25 Great Psychological Thrillers That Are Worth Your Time23 APRIL 2014 FEATURES, FILM LISTS BY ANDREW LOWRY

Described as a story which emphasizes the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states, the following films are benchmarks for what a successful psychological thriller should aspire to be. Instead of displaying legions of gore and violence, their main objective is to play with your mind. To leave it up to you to construct the tension of what you have just witnessed.

As the great perplexer David Lynch once said: “when you are spoon-fed a film, more people instantly know what it is. I love things that leave room to dream and are open to various interpretations. It’s a beautiful thing.” So read on and enjoy the ride.

 

25. Das Experiment

Das Experiment is a 2001 German thriller from director Oliver Hirschbiegel, starring Moritz Bleibtreu as Tarek Fahd, or later only to be known as Prisoner 77.

Tarek reads a newspaper advert regarding a social experiment in a simulated prison. With a financial reward given, provided participants complete the full 14 day stay, it’s an offer this reader can’t refuse. The 20 curious volunteers are first divided up into Prisoner and Guards and are then asked to remain in their role throughout. Monitored and observed by scientists, the trial takes a plummet into the dark depths of human behaviour. With the prisoners becoming more than disenchanted with the guard’s superiority, the guards take matters into their own hands, becoming merciless, brutal enforcers of their dungeon.

A gruelling yet compelling watch, what makes Das Experiment even more powerful, is the fact that it is based on actual events. Known as the Stanford Prison Experiment, this was concocted as a study of the psychological ramifications of becoming a prisoner or guard.

 

24. Kill List

In Kill List, we are presented with a film that has obviously been heavily influenced by some of the horror heavy-weights. Take The Wicker Man(1973), add a dash of Race With the Devil and a pinch of Rosemary’s Baby and presto! Kill List doesn’t fail to deliver!

Two ex-army pals, Jay (Neil Maskell) and Gal (Michael Smiley), are now plying their trade as hit men (the latter rather reluctantly). After agreeing to another ‘hit’, the two comrades are in the middle of the assignment when they comprehend that they are involved in something much more sinister than anticipated.

From English director, Ben Wheatley, in just his second feature film, Kill List is a formidable beast that contains graphic scenes and is not for the faint-hearted.

 

23. Angel Heart

Angel Heart is an American psychological thriller directed by Alan Parker and stars Mickey Rourke and Robert DeNiro. Released in 1987, but set in the 50’s, it was well ahead of its time and has now reached cult status.

Mickey Rourke stars as Harry Angel, a rugged private investigator that has been hired by a man named Louis Cyphere (DeNiro), to uncover the whereabouts of a disappeared singer, Johnny Favourite. Along the way, Angel meets several characters that all share information on the story of Favourite. However, with these characters being killed shortly after meeting with Angel, he finds himself a lot more involved than he could ever care to have wished for.

With Rourke in top form, giving possibly his best performance and the genius casting of DeNiro in his role, Angel Heart is an atmospheric, intelligent, bloody horror, with much duplicated but never surpassed twists. An unforgettable classic.

 

22. Tell No One

This French thriller stars Francois Cluzet as Alex Beck, a man continuously struggling with grief after losing his wife 8 years ago. When Alex receives material hinting that his wife is alive and well, a complex chain of events results in a chaotic manhunt for him.

With an excellent supporting cast of Marie-Josee Croze, Andre Dussollier and Kristin Scott Thomas, this suspenseful tale is comparable to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. Full of twist and turns, with such a well-executed plot, Tell No One is a frantic, edge of your seat chef-oeuvre.

 

21. Timecrimes

Released in 2007, Timecrimes is a Spanish sci-fi thriller based on time travel. Directed by Nacho Vigalondo and starring Karra Elejalde, the film was shot on an extremely low budget, without any CGI or flashy special effects. Easily one of the more intelligent and complex time loop movies, it is frantically paced and superbly executed.

