Psychological Horror is a subgenre that disturbs by tapping into mental and emotional vulnerabilities, exposing repression, paranoia, and self-doubt rather than relying on gore or monsters. It uses atmosphere, suspense, and unreliable perspectives to unsettle, think Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) with Norman Bates’ fractured psyche, Jennifer Kent’s grief-fueled The Babadook (2014), and modern indies like Hereditary (2018) or The Invitation (2015), which probe familial trauma and creeping paranoia. These films haunt long, proving that true terror often comes from within.
Nightmares don’t always end once you open your eyes. Nightmare 2023 explores the unsettling notion of relinquishing one’s dreams.
As part of the planned trilogy for Stewart Thorndike, Bad Things includes themes of motherhood in a horror movie set in a large hotel.
Joy escapes from a vicious relationship. Her best friend convinces her that a retreat in the Rocky Mountains will heal her Dark Nature.
The Tutor 2023 stars Garrett Hedlund & Noah Schnapp. Ethan is a tutor to the rich & elite. One student threatens to unravel his life.
The Guest Room aka La Stanza, follows a woman on the verge of suicide who opens the door to a mysterious man. Who he is will shock you.
Speak No Evil is a psychological horror movie by filmmaking brothers Christian & Mads Tafdrup. You can watch Speak No Evil on Shudder.
