5 Non-Horror Movies That Will Haunt Your Nightmares
Although they may not seem like horror, these five can be much more terrifying than you might expect.
When you go to see a horror movie, it is obvious that you are going to see something scary and unnerving, it is in the name of the genre after all.
However, every once in a while, a movie that at first glance has nothing to do with the genre ends up being even more disturbing than many other horror movies and haunts you long after you have seen it.
So let's take a look at five non-horror movies that can give actual scary flicks a run for their money.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
This cult classic directed by Darren Aronofsky isn't even in the thriller genre like some of the other entries on our list, but that doesn't make it any less brutal and genuinely terrifying, and far more effective than any anti-drug PSA.
Throughout the story, each of the characters succumbs to their addictions, leading to some incredibly disturbing moments that are not for the faint of heart, leaving the viewer completely devastated by the time the credits roll.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo del Toro 's style of filmmaking is so unique that even those of his films that aren't technically in the horror genre still have a creepy vibe to them, but this 2006 dark fantasy movie took things to the next level.
Despite being a fairy tale at its core, Pan's Labyrinth is full of incredibly dark moments, with both real-life sequences set during the Francoist dictatorship and scenes set in the fantasy world (the Pale Man still haunts our nightmares) being scary for very different reasons.
Cape Fear (1991)
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Martin Scorsese 's filmography is unparalleled and includes an impressive number of films that vary greatly in tone, but while some of the director's works can be quite intense, most of them can't really be called scary.
Cape Fear, a remake of the 1962 film of the same name, is an exception, however, as Robert De Niro easily instills fear in the viewer with his portrayal of Max Cady, which is definitely one of the most memorable roles of the actor's entire career.
After serving time for the rape and assault of a teenage girl, Cady is obsessed with making the life of his ex-lawyer, Sam Bowden, a living hell for deliberately withholding evidence because he was disgusted by Max's crime.
The Skin I Live In (2011)
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Antonio Banderas with Elena Anaya, this Spanish movie about a plastic surgeon who performs his experiments on a woman trapped in his house is definitely something else.
From the start, the tense atmosphere sends shivers down your spine, but the big twist turns everything you thought you had learned upside down, making the story even more disturbing from multiple angles.
Threads (1984)
Over the years, we have seen a lot of post-apocalyptic movies, many of which glamorize life after the global catastrophe in one way or another, making it seem not so bad at times.
But this British-Australian war drama takes a different approach, showing the aftermath of a nuclear conflict in a way that will give you nightmares, as it doesn't shy away from showing the most horrific moments that occur as society slowly disintegrates.