“Elevated horror” is a term that, for the most part, has a pretty bad reputation among fans of the genre. In broad terms, it’s a very young term that was created to describe artsy movies that are less focused on jump scares, gnarly kills, and “shallow” fun, and more concerned with profound themes and artsier elements. At first glance, it’s easy to see why the term is so derided, since it pretty much discards genres like the slasher and splatter horror as “lower” horror.
However, when re-appropriated by the horror movie fan community, the term can be used to describe films whose goals are less grounded than those of typical horror; arthouse horror films that are more serious and thought-provoking than most. Sometimes, this “elevated” tone results in a slightly-less-scary film. Not always, though.There are plenty of elevated horror movies that are absolutely horrifying, as has been proved since well before the term was coined.
10’The Changeling' (1980)
Directed by Peter Medak
The Canadian supernatural horror filmThe Changelingis easily one of the scariest movies ever made, as directors of the caliber ofMartin ScorseseandGuillermo Del Torocan confirm. It’s about a music professor who, after experiencing tragic personal losses, rents a mansion in Seattle that happens to be haunted by a murdered boy. With its intriguing exploration of grief and loss,it’s proof of how good haunted house movies can be.
Without a drop of blood or tired ghost story trope, directorPeter Medakcrafts a chilling movie that constantly has viewers on edge, waiting in suspense to see what will come out of the house’s corners next. Elevated horror often proves that subtlety can go a long way in creating a potently creepy atmosphere, andThe Changelingis a perfect example of that. It’s a film that pre-dates the modern popularization of the term “elevated horror,” but it’s an essential art horror that influences genre cinema to this day.
The Changeling
9’The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
One of the most influential horror films ever and one of the most important indie movies of the ’70s,The Texas Chain Saw Massacreis a B-picture about five friends heading out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way, they stumble upon what seems like a deserted house, only to discover something deeply sinister within. Something that wants to kill them.
Though the chainsaw-wieldingLeatherface has entered the iconography of horror cinema as one of the most iconic villains of the genre,Texas Chain Sawis far more than your typical slasher.Banned throughout multiple countrieswhen it came out, it’s a deeply unnerving and provocative piece that actually shows much less violence than one might think. Instead, it’s much more intensely in conversation with countercultural movements of the ’70s, serving as a hard-hitting critique of societal decay.
Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Watch on Amazon Prime
8’Martyrs' (2008)
Directed by Pascal Laugier
Not to be confused with its embarrassing American remake, the French-Canadian filmMartyrsis pure cruelty embodied in the shape of a movie. In it, a young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who’s also a victim of child abuse, on a splatter-filled journey into a living hell of depravity.
The movie’s first half is absolutely terrifying, but it’s after a game-changing twisthalfway through the story thatMartyrsbecomes brutally disturbing and soul-crushing. It’s one ofthe bloodiest horror movies of all time, but that graphic violence isn’t all that makes it so horrifying. Simultaneously a sharp study of pain and trauma, and a movie keen on traumatizing its viewers with just how much darkness it’s able to throw at them in fast succession, it’s an undeniably terrifying experience.
Watch on Tubi
7’Goodnight Mommy' (2014)
Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
Also not to be confused with its significantly inferior American remake (yes, there is a pattern), the Austrian horror movieGoodnight Mommyis one ofthe greatest international horror movies ever. In it, twin boys move to a new house with their mother after she’s undergone face-changing cosmetic surgery, having to be covered in bandages that hide her entire face. She’s someone that the boys don’t recognize.
A horror experience full of dread, violence, and moments that will make squirmish viewers question their every life decision.
DirectorsVeronika FranzandSeverin Fialaplay with the viewer’s most primal fears in a horror experience full of dread, violence,and moments that will make squirmish viewers question their every life decision. There are no cheap jumpscares and no low-effort twists here.Goodnight Mommyquickly gets under the viewer’s skin and slowly peels it back with an atmosphere so dark that it’s genuinely hard to get through the whole thing.
6’The Wolf House' (2018)
Directed by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña
Inspired by a true story, the Chilean stop-motion animated filmThe Wolf Houseis surrealist avant-garde horror at its absolute scariest. It tells the story of María, a young woman taking refuge in a Southern Chilean house after escaping from a German colony. Its weirdness is gnarly, to say the least, but it bolsters the story and themes in the most terrifyingly great ways.
