent portraying a tortured man searching to regain his sanity. The first time you see this movie, the ending will be quite a shocker.

Carolco Pictures; Tri-Star Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #12 Top

Seven (1995, stylized title as Se7en), Director: David Fincher, rated R for language, gory murders

Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die.

Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, John C. McGinley, Kevin Spacey, Richard Roundtree, Daniel Zacapa

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"People will barely be able to comprehend it, but they won't be able to deny it." – John Doe

Why watch this? This is one intense, gory, emotional crime film.

Plot Summary: The film follows a retiring detective, William Somerset, and his newly transferred partner, David Mills, as they investigate a series of brutal murders. They discover the killer's motives are rooted in the seven deadly sins, with each victim representing one of the vices. As the detectives delve deeper into the twisted mind of the killer, the investigation takes an increasingly dark and disturbing turn.

Dad's Preview: I have always loved films and books about mass murderers. Sick, huh?. Still, I'm interested in the killer's motives and the detective's research to apprehend the criminal. This film, centered on the seven deadly sins, is the perfect, creepy set up. Brad Pitt does pretty decent job in his role, but Freeman and Spacey carry the film. The ending, as you might guess, is quite harrowing.

Arnold Koopelson Prod.; New Line Cinema

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #11 Top

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Director: Robert Aldrich, rated Approved

You'd better be shockproof before you dare find out!

Starring: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Wesley Addy, Julie Allred, Anne Barton, Marjorie Bennett, Bert Freed, Anna Lee, Maidie Norman, Dave Willock

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You know, we're right back where we started. When I was on the stage you had to depend on me for everything. Even the food you ate came from me. Now you have to depend on me for your food again. So, you see, we're right back where we started." - "Baby" Jane Hudson

Why watch this? Davis' portrayal of Baby Jane is monstrous.

Plot Summary: This psychological horror thriller centers on two aging sisters, Jane and Blanche Hudson, both former Hollywood stars, who live as recluses in their decaying mansion. Jane, a former child star clinging to the past, resents Blanche, whose film career overshadowed her own before a mysterious accident left Blanche paralyzed. As Jane's jealousy and unstable mental state escalate, she subjects Blanche to increasing psychological torment and isolation.

Dad's Preview: Bette Davis and Joan Crawford where Hollywood icons by 1961, each with a string of successful films behind them. This edgy, psychological film literally pits them against each other. Ms. Davis rants, raves, boozes and hoists cruelty on her paralyzed sister at every chance she gets - she deserved her Oscar nomination. Ms. Crawford likewise is effective as a brow-beaten bird trapped in a spider's web, helplessly at the mercy of her tormentor. As Jane sinks into mental illness, this goes from thriller to horror flick. There really are not many films like this one, but Misery (1990) comes to mind.

Seven Arts Productions;
Warner Bros. Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #10 Top

Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Director: Guillermo del Toro, rated R for violence, scary images

In darkness, there can be light. In misery, there can be beauty. In death, there can be life...

Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo, Manolo Solor

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I've had so many names. Old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am... I am a faun. Your most humble servant, Your Highness." - Pan to Ofelia

Why watch this? As wise critic Roger Ebert penned, "It is a fairy tale for grown-ups".

Plot Summary: Set in Spain during WWII, a young girl, Ofelia, and her pregnant mother move into the compound where her ruthless father-in-law, Captain Vidal, resides. Vidal, a sadistic leader, is responsible for suppressing a band of rebels who resist the Francoist regime. He is cruel, especially to Ofelia. To cope, the girl escapes to an imaginary world of fairies and creatures. Within a nearby stone maze, she encounters the bizarre, horned Pan, a faun who gives her three tasks to prove her worthiness to become a princess.

Dad's Preview: There is a mood that del Toro brings to his films. It is dark, dirty, and very scary. It is very intentional that the audience is uncertain whether our young protagonist is dreaming or lucid. Perhaps it is a little of both. I was impressed with the performance by Ivana Baquero as Ofelia, a girl searching for comfort in a world of pain. This allegorical, fantastic film won buckets of awards, and sits atop many lists as greatest fantasy film.