Timecrimes introduces Hector (Elejalde), who is currently renovating his house, along with his wife in the countryside. Whilst surveying the nearby woods through his binoculars, he spots a young woman undressing. Curiously he enters the woods to investigate, when suddenly he is attacked and chased by a man covered in bloody bandages, wielding a pair of scissors. Can Hector escape from this madman? And exactly why was he assaulted in the first place?

Certainly a prime example of cinema where the less known is for the better, Timecrimes will continuously keep you on your toes and have you doubting your own thoughts, much like our Hector.

 

20. A Tale of Two Sisters

Asia is well known for being the cutting edge of horror movies, with emphasis given to the build-up of tension and creepy atmosphere, the premeditated pacing and menacing images, A Tale of Two Sisters, is no different. The highest grossing Korean horror, this masterpiece is a brilliant, visceral horror, brimming with bewildering twists.

The story embarks with a teenage girl named Soo-Mi (Su-Jeong Lim) being cared for in a mental hospital, why she is there, we are not told. In the next scene, Soo-Mi is shown travelling and arriving with her father and younger sister Soo-Yeon (Geun-Young Moon), to their lakeside estate. They are welcomed on arrival by the daughter’s stepmother, Eun-Joo (Jung-ah Yum), much to the disgust of the daughters. From this moment on we witness the bitter divide between stepmother and stepdaughter, with the uneasy tension flourishing within the household. With the mysterious presence of an intrusive ghost only heightening the already strained atmosphere, the feeling of impending doom leads to a heartbreakingly shocking finale.

A gut-wrenching, modern day horror, this 2003 gem is a tour de force of Korean cinema, by director Kim Jee-Woon.

 

19. The Secret in Their Eyes

‘El Secreto de sas ojos’ is an Argentine crime drama from 2009. Directed by Juan Jose Campanella, the film stars Ricardo Darin and Soledad Villamil. With outstanding storytelling and immaculate acting, this movie will have you hooked from start to finish.

In 1974, Federal Justice Agent, Benjamin Esposito (Darin), is delegated to the crime of a brutal rape and murder of a young woman. Upon promising the husband that the killer will be caught and will serve life in jail, two innocent men are accused and held, by a competing co-worker, in order to get a quick conclusion. Expertly told the story continuously flickers back and forth to 1999 where the case is still unresolved and still troubling Esposito. With the co-operation of an alcohol dependant assistant and a love-that-never-was ex-boss Irene (Villamil), the case is reopened.

Revealing incredible, gut-wrenching outcomes and a thrilling finale, this is a truly touching, emotional masterpiece of world cinema.

18. Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob’s ladder is a psychological horror directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Tim Robbins. Portraying the horrors of his time serving in the Vietnam War, Jacob Singer (Robbins)journey to uncover the truth is told in shocking flashbacks and visions.

Jacob wakes in a New York City subway alone, in his postal worker uniform. Continually reminded of his ex-wife and the death of his son Gabe (a very young Macauley Culkin), these thoughts are meshed with progressively hellish hallucinations. After meeting with his old Army friends, they concur that they too have been experiencing the same horrors. However, after discovering a breakthrough in the reasoning behind these visions, Jacob involuntarily finds that the truth is not relinquished amicably.

In what is considered by many to be Tim Robbins best performance, Jacob’s ladder can leave you depressed, heartbroken and confused. Nonetheless, with such a strong, atmospheric plot, you’ll want to watch this one again.

 

17. Repulsion

Directed by Roman Polanski, this is the first film in what was to become known as ‘The Apartment Trilogy’ along with Rosemary’s Baby and The Tenant.

Filmed in London, it tells the story of Carol, played by Catherine Deneuve, who has moved in with her older sister Helen. In a truly unforgettable performance we watch Carol’s paranoia spiral out of control after her sister leaves the apartment for a few days.

It leaves the viewer not knowing exactly what is real and what is purely imaginative in the claustrophobic, sexually repressed mind of Carol.

