As Halloween approaches, the temptation to make horror films often arises, just to be shaken by feeling pleasant, fictitious thrills. Some of them are reserved exclusively for adults due to their theme, their atmosphere or their realism. They often draw their inspiration from real life to the point of fueling nightmares and almost making people regret having watched them despite their qualities.
Please note, we are not talking here about feature films like Conjuring, Sinister and even to a certain extent Smile 2 or Terrifier 3. What 20 Minutes recommends below is really disturbing and even traumatic. This list is obviously subjective. You have been warned.
“Funny Games”: When horror comes to our home
This is without a doubt the most traumatic film I have ever seen. Funny Games (1997) by Michel Haneke is as strong in its Austrian version as in its American remake in 2007. Two clean young people arrive in an orderly family – mom, dad, toddler – to impose a deadly game on them. Michel Haneke questions totalitarianism but above all the relationship that the public has with violence. It’s borderline sustainable and worse when we see it again and know what’s going to happen to characters who didn’t ask for anything. Both versions are released in theaters this Wednesday. Do you dare to go there?
“Irreversible”: Upside down or right side up, it’s the trauma
In reverse (telling the story starting from the end) or turned right side up, Irréversible (2002) by Gaspar Noé is the perfect example of a nightmare for adults. Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel are impeccable in plunging viewers into the heart of blind revenge and the brutal rape that caused it. The virtuosity of the production makes the whole thing challenging in its two versions, with a preference for taking the plot backwards. The final shot where the radiant heroine ignores a destiny that the viewer has already discovered is heartbreaking.
“Schizophrenia”: Meeting with a psychopath
Less known to the general public, Schizophrenia (1983) by Gerald Kargl follows the adventures of a sadistic killer who breaks into an isolated house. It’s not horror for laughs à la Friday the 13th. The Austrian director increases the tension even more as the dialogues are rare. The thoughts of the maniac, in voice-over, add to the unease further reinforced by excellent music by Klaus Schulze. The realism of Schizophrenia makes the experience as painful as it is exciting for those who like very strong sensations.
“Antichrist”: Relationship crisis and mutilations
Lars von Trier is known for his unique sense of partying with films like Nymphomaniac and The House That Jack Built. He takes it to the next level with Antichrist (2009) where a couple (Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe) try to recover from the accidental death of their son. Log, crankshaft, pliers and scissors used on parts of the body usually sheltered from the sun are on the menu of this work where “chaos reigns” as announced by a fox speaking in a disturbing voice. Disturbed and disturbing.
“Henry, portrait of a serial killer”: A grueling road movie
John McNaughton delves into the head of a serial killer in Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986). It is Michael Rooker (later known for having played Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy) who plays this chilling psychopath loosely inspired by Henry Lee Lucas (1936-2001). This furious madman exercises his homicidal tendencies during a road movie that is all the more uncomfortable because it is based on a series of atrocious news items.