Estudios Picasso, Tequila Gang, Esperanto
Filmoj, Sententia Ent.; Warner Bros. Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #9 Top

Black Swan (2010), Director: Darren Aronofsky, Rated R for sexuality, language, disturbing content

I just want to be perfect.

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey, Benjamin Millepied, Ksenia Solo, Kristina Anapau, Janet Montgomery, Sebastian Stan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Perfection is not just about control. It's also about letting go. Surprise yourself so you can surprise the audience. Transcendence! Very few have it in them." - Thomas Leroy

Why watch this? It is a psychological ballet mind-bender that's both complex and gripping.

Plot Summary: Young NYC ballet dancer, Nina Sayers, earns the coveted dual lead role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. She's a natural as the innocent Odette, but struggles as the dark and carnal Black Swan. She gives it everything, both to please her over-critical mother and demanding director, Thomas Leroy. Nina also feels pressures from another dancer, Lily, who is more sexually uninhibited and appears to also want the lead role.

Dad's Preview: This intense, often disturbing film delivers on many levels, as it fades in and out of reality. This is due to Nina's hallucinatory descent into exhaustion, jealousy and an unwavering obsession to be perfect. It is beautifully shot, frantic and dreamlike, a play within a play. It has the 1948 classic ballet film, The Red Shoes, stamped all over it to positive effect. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Actress, Cinematography and Editing), but took home only one - Best Actress for Natalie Portman, whose haunting performance is her best work to date.

Cross Creek Pic., Protozoa Pic., Phoenix Pics,
Dune Ent.; Fox Searchlight Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #8 Top

The Hitcher (1986), Director: Robert Harmon, rated R for intense violence, language

The terror starts the moment he stops.

Starring: Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey DeMunn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John M. Jackson, Billy Greenbush, Jack Thibeau

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I want you to stop me." - John Ryder

Why watch this? It's as dreadfully suspenseful as a movie can get.

Plot Summary: Driving a car across country, young Jim Halsey picks up a hitchhiker who reveals himself to be a dangerous serial killer. After Jim narrowly escapes, the relentless hitchhiker proceeds to stalk him, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake and framing Jim for his crimes. Now pursued by the police and the killer, Jim's only hope for survival and clearing his name lies in the aid of a truck stop waitress named Nash.

Dad's Preview: This is the ultimate cautionary tale regarding why you should never pick up a hitchhiker. It is brutal and a little unrealistic, but that's what movies are for. No matter what the young protagonist (delightfully portrayed by C. Thomas Howell) does, he cannot escape the homicidal maniac who enjoys toying with his prey. I must point out that there is a "I can't believe that just happened" moment... and it is very disturbing. Intense actor Rutger Hauer really is a terrifying menace here. This film is an exceptional horror-thriller.

HBO Pictures, Silver Screen Prod.;
TriStar Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #7 Top

The Shining (1980), Director: Stanley Kubrick, rated R for language, violence, disturbing images

A Masterpiece of Modern Horror

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Philip Stone, Joe Trukel, Anne Jackson, Tony Burton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I'm not gonna hurt ya. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in!" - Jack Torrance

Why watch this? The setting at the empty grand hotel, the gigantic snow-covered maze, all creates one hell of an eerie atmosphere.

Plot Summary: Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. He moves in with his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, who possesses psychic abilities known as "the shining". As a winter storm leaves the family snowbound, the hotel's sinister presence begins to influence Jack, threatening the safety of his family.

Dad's Preview: It took me a while to figure this one out. Jack, a writer, agrees to stay a deserted hotel in Colorado for the winter. He takes along his wife and son. What I realized is that the film, like Jack's sanity, becomes more and more deranged with each passing minute. The visions and apparitions are real in Jack's (and the audience's) mind. The bigger question: is there something manipulating him... something evil. Is he crazy or possessed? Finding out is the point.

The Producer Circle Co., Peregrine Prod.,
Hawk Films; Warner Bros.