 

16. Manhunter

Manhunter is the pioneer of all films Hannibal Lecktor. Directed in 1986 by Michael Mann it stars William Peterson and Brian Cox. Telling the story of the hunt for a serial killer known as ‘The Tooth Fairy’, Manhunter spawned another 4 films and a television series, featuring the infamous Dr Lecktor.

Will Graham (Peterson) has been persuaded to end his retirement from the FBI and reunite in order to catch a serial killer on the loose. However, in order to progress, Will must pay a visit to Lecktor (Cox), an imprisoned cannibalistic serial killer, who incidentally is the cause of Will’s retirement, after attacking him. Despite Lecktor agreeing to help capture the killer, Will now has to deal with Hannibals’s mind games as well as the psychological trauma of his past events. With time running out, a desperate pursuit leads to a thrilling final confrontation with ‘The Tooth Fairy’ (Tom Noonan). But between another victim and his own family, will it all be in vain?

Based on the novel Red Dragon, Manhunter contains some great performances, most notably Brian Cox and Tom Noonan. If you are a fan of the Hannibal Lecktor series and are yet to see this, you are in for a suspenseful, atmospheric treat.

 

15. Videodrome

Homicide, Sleaze, torture, S&M, nihilism – Videodrome.

Welcome to the world of cult Canadian director David Cronenberg. James Woods stars as Max Renn, the president of a TV channel, searching for that quantum leap to the most in demand of broadcasting.

The breakthough arrives when Renn discovers Videodrome, an Asian television show airing brutal torture and snuff TV. With his girlfriend Nicki (Blondie’s Deborah Harry), immediately aroused and obsessed with the show, they delve further and find that the show is in fact broadcast out of Pittsburgh, USA. Eager to audition for the show, Nicki sets off to Pittsburgh, however when she fails to return, Max starts to become apprehensive. The more Max explores, the more he submerges into a world of mind regulation, sex, violence and disturbing hallucinations.

So sit back, relax and enjoy the visceral experience of Cronenberg’s 1983 mind-trip masterpiece, Videodrome.

 

14. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane

Whatever happened to Baby Jane is a 1962 American psychological horror. Directed by Robert Aldrich, the film infamously stars two screen icons together in Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The film is extremely intense and dark yet slightly comical.

The story opens in 1917, characterizing Baby Jane Hudson (Davis), the very spoilt, child vaudeville star and her rather neglected younger sister Blanche (Crawford). However, in teenage years, roles reverse and Blanche went on to achieve stardom, with Jane becoming no more than just a has-been. Years later, both women are now confined to a shared mansion, with Blanche now crippled and in a wheelchair, after a tragic car accident involving what was widely thought to have been Jane, at the wheel. Now Jane ‘cares’ for her sister, handing out brutal beatings and mentally torturing her, whilst still living in a world of distorted dreams and high hopes. With the insane and hysterical former child star becoming more violent, can the imprisoned Blanche escape Baby Jane’s stronghold?

Both Davis and Crawford play the feuding sisters impeccably as they argue back and forth. (Mainly due to the well-documented tale that they actually loathed each other)An important and distinguished piece of Hollywood history, Whatever happened to Baby Jane is a riveting drama that is an absolute must see for all film fans.

 

13. Eyes Wide Shut

From the brilliant mind of director Stanley Kubrick, we have his 1999 showpiece ,Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Kubrick once again leads us down a path trying to differentiate between real world and the subconscious.

Dr. Bill Harford (Cruise) and wife Alice (Kidman) are a young married couple living in New York with their young daughter, Attending a Christmas party thrown by a rich patient, (during which they are both involved in separate sexual temptations) Bill is reintroduced to an old school friend Nick, who has been hired to play piano there. Upon his wife’s admission of a recent sexual fantasy involving a naval officer, Bill’s emotions are turned upside down. After meeting up with Nick again, finishing his set at the jazz club, Bill learns of an engagement Nick must attend to for his next set. However, to gain entrance to the party, one requires a mask, costume and finally a password. With the appeal of the party too difficult to turn down, Bill’s night unravels into an erotic, violent, unsettling sexual odyssey.

