10 Most Disturbing and Unusual Horror Movies That Are Actual Trauma Material

10. House (1977)

The concept of a haunted house has been done too many times to count, but Nobuhiko Ôbayashi knew how to liven it up. In House, seven Japanese schoolgirls go to visit one of their grandmothers at her place, but they have no idea that the house itself is an insidious demon waiting to consume them one after another. You can watch House on Max, Apple TV, and Prime Video.

9. Uzumaki (2000)

Speaking of unsettling, what could be scary about snails? If you don’t know the answer, Uzumaki will give it to you. A small town’s inhabitants are becoming increasingly obsessed with spiral patterns. This spreading obsession is driving them insane, and while some escape, others stay to try and uncover the truth behind it all.

You can watch Uzumaki on Prime Video.

8. Xtro (1983)

A young boy witnesses his father being abducted by aliens, but no one believes him. His mother thinks the man just left them and soon finds a new lover. Three years have passed, and the boy’s biggest dream comes true: his father returns — but he’s quite different from how he was before. He’s turned into something else… If it’s him.

You can watch Xtro on Prime Video.

7. Begotten (1989)

As far as movie concepts go, we can’t even begin describing Begotten without slipping into darkness. All you need to know to make up your mind is that this experimental horror represents the cycle of life in what might just be the most cursed way ever, dipped into mythology and fried in the strong flames of proper insanity.

You can watch Begotten on Prime Video.

6. Possession (1981)

Perhaps the most brilliant blend of psychological horror and body horror, Possession is not just unsettling — it’s harrowing. A married couple has drifted apart, and the husband’s attempts at reconciliation are met with a weird reaction from what seems like another person. The interpersonal nightmare soon turns into a bloody mess…

You can watch Possession on Prime Video.

5. Skinamarink (2022)

The most mundane things can become terrifying in a matter of seconds; in fact, a horror that makes use of the mundane by twisting it is the scariest. In Skinamarink, two kids wake up in the middle of the night to find their father missing, and their house’s doors and windows disappearing. They have no idea what’s going on.

You can watch Skinamarink on Hulu.

4. Mandy (2018)

The shortest possible description of Mandy would be, “a nightmarish fever dream with oversaturated colors, black metal aesthetics, and utter insanity.” The plot might be far less revealing: the movie follows a man seeking revenge for the brutal murder of his girlfriend by his neighboring evil cult. But trust us, this is pure nightmare fuel.

You can watch Mandy on Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.

3. Rubber (2010)

If you thought the horror genre couldn’t surprise you anymore, Rubber will without a doubt change your mind. This absurdist movie’s protagonist is a rubber tire that suddenly gains sentience and the gift to kill people. After watching its brothers and sisters be burned, the tire embarks on a quest to make humanity pay… Brutally.

You can watch Rubber on Prime Video.

2. Eraserhead (1977)

Eraserhead was directed by David Lynch. This could’ve been our shortest review to date, but you might need more context, so here you go: Eraserhead is set in a nightmarish grotesquely industrial city where the fumes have affected a couple’s health — and they birthed a terribly mutated being instead of a normal baby. Cheers.

You can watch Eraserhead on Max, Apple TV, and Prime Video.

1. Videodrome (1983)

The crème de la crème of weird horrors, Videodrom unleashes both technological paranoia and body horror upon its audience. An adult channel’s producer stumbles upon a bizarre broadcast that makes its viewers experience strong and horrifying hallucinations that lead to gruesome consequences. The broadcast rots away both mind and body, so consider yourself warned: it might as well affect you, too.

You can watch Videodrome on Prime Video.