14 traumatising films that gave us chills and thrills
Brace yourselves
Snuggled in bed, with a trusty razai (duvet) guarding against imagined monsters, you’re about to dive into a film that promises to leave you wrecked yet strangely fulfilled. It’s the kind of experience that makes your heart race, questioning why you decided to rewatch the so-called traumatising films like Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhokha (LSD) before the sequel drops in cinemas.
LSD features a young woman whose dreams of Bollywood are quashed by a sex tape leak, a pair of lovers from different social backgrounds fleeing from their angry families, and a peek into the world of hidden cameras and voyeurism. Why do we willingly subject ourselves to such emotional turmoil?
Research professor at the University of Houston, Brene Brown writes in her book Atlas of the Heart that it’s all about tapping into our shared humanity, allowing ourselves to be moved by stories that remind us of our collective reality in which no matter the darkness, we are not alone in our experiences.
Amidst the chaos and carnage, these traumatising films serve as a mirror, reflecting society’s deepest fears and anxieties, allowing us to confront the darkness within ourselves and around us.
While some find solace in discomfort, it’s important to note that certain films, laden with trigger warnings, may not suit everyone’s taste. Therefore, we advise viewers to research these films thoroughly before diving in.
14 traumatising films that gave us chills and thrills
This part psychological-part-body horror film takes beauty standards and bends them into a nightmare. Directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance follows Elisabeth (played by Demi Moore), an ageing star, who dives into a radical rejuvenation process after getting fired following her 50th birthday from her job—only to create a sinister “new self” (played by Margaret Qualley) with her own desires. The narrative spirals into chaotic obsession, punctuating its satire with visceral body horror. Expect a wild, disturbing ride through society’s beauty myths that’s as surreal as it is terrifying.
Don’t Move (2024) centres on Iris (played by Kelsey Asbille), who, while grieving her son’s death, contemplates ending her life at the site of his passing. But a stranger, Richard (portrayed by Finn Wittrock), intervenes—and then suddenly attacks, injecting her with a paralytic and kidnapping her. Held in a remote cabin with only partial mobility, Iris must outwit her captor to survive. The story delves into raw themes of grief and obsession, capturing the limits of resilience and survival against twisted human desires.
A group of teenagers in Australia stumble upon a peculiar severed and embalmed hand that gives people the ability to communicate with spirits. The film follows Mia, a solitary teen captivated by the notion of summoning spirits through this macabre item. Until a sequence of otherworldly occurrences leads her to question who she can trust — the living or the dead.
This documentary follows a heart-wrenching dilemma faced by twin brothers Alex and Marcus Lewis. After a motorcycle accident left Alex with near-total memory loss, Marcus took on the task of reintroducing him to life, carefully filling in the gaps. However, Marcus chose to withhold certain details, resulting in an emotional fallout between the brothers.
The narrative centres on Manda, a young girl who is tragically assaulted and left in a heap of garbage within her slum. While her parents prioritise survival over addressing the tragedy, Manda’s grandmother, or Ajji, is determined to seek justice for her granddaughter, taking matters into her own hands.
Based on a short film by the same name, we follow teenager Sara, nicknamed cerdita (piggy), who has been bullied by three friends, Maca, Roci and Claudia. Sara faces a series of traumatic events, until she witnesses their abduction by an unknown man.
When news of the girls’ disappearance spreads, Sara embarks on a secret mission to locate them but finds herself in a life-threatening confrontation with the kidnapper.
Hard Candy revolves around a teenage girl named Hayley Stark (Elliot Page), who meets an older man named Jeff Kohler (Patrick Wilson) online. Things take a turn after Hayley goes to Jeff’s house and accuses him of being a paedophile, taking extreme measures to exact her own form of justice on him.
Classified as a horror-comedy, this film aptly hits both notes. Justin Long plays a podcaster named Wallace Bryton, who goes missing after travelling to Canada to interview a mysterious recluse, Howard Howe, who has a strange fascination with walruses.
His podcast co-host and girlfriend then team up with an ex-detective to track him down. Directed by Kevin Smith, fans of his work, like Clerks and Mallrats, will love this for its absurdity.
The film opens with Meera (Anushka Sharma) and her husband Arjun (Neil Bhoopalam) setting off on a road trip. Their journey takes a terrifying turn when they witness a brutal honour killing and become entangled in a deadly chase with the perpetrators.
As they fight for survival, Meera must navigate the dangerous landscape and find some semblance of justice in an unjust world.
This unsettling film captivates with its minimal dialogue and atmospheric tension. Brynn, a reclusive seamstress in a small town, grapples with loss and ostracism. When her solitude is shattered by a humanoid alien, Brynn embarks on a perilous journey into town, uncovering signs of extraterrestrial attacks amidst apparent normalcy. The story is about her fight for survival in a terrifying new reality.
Seo-Yeon (Park Shin-Hye) discovers an old cordless phone in her childhood home and receives a call from Young-Sook (Jeon Jong-Seo) who claims to be living in the same house but 20 years in the past. They realise they can alter each other’s fates, but their actions have unforeseen and deadly consequences.
When the daughter of a wealthy yet dysfunctional Gurgram (formerly Gurgaon) family disappears just before her wedding, dark secrets and tensions surface. The film explores themes of power, greed and the underbelly of urban development, portraying a gritty narrative that delves into the complexities of modern Indian society.
The French horror film is notorious for its graphic violence and intense psychological themes. The story follows Lucie, a young girl who escapes from captivity after enduring horrific abuse and is haunted by visions of a grotesque creature, driving her to seek revenge against her captors. Lucie’s pursuit of vengeance leads to disturbing events, culminating in a shocking conclusion. You’re going to need a cleansing diet of feel-good films after this one.
The film follows the Graham family as they grapple with the death of their secretive grandmother, Ellen, unleashing a series of disturbing events and dark family secrets.
As the family is consumed by eerie visions and sinister forces, Hereditary delves into themes of grief, trauma and the fracturing of familial bonds. The chilling conclusion leaves viewers pondering the legacy of inherited evil.