Sadly, Eyes Wide Shut was to be Stanley Kubrick’s final film, being released just several months following his death.

12. The Tenant

The last film in Polanski’s ‘Apartment trilogy’. Another brilliant psychological horror that this time has Polanski himself starring. Again, claustrophobic, disturbing and intense, the film shows how Trelkovsky (Polanski) moves into an apartment in which the previous tenant had thrown herself out of her window.

Evidently, insanity and obsession gradually tiptoe in, resulting in a slightly comical yet tragic climax.

The Tenant will leave you with more questions that it does answers but nevertheless, another Polanski masterpiece in my opinion.

 

11. The Conversation

Most directors struggle to achieve that once-in-a-lifetime piece de resistance, yet in 1974, one man delivered two. Please step forward Mr Francis Ford Coppola. Despite missing out to Oscar winner The Godfather 2, The Conversation is still well and truly classified as one of the definitive films from the 70’s, The fantastic Gene Hackman ingeniously plays the paranoid, neurotic, freelance surveillance expert, Harry Caul.

Running his own surveillance business in San Francisco, Harry is a loner, who rarely lets anyone into his apartment, let alone his life. After being given a job to tap into the conversation of a young couple talking in Union Square, the more Caul filters the recordings, the more unsettled he gets. Averting the opportunity to hand in the tape to his employer, due to what might happen to the young couple, he finds himself on the wrong end of the bugging. As his mental state collapse, can Harry find the solution before he self-destructs?

Containing superb performances by none other than John Cazale, Harrison Ford and an electrifying cameo from Robert Duvall, The Conversation is a haunting thriller that lingers long in the mind.

 

10. Hour of the Wolf

Regarded by many as one of the most important and influential directors of all time, Ingmar Bergman made many great films, a lot of which handled death, disease and the downfall of the human mind. Hour of the Wolf is no different.

The film is set on a modest, harsh looking island, where Johan, played by Max Von Sydow, has sought refuge, along with his wife Alma (Liv Ullman). Johan is a painter who is battling insomnia and is haunted by the demons of his past. Despite coming across as being very cold and a bit of a bully, his loving wife is loyal and helps him through his obvious psychological illness. Things however take a turn for the worst, as Alma discovers Johan’s secret diary, followed by an eerie invitation for dinner with fellow islanders, who live in a nearby castle. As ‘the hour of the wolf’ approaches, the truth is unravelled and the shocking past that has been torturing Johan is frighteningly revealed.

This gothic horror is a chilling, claustrophobic journey, which displays the psychological torment one man suffers. A gritty, surreal work of art from a genius director, Hour of the Wolf is a beautiful but bleak movie that easily stands the test of time.

 

9. The Wicker Man

Robin Hardy’s 1973 occult horror, The Wicker Man, is the crème de la crème of British cult movies. This is a haunting, chilling tale of desolation, symbolism and pagan rituals. Starring Edward Woodward and Hammer favourite Christopher Lee, this is a film that will shake you to your very core.

Upon receiving a letter begging for help in finding a missing girl named Rowan, Sergeant Howie (Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish Island to investigate. On arrival, Howie instantly receives a rather inhospitable reception, which sets the atmospheric tone for the rest of the film. Realising that life is very contrasting here than on the mainland, Howie speculates that the disappeared may have been the subject of a ritual or sacrifice. Further delving leads him to a meeting with the seemingly sinister island leader, Lord Summerisle (Lee), where he soon grasps that there is much more to explore than a missing child on this isolated island.

Those viewers in search of a gore-laden action flick will be disappointed, for this is a much more intelligent, thought-provoking, brutal-beast of cinematic brilliance.

 

8. Dead Ringers

In Dead Ringers, we welcome back Mr Cronenberg in the list. Released in 1988, Jeremy Irons plays two lead roles as Beverly and Elliot Mantle, identical twin brothers that run a successful Gynaecology practice in Toronto. Typical of the director, this film is controversial, thought- provoking and terrifyingly beautiful.