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #6 Top

Duel (1971), Director: Steven Spielberg, rated PG

A duel is about to begin between a man, a truck, and an open road.
Where a simple battle of wits is now a matter of life and death.

Starring: Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell, Gene Dynarski, Tim Herbert, Carey Loftin, Eugene Dynarski, Lucille Benson, Charles Seel

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I'd like to report a truck driver who's been endangering my life." – David Mann

Why watch this? Few actors so show utter terror better than Dennis Weaver.

Plot Summary: David Mann is a traveling salesman, driving through the rural California desert to a business meeting. During his journey, he finds himself terrorized and pursued by the unseen driver of a rusty 18-wheeler semi-truck. What starts as an ordinary trip escalates into a relentless cat-and-mouse game between David and the unseen driver, pushing David to his limits as he fights for survival against the monstrous truck.

Dad's Preview: This made-for-TV movie was Steven Spielberg's directorial debut. This tense thriller gave folks an early taste of his genius. I also really enjoyed Dennis Weaver who was a great TV actor with his own police series called McCloud. His portrayal in this road horror flick is stellar. He is an ordinary man on a long drive who is attacked by a semi-truck for no reason. Spielberg never never shows us the trucker's face, and that somehow makes it more terrifying. This thriller scores major points for realism, and it builds terror like crazy.

George Eckstein; ABC (TV)

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #5 Top

The Night of the Hunter (1955), Director: Charles Laughton, rated Approved

The scenes... the story... The stars... BUT ABOVE ALL - THE SUSPENSE!

Starring: Robert Mitchum, Billy Chapin, Sally Jane Bruce, Shelly Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, Peter Graves, Don Beddoe, Gloria Castillo

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Not that you mind the killings! There's plenty of killings in your book, Lord..." - Rev. Harry Powell, praying to God

Why watch this? Unique. Nightmarish. Visually Stunning. Ahead of its time. That's why.

Plot Summary: During the Great Depression, the imprisoned, self-proclaimed preacher finds out that his cellmate robbed a bank, taking $10,000, then hiding at his house in West Virginia. When the cellmate is executed, Powell thanks The Lord for this opportunity to woo the vulnerable wife, and get the two children, John-age 9 and Pearl-age 4, to confess where the loot is stashed.

Dad's Preview: This film is based on Davis Grubb's original novel of the same name. The film's director, the world famous British actor Charles Laughton (Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Witness for the Prosecution (1957)), breaths an entirely new interpretation into this nightmarish, adult fairytale about the serially homicidal "Preacher" Harry Powell. The incredible genius of this black-and-white film is that director Laughton chose to intertwine German expressionism with noir naturalism to create a work of art that is both stylish and creepy in its economies of simplicity. The film, much of it from the children's perspective, centers on duality: shadow and light, love and hate (on Powell's knuckles), good and evil. At the box office, it was a flop, which crushed its director. The actors all deliver excellent performances, but it is Robert Mitchum, as the hymn-singing, slow-strolling pastor, who both captivates and terrifies. To close, it's unique that a film stays with me. It has to be memorable and unique. This influential film really stands firm, even after all these years. It, and I can state this with full confidence, is a perfect film.

Paul Gregory Productions; United Artists

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #4 Top

Psycho (1960), Director: Alfred Hitchcock, rated R for violence, intense scenes

The screen's master of suspense moves his camera into the icy blackness of the unexplained!

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Simon Oakland, Frank Albertson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Well, a boy's best friend is his mother." - Norman Bates

Why watch this? Ah, Norman Bates and his mother... for its time, this film was disturbing, and generated quite the buzz.

Plot Summary: Marion Crane is a secretary who embezzles money and flees, eventually seeking refuge at the isolated Bates Motel. There, she encounters the timid and troubled proprietor, Norman Bates, who lives with his domineering mother in the house overlooking the motel. The film then delves into the dark secrets and psychological complexities surrounding the Bates family and the mysterious events at the motel.