For people who lovehorror movies unafraid to break some rules,The Wolf Houseis a perfect fit. Entirely unique and masterful in how it juggles genres and constantly subverts each and every one of them, it’s a deeply artful portrayal of themes of PTSD, fascism, isolation, and fear. Its elevated tone is perfectly mixed with its more grounded script to deliver one of the most special animated films of the 2010s.
The Wolf House
Watch on Kanopy
5’Antichrist' (2009)
Directed by Lars von Trier
Danish auteurLars von Trierhas spent his whole career not just remaining unafraid of controversy and provocation, but very intentionally speeding toward them in the most creative ways he can find. One such way was the Cannes sensation (and nightmare)Antichrist, a drama where a grieving couple retreat to their cabin in the woods in the hopes that their broken hearts and marriage will be repaired. However, nature takes its course, and things keep going from bad to worse.
Antichristis often agreed to betoo disturbing to rewatcheven among horror genre veterans. Although it’s certainly not a film for everyone (definitely not for those who don’t typically enjoy von Trier’s unique style, and not for those who have never watched any of his work),it’s a powerfully gruesome, raw, artistically complex piece, with a story so deep and rich in philosophical meaning that it’s a real shame the film isn’t more re-watchable.
Antichrist
4’Hereditary' (2018)
Directed by Ari Aster
Ari Asteris currently one of the most exciting new voices in horror, and that all came to be when he rose to prominence with his 2018 modern classic,Hereditary. In it, when her mentally ill mother passes away, a woman and her family all mourn her loss. They each turn to different means to handle the grief, including the woman and her daughter flirting with the supernatural. This starts a downward spiral of tragedy and otherworldly experiences that expose sinister secrets in the family tree.
Toni Collette’s harrowing performance is a true powerhouse, and mixed with Aster’s unsettling, slow-burning direction and script,Hereditary’s portrayals of evil and supernatural forces are among the most effective in film history. The movie takes its time with its scares, but once everything blows up in the third act, the audience is guaranteed to be so engrossed and creeped out that they won’t be able to look away,despite being treated so cruellyby a movie so grim.
Hereditary
3’It Follows' (2014)
Directed by David Robert Mitchell
One of the most acclaimed horror movies of the 2010s,It Followsis about a young woman who’s being followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter. The movie has long been thought to be an allegory for STDs, but it’s so much more than that. It’s also a metaphor for sexual abuse, a terrifying portrayal of the fears of growing up, and the definitive teen horror film of the 21st century.
It Followsis one ofthe most thrilling monster movies of recent years. Whereas most horror films with such strongly developed themes tend to sacrifice some of their scare factor, this one doesn’t.As horrifying as it is intelligent,It Followsis both a masterful work of artand a horror movie that will have audiences watching the scary parts through their fingers.
It Follows
2’Possession' (1981)
Directed by Andrzej Żuławski
The French-German masterpiece by Polish filmmakerAndrzej ŻuławskiPossessionis one of the most spine-tingling character studies in movie history, as well as one ofthe darkest horror movies of all time. It’s the story of a woman who starts showing increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce, leading him to suspect infidelity. Soon, though, his investigations give way to something far more sinister.
Isabelle Adjanidelivers a tour de force piece of work in one of the greatest performances that horror has ever been graced with, but she definitely isn’tPossession’s only asset.Surprising, grueling, smart, and absolutely unforgettable for all the most brutal reasons, it’s a visceral social and cultural commentary that’s sure to reward arthouse horror fans' attention with a singularly scary experience they won’t soon forget.
Possession
1’The Witch' (2015)
Directed by Robert Eggers
Robert Eggers, like Ari Aster (or arguably even more so) is one of the freshest and greatest new voices in horror movies. His feature debut was the shockingThe Witch, modern folk horror at its very best. Set in an isolated Puritan town in 1630s New England, it sees a family coming unraveled by the forces of witchcraft and possession. This isn’t regular possession horror, though.It’s something far slower, far more sinister, far more elevated, and far scarier.
Despite its lack of jumpscares,The Witchis arguably the scariest elevated horror film of all time. Not necessarily the most disturbing, certainly not the most transgressive, but definitely the one likeliest to give viewers nightmares that will last for weeks. Masterfully crafted, written with the utmost effort, and full of allegories that don’t drag down the scare factor in the slightest, it’s an unsettling trek into the heart of darkness that shows that elevated horror really isn’t all that bad.