The story follows the twins growing up together in almost segregation from the rest of the world. Through their closeness, they virtually become one self as they develop into students studying gynaecology. With business blooming, the twins become more detached in their personalities, with Elliot the more confident and Beverly the shy, humble type. Through these traits however, the twins abuse the trust of the patients and decide to secretly share them with each other, in more ways than one. When Beverly falls for a patient that he does not want to share, the two become independent, leading to imposing, cataclysmic reactions.

This emotionally-charged, grim, mutation of a film becomes even more shocking upon discovery of the fact that it is very loosely based on real life twins. (Be sure to watch the film before researching the story)

 

7. Blue Velvet

Possibly the quintessential film from director David Lynch, Blue Velvet is a 1986 mystery, film noir. Starring Kyle McLachlan, Laura Dern, Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini, it should come as no surprise that this is a dark, sinister and extreme film.

Jeffrey (McLachlan) returns home to look after his sick father who is in hospital. On his way home from visiting the hospital, he stumbles upon a severed human ear, close to a forest. Deciding to bring his gruesome discovery to the local police detective, he meets the detective’s daughter, Sandy (Dern). After overhearing that the ear has something to do with a woman named Dorothy (Rossellini), both Jeffrey and Sandy set out to uncover this mystery by themselves. Unfortunately for them, this mystery leads to the terrifyingly insane and depraved Frank Booth (Hopper), an unstable and evil criminal. The deeper Jeffrey and Sandy delve the further out of their depth they get.

Blue Velvet is a chilling, uncomfortable viewing and with scenes of sadomasochism, violence and drug abuse, it’s a dark and disturbing experience. Nevertheless, it’s a brilliant, compelling piece of cinema that should not be missed.

6. The Night of the Hunter

Based on the novel of the same title, Night of the Hunter casts Robert Mitchum in the lead role as Harry Powell, an unethical preacher cum murderer. Alongside Shelley Winters, the film is loosely based on a true story, as he attempts to romance the unsuspecting widow and steal the hidden money. It was to be the last film directed by Charles Laughton.

Set in 1930’s West Virginia, Harry Powell is a self-labelled preacher who has been travelling the country attracting widows, then killing and robbing them, all the while convinced that this is what God wants him to do. Arrested for driving a stolen car and temporarily jailed, he meets prisoner Ben Harper, a convicted killer and bank robber facing execution. Despite not being able to convince Ben to disclose where the loot is hidden, Powell hatches a plan to target his next widow, Willa Harper (Shelley Winters). However, with the two Harper children being the only ones who know where the spoils are, Powell certainly won’t have things his own way.

With Mitchum giving such a skin crawling and menacing performance, Night of the Hunter is now known to be one of the most frightening movies around, for its time. Containing possibly the most notoriously twisted, on-screen villain in cinematic history, this is a film you will either LOVE or HATE.

 

5. The Innocents

Directed by Jack Clayton and starring Deborah Kerr, The Innocents is a gothic horror released in 1961. Without showing any gory or graphic images, this film relies simply on the setting, direction and the viewer’s own perception. Based on the novel, The Turn of the Screw, The Innocents is open ended, leaving several interpretations of which all are unsettling and thought provoking.

Miss Giddens (Kerr) agrees to become the new governess to two orphaned children, named Flora and Miles who are currently in the care of their wealthy but disinterested uncle. After arriving at their beautiful country estate, Miss Giddens immediately connects with Mrs Grose, the likeable housekeeper, and meets Flora, a bubbly, cheerful young girl with a pet tortoise. With Miss Giddens still settling in to her new headquarters, a letter is received from Miles’ boarding school, advising that he has been sent home early and subsequently expelled. Upon meeting Miles for the first time, the governess finds him extremely charming, almost flirtatious. However, coinciding with the boy’s arrival, sinister and peculiar events begin to arise. With Miss Gidens demanding to know more about the past residency, sickening secrets are revealed, secrets that lead to a horrifying and ghastly culmination of events.