Dad's Preview: I resisted viewing this film for years because I shy away from films that I feel (often unjustifiably) are over-hyped. However, this psychological thriller, which may be the first slasher film, certainly plays with your head. As Hitch loves to do, it steadily builds in tension to a knock-your-socks-off ending. Perkins' memorable and creepy performance typecast the handsome young actor for years.

Shamley Productions; Paramount Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #3 Top

Misery (1990), Director: Rob Reiner, rated R for language, torture, violence

Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now, he's writing to stay alive.

Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Frances Sternhagen, Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall, Graham Jarvis, Jerry Potter

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I thought you were good Paul...but you're not good. You're just another lying ol' dirty birdy." – Annie Wilkes

Why watch this? ... so that you will always be on the lookout for crazy fans.

Plot Summary: Famous author, Paul Sheldon, after finishing his latest book, crashes his car in a blizzard. He's rescued by Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who claims to be his "number one fan". However, Paul soon discovers Annie's obsession takes a dark turn, and he becomes her prisoner in her secluded home. Annie forces Paul to write a new novel, dictating the story to suit her desires, while Paul desperately attempts to escape his captivity.

Dad's Preview: I cringe at films where someone is trapped in an impossible situation, especially when their captor is bat-shit crazy. This film introduced us to the incredible Kathy Bates. She is demented, as she imprisons her favorite author, hog-ties him to the bed, and keeps him locked up. And, man, when she has had enough of his escape attempts, she gets serious by breaking out the trusty old sledgehammer... time to avert the old eyes!

Castle Rock Entertainment, Nelson Ent.;
Columbia Pictures

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #2 Top

Dead Calm (1989), Director: Phillip Noyce, rated PG-13 for violence, rape

A couple alone at sea. When a stranger called for help, they made a fatal mistake... they answered.

Starring: Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Please don't shout. That's always been one of my problems. I can never tell people's real motives until it's too late." - Hughie Warriner

Why watch this? A tense sea tale about rescuing the wrong survivor.

Plot Summary: A young couple, John and Rae. after a life tragedy, seek solace on a yacht. John, after all, is an Austrailian Navy captain, so it should be smooth sailing. Their isolation is shattered when they rescue a lone survivor from a sinking ship, only to discover his chilling secret. The encounter sets off a terrifying ordeal at sea where they both must fight for survival.

Dad's Preview: This taut thriller features some extraordinary ocean-based cinematography. This is a three-actor film is essentially a game of cat and mouse as ordinary people become the prey of a madman. Sam Neill is excellent, and I can't say enough about Billy Zane, as the charming, yet psychotic, kidnapper. That said, I walked away enamored with newcomer Nicole Kidman. She can emote sheer terror one minute, then feminine strength the next. Her performance is impressive.

Kennedy Miller; Warner Bros.

Top 20 Psychological Horror Films #1 Top

Halloween (1979), Director: John Carpenter, rated R for language, violence, gore

The Night HE Came Home!

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, P. J. Soles, Nancy Loomis, Tony Moran, Nancy Keyes, Brian Andrews, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up for I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil." – Dr. Sam Loomis

Why watch this? It's the scariest film I have ever seen.

Plot Summary: Welcome to Haddonfield, Illinois. A few years back a young boy, Michael, killed his teenage sister on Halloween night. He was sent away. Fifteen years later, Michael escapes and returns to his hometown. Hot on his trail is Dr. Samuel Loomis, a psychiatrist who has studied Michael Myers all his life. The doctor knows that Michael is mentally beyond reach, and he will leave a lot of bodies in his wake.

Dad's Preview: In 1979, I was always looking for a way to get a date to dig her hands into my arm. Horror movies were ideal for that purpose. This film, holy crap, it made previous "scary" movies seem like a Disney flick. This journey into terror, may be the scariest film ever made. After Halloween, the term "slasher film" became a thing, even its own horror genre. For all the jumps and murders, there is very little blood on screen. When we see Michael Myers, in that freakin' white mask, it still sends chills up our spines! Luckily, Jamie Lee Curtis was there to survive, and go on to star in several of the many sequels to follow.

Compass Int'l Pictures, Falcon Int'l Prod.;
Aquarius Releasing