Body horror, or biological horror, is a well known subgenre of horror movies, which is known mainly for making the human body go through things that go beyond all the limits already imagined. These graphically disturbing violations can manifest themselves through unnatural – and kinda monstrous – movements of the body, mutilations, zombification, aberrant sex, mutations, gratuitous violence and diseases.
Following the Substance (2024) hype, in this list, we have gathered films that cover all the aspects presented above. But be aware: if you are a sensitive person, these films are not recommended for you!
1. The fly (1986)
Known as one of the greatest classics of the genre, The Fly was released in 1986 and was responsible for traumatizing a whole generation. The film focuses a lot on the aspect of the mutation, which is created with various practical effects and makes the viewer extremely uncomfortable as things develop in the film.
It’s a good movie for those who aren’t familiar with the genre yet and want to explore. If you can watch The Fly you can keep following the list!
2. Relic (2020)
A film with a slow pace and an amazing ending. Relic, released in 2020, tells you the story of a lady who went missing for a long time, but when she comes back, she’s completely different.
The film is very quiet and shows terror in the small details, with the body horror features gradually appearing. The picture is mainly focused on a family drama, which causes commotion and identification, and helps make it even scarier throughout the plot.
3. Suspiria (2018)
Remake of a classic, Suspiria comes with the difficult proposal to make justice to the original, and even with some differences, it manages to do it very well. Featuring spectacular performances, the new Suspiria is able to bond with the public and tangle them as all the strangeness begins to happen.
An ambitious young woman who dreams of being a dancer at a world renowned academy in Berlin, and tries her best to get in and when she gets in, to fit in. The problem begins when she gets involved in strange events and realizes that the academy is not exactly what she imagined.
4. American Mary (2012)
Plastic surgeries are well known worldwide, and in 2012 a movie decided to explore the idea of surgeries and body transformations in a totally grotesque way.
American Mary is a Canadian film that has some good parts and others that aren’t. The body horror part is the most explored part of the film, where a medical student starts doing plastic surgery clandestinely, all these procedures are absurd, and play with the idea of what can be done – surgically – with the human body.
5. Contracted (2013)
Perhaps one of the most disturbing pictures on our list. Contracted is a 2013 movie that has a completely grotesque and shocking premise. The story revolves around Samantha, who was at a friend’s party when a stranger offers her drugs and takes advantage of her.
The next day Samantha starts to feel bad, and that’s when things become totally disgusting and hard to watch. The girl contracted a sexually transmitted disease after being abused and what starts to happen to her body is shocking and devastating. The film will definitely make you extremely uncomfortable.
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The article above was edited by Ana Carolina Micheletti.
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