Whatever rationale you may come up with, the result is a breathtakingly disturbing translation of a classic ghost story, written by Henry James.

 

4. Don’t Look Now

Based on Daphne Du Maurier’s short story, Don’t Look Now, is a frightening film that shows the psychological weight, the death of a loved one can bring. In this case Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie play husband and wife, John and Laura, who experience the heart-breaking tragedy of losing their young daughter, after she drowned in their pond. The film presents the different styles of grief we can suffer.

Fast forward to the future and John and Laura are currently in Venice after John decided to restore an old church. After meeting a blind psychic woman in a restaurant, Laura’s mood changes when told that their daughter is happy. However, John, being the absolute non-believer in clairvoyance, is not nearly as excited. But when they both start to witness strange sightings, particularly the same red-coated figure, (similar to how their daughter last appeared) desperation overcome grief, to haunting consequences

Director Nicolas Roeg creates an extremely chilling atmosphere with the tension building up to a ghastly, grotesque climax.

 

3. Rosemary’s Baby

The most acclaimed in ‘the apartment trilogy’, Rosemary’s Baby stars Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as husband and wife who have just moved into an old fashioned New York City apartment.

Thrilled with their new surroundings, Rosemary (Farrow) and Guy (Cassavetes) decide that having a baby is the next step in their relationship. With her interfering, yet supportive neighbours (Minnie and Roman), she embarks on her journey through pregnancy and is somewhat shoved in the direction of Dr Sapirstein, who insists that Rosemary drink a concoction that her helpful neighbour will bring her daily.

However, after burrowing deeper into the bizarre behaviour of those all around her, including her husband Guy; she speculates that they all have very sinister intentions for the unborn child. Can Rosemary unravel the plot in time to save her baby AND her sanity? Or has this all been a cruel illusion of mind tricks?

Mia Farrow produces the performance of a lifetime in Polanski’s brilliant psychological horror. Released in 1968, this truly terrifying film effortlessly stands the test of time.

 

2. Les Diaboliques

Directed by Henri-George Clouzot, this 1955 black and white French-masterpiece, features on many top horror film lists.

The film revolves around a boarding school, owned by the vulnerable Christina, (Vera Clouzot) but controlled by her repressive husband Michel (Paul Meurisse) with his mistress, teacher Nicole (Simone Signoret) in tow.With both women possessing a closeness and confidentiality in each other, due to the abusive Michel, they formulate a plan to take care of this tyrant. However, between an intrusive private investigator, incorruptible schoolboys and a missing corpse, things take a mysterious turn for the worse.

Legend has it that Alfred Hitchcock was first approached to direct Les Diaboliques, however, when the deal came to nothing, Henri-Georges Clouzot was the inheritor.

 

1. Vertigo

Widely regarded as director Alfred Hitchcock’s best, Vertigo is a complex, psychological thriller starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. Proudly sitting atop of the much celebrated Sight and Sound Poll (in 2012), this masterpiece is a movie filled with suspense that unfolds in an extraordinarily haunting climax.

John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson (Stewart) is a retired San Francisco police detective. After being involved in a rooftop chase, resulting in the death of a policeman, Scottie has been battling vertigo. When approached by an old college friend to secretly pursue the man’s wife Madeline (Novak), he begrudgingly accepts. As Madeline proves exceedingly difficult to follow, he eventually tracks her down and rescues her as she attempts to leap into San Fran Bay. With both Madeline and Scottie spending more and more time together they ultimately confess their love for each other, whilst in the surroundings of an old Mission. Out of nowhere, Madeline runs into the church and climbs the bell tower. With Scottie powerless to run after her, we are left with a breathtakingly daring act of cinematic genius that only the master of suspense could compose.

With a fantastic backdrop of San Francisco, this fable of romance and obsession is a stunning piece of work that should be ranked as highly in another 50 years’ time, as it is today.