It’s week two of my horror movie countdown to Halloween 2024, and after a successful first week of watching seven slasher movies on Hulu, Prime Video, Max and more, I’m keeping up the momentum with another full week of horrors straight from the best streaming services. But this time I’m focusing on psychological horrors.
To say I was excited for my psychological horror movies week is an understatement because, while slashers are one of my favorite sub-genre out of the best horror movies, I love the thrill and suspense of a psychological horror. My experience this week was a lot different to slasher week as for the most part, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, which meant there was a mistake in one instance.
As usual, I’ve thrown a few re-watches into the mix among all the new movies I ticked off my Netflix and Prime Video watchlists including the brand new Netflix horror It’s What’s Inside (2024). I’m a little sad that this week’s horror theme has come and gone, however, it’s made me even more intrigued to find out what lies in store for me next.
Day 8: Suspiria (2018)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Running time: 132 minutes
Where to stream: Prime Video (US, UK, & AU)
When it came to watching Suspiria, one of the best horror movies on Prime Video, I was toying between whether to indulge in the 1977 original or go for Guadagnino’s reimagining. But then a friend of mine pressured me to watch the remake, so I gave in. Usually, I have to watch the canon text first, but my experience watching the remake wasn’t a bad one at all – despite not being a fan of the movie’s duration.
It was the standard psychological horror that I’m used to; not entirely filled with jump scares, but has a hybrid of unsettling and gory elements (I’m talking about the part where the dancer gets folded like a pretzel), with an intertwining thought-provoking commentary. I think its ’70s Cold War setting helped enhance the eeriness of the underground coven, while brining light to themes of motherhood and abuse of power. It’s a movie that definitely requires a second watch – it’ll be interesting to see what new things pop up for me next time around.
Day 9: The Sixth Sense (1999)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Running time: 107 minutes
Where to stream: Max (US), Disney Plus (UK & AUS)
While the eerie and spine-chilling creepiness of Suspiria’s coven setting kept me sat, it was the lingering mysterious nature throughout The Sixth Sense that drew me in. This is another first time watch for me (yes, I’m aware how late I am to The Sixth Sense hype) and it was one that didn’t disappoint. Like I find with most psychological horrors, this one wasn’t particularly scary though I found myself jumping slightly whenever one of Cole’s (Haley Osment) dead friends walked into the frame – who is a brilliantly child actor by the way.
Before I watch any Shyamalan movie, I always take it with a pinch a salt because while he has his good days, they’re outnumbered by the bad ones in my opinion. But with The Sixth Sense, which is one of Bruce Willis’ best films, I went all in – knife and fork at the ready. If Shyamalan made more movie like this instead of putting out movies that spew ridiculousness (*cough* Old), then I’d be more inclined to watch more of his movies.
Day 10: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Director: Johnathan Demme
Running time: 119 minutes
Where to stream: Prime Video (US & UK)
Is there anyone out there who genuinely doesn’t like The Silence of the Lambs? Because I’ve yet to meet a hater. This is one of my re-visits for the week, and even though I can happily watch this movie at any time of year, it’s too good to skip over.
This movie is carried by two incredible characters, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), the latter of whom still manages to impress me every single time in spite of his mere 16-minute total screen time. This is why I feel enticed to re-watch this classic, especially because of the depth of Clarice’s character but also because it’s a brilliantly written script.
I don’t find The Silence of the Lambs scary or particularly frightening – it’s one five Prime Video thrillers with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes – however, not a moment passes during the movie’s climax where the hairs on the back of my neck are standing tall.
Day 11: Creep (2014)
Director: Patrick Brice
Running time: 82 minutes
Where to stream: Netflix (US, UK, AUS)
For starters, found footage horror doesn’t sit well with me. It’s far too unsettling and unnerving for me, so already, we’re off to a dandy start indeed. But I sit through them anyway.
Josef (Mark Duplass) is probably one of the freakiest characters I’ve seen in a horror movie, not because he has a scry appearance compared to the likes of a Freddy Krueger-type villain, but because there’s absolutely nothing going on behind those crazy eyes of his. It’s one of those horrors where you can’t help but scream at the protagonist on the screen for doing silly things, and it keeps you in a 82 minute-long state of suspense that toys with the direction of the character’s fate.
For the most part of Creep, which is one of the best Netflix movies, I watched the movie with my hands behind my face – it was that scary. And never have I screamed out loud at a jump scare like that before, it was quite the yelp.
Day 12: Gerald’s Game (2017)
Director: Mike Flanagan
Running time: 103 minutes
Where to stream: Netflix (US, UK, AU)
So, Gerald’s Game was an experience. I went into this one with the opposite of an open mind, as I love a Stephen King adaptation – Misery (1990) is one of the best and is one of six Stephen King movies on Max in October. Therefore, I thought I knew what I was getting into, how silly of me.
I appreciate how straight-to-the-point this movie is, it doesn’t keep you waiting for action. It’s another Stephen King adaptation where the characters have incredible substance: the ‘mental breakdown’ that Jessie (Carla Gugino) experiences throughout the movie is perfectly executed through her conversations with Gerald’s (Bruce Greenwood) spirit and her own subconscious. Basically, this is what RuPaul means by ‘inner saboteur’.
Where the experience had me gasping for breath was when Jessie had to try and free herself and, as I’ve discovered in the past year, I can no longer handle gore as well as I could. To save myself from passing out at the sight of what was going on, I had to finish my experience with Gerald’s Game there. But it was still a great psychological horror.
Day 13: American Psycho (2000)
Director: Mary Harron
Running time: 104 minutes
Where to stream: Paramount Plus (US), Netflix (US, UK, AUS)
Corporate greed can do some real sinister things to a person. American Psycho was another re-watch on this week’s list that left me asking the question; was this the catalyst for casting the most attractive men to play serial killers? It’s certainly a cult classic that birthed an iconic Halloween costume, but for me, it doesn’t defy anything higher than satisfactory.
Christian Bale’s commitment to portraying the Wall Street archetype is entertaining and honest in parts, even if it can read as hyperbolic at times, but for me the movie’s flow is a little flatlined – even in the moments where Bale is on one of his killings sprees. It’s also a reach that it’s categorized as a satirical horror when the satire doesn’t land half of the time.
Day 14: It’s What’s Inside (2024)
Director: Greg Jardin
Running time: 103 minutes
Where to stream: Netflix (US, UK, AUS)
Friendships are complicated, but this, this defies the definition of ‘complicated’. It’s What’s Inside is a brand new horror made for Gen Z in a similar light to Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) that adopts a modern ‘whodunnit’ storyline – one I felt harkened to Clue (1985), but less camp in its execution. It does more than break a friendship group apart, it tears it to absolute shreds while exposing some dark home truths.
The bodyswap storyline has a unique technology angle, one I’m glad Black Mirror didn’t get its hands on first, keeping you hooked from start to finish. On top of the movie’s theatrically-written script and filming techniques that can be compared to The Shining (1980), it has a twist that will leave your jaw hanging wide open. I will definitely be watching this again.
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