Surreal Horror Movies

From Darren Aronofsky, starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder
Rated R

Black Swan is an American psychological horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, and Mila Kunis. The film follows a young dancer, Nina (Portman), who is cast as the lead in a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by her obsessive director, Thomas Leroy (Cassel). As the pressure of the role intensifies, Nina begins to lose her grip on reality, and her transformation from a sweet, naïve dancer to a dark, sensual swan becomes complete. In the process, she is forced to confront her inner demons and the dangerous duality of her nature. With its gripping exploration of the dark side of ambition and art, Black Swan is an intense and thrilling film about the power of transformation.

From Richard Kelly, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne
Rated R

Donnie Darko is a psychological thriller directed by Richard Kelly, released in 2001. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular protagonist, a troubled teen living in a small suburban town in 1988. After experiencing a series of strange visions and premonitions, Donnie's life begins to unravel as he finds himself entangled in a sinister time-traveling conspiracy involving a mysterious figure known as "Frank," who appears to be from the future. As Donnie's bizarre behavior spirals out of control, he must confront the consequences of his actions before the world is destroyed by an impending apocalypse. The film is an exploration of existentialism and explores themes of free will, destiny, and the power of self-determination.

From David Lynch, starring Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Rated R

Mulholland Drive is a psychological thriller from director David Lynch, following the intertwined lives of two women in Los Angeles. Betty Elms, a naive young woman, arrives in Los Angeles with dreams of becoming an actress, but soon finds herself involved in a mysterious and sinister scheme. She meets Rita, a woman who has been in a car accident and has lost all of her memories. Together, they embark on a quest to uncover the truth about Rita’s identity, leading them down a path of strange and dark secrets. As their investigation progresses, more and more questions are raised, and Betty and Rita become increasingly entangled in a web of deception that leads to a shocking and unsettling finale.

From Brad Anderson, starring Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, John Sharian
Rated R

The Machinist is a psychological thriller directed by Brad Anderson. The film follows the story of Trevor Reznik, played by Christian Bale, who is an insomniac and industrial worker. After experiencing a year-long sleeplessness and a dramatic weight loss, Reznik begins to hallucinate and experience strange occurrences. As his paranoia grows, he becomes increasingly isolated and desperate to find the source of his torment. As his journey leads him closer to the truth of his condition, Reznik must ultimately confront his own demons in order to regain his sanity.

From David Lynch, starring Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern
Rated R

Blue Velvet is a 1986 psychological thriller directed by David Lynch. The film follows Jeffrey Beaumont, a college student who returns to his hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina after his father suffers a stroke. While visiting his father, Jeffrey finds a severed human ear in a field, which he takes to the police station. This sets him on a dark journey of discovery as he unravels the mystery of the ear's origin and its link to a series of bizarre events and characters. He meets and falls in love with the beautiful Sandy Williams and is soon drawn into a dark underworld of criminal activity. As he gets closer to the truth, Jeffrey finds himself caught in a web of desire, terror and mystery. Blue Velvet is an unsettling and masterful exploration of the darkness that lies beneath the veneer of a seemingly perfect small town. The film is filled with intense suspense and surreal atmospheres, as well as Lynch's trademark visual and sound design. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, and is widely regarded as a classic of American cinema.

From Henry Selick, starring Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders
Rated PG

Coraline (2009) is a stop-motion animated fantasy film about a girl, Coraline Jones, who discovers a secret door leading to an alternate reality that closely resembles her own world. After moving into a new house with her parents, Coraline discovers a hidden passageway that leads to a world that is similar but strangely better than her own. When she enters this new world, Coraline meets her “Other Mother” and “Other Father”, who seem to be perfect versions of her real parents. However, Coraline soon finds out that her Other Mother is really a dangerous being who wants to keep Coraline in her world forever. Coraline must find a way to escape the Other Mother’s clutches and save the other children who have been captured in the alternate world. Along the way, she is aided by a talking cat named Wybie, and a black and white button-eyed creature called the Beldam. With her courage and determination, Coraline must confront the darkness of the Other Mother and find her way back home.

From David Lynch, starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, John Roselius, Louis Eppolito
Rated R

Lost Highway is an experimental neo-noir psychological thriller directed by David Lynch. The film follows Fred Madison, a saxophonist, whose wife Renee is mysteriously murdered and he is accused of the crime. After he is sent to prison, he inexplicably transforms into a young mechanic named Pete Dayton and starts a new life. However, his past is never far away and he finds himself entangled in a surreal web of intrigue and violence as his two identities become increasingly intertwined. As the story progresses, parts of the mystery are revealed, but the resolution is ultimately left ambiguous.

From Mary Harron, starring Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage
Rated R

American Psycho is a 2000 black comedy horror film based on Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 novel of the same name. It stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a young and handsome Wall Street investment banker who is also a serial killer. The film follows Bateman as he goes about his everyday life, attending business meetings, dinners, and parties, while secretly stalking, killing and mutilating his victims. Meanwhile, Bateman's colleague Paul Allen (Jared Leto) begins to suspect that he is not the man he appears to be. The film also stars Willem Dafoe, Reese Witherspoon and Chloe Sevigny. The film is a satirical take on the vanity and materialism of the 1980s, as well as a commentary on the violence and mental illness that often lurk beneath the surface of modern society.

From Adrian Lyne, starring Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven
Rated R

From Robert Eggers, starring Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman, Logan Hawkes
Rated R

From David Lynch, starring Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates
Rated Not Rated

From Ari Aster, starring Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff
Rated R

From David Cronenberg, starring James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky
Rated R

From Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Angeliki Papoulia, Christos Passalis
Rated Not Rated

From John Carpenter, starring Sam Neill, Jürgen Prochnow, Julie Carmen, David Warner
Rated R

From Takashi Miike, starring Yûta Sone, Kimika Yoshino, Shôhei Hino, Keiko Tomita
Rated R

From Robert Eggers, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Julian Richings
Rated R

From Denis Villeneuve, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini
Rated R

From David Lynch, starring Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Grace Zabriskie, Laura Dern
Rated R

From Mikael Håfström, starring John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub
Rated PG-13

From Neil Jordan, starring Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, David Warner, Graham Crowden
Rated R

From Darren Aronofsky, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer
Rated R

From Panos Cosmatos, starring Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy
Rated Not Rated

From Tarsem Singh, starring Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D'Onofrio, Colton James
Rated R

From Jonathan Glazer, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay, Dougie McConnell
Rated R