I love psychological thrillers because they don’t rely on jump scares or gore to elicit fear in their viewers. Instead, they reel us in by twisting our minds and making us contemplate intense themes. Some of the best psychological horror films come from outside of the U.S.
1. Irréversible (2002)
This mind-bending French thriller tells the story of a woman’s harrowing night in reverse chronology. After she’s violated and beaten senseless in an underpass, her current and former flings take matters into their own hands to seek justice.
2. The Platform (2019)
When a man awakes in a strange prison, his cellmate tells him the two are lucky this month in this Spanish film. They’re imprisoned in a sinister skyscraper that feeds its inmates with a cruel system: a platform with a feast descends between each cell through a hole in the floor, letting those at the top gorge themselves while those at the bottom starve to death. This month, the new inmate is near the top. But things change every single month.
3. Call (2020)
Call is an adventurous Korean thriller with many twists and turns. When two women living in the same home twenty years apart converge timelines over the phone, they realize a terrible serial killer could threaten both of their lives. But as they learn more about one another, they know they may not truly be able to trust one another.
4. The Skin I Live In (2011)
A traumatized plastic surgeon who spends his life developing new skin grafts to save the lives of burn victims finally brings his invention to fruition in this terrifying Spanish thriller. To test out his new potentially life-saving treatment, he forces a kidnapped woman to be his guinea pig.
5. Goodnight Mommy (2014)
This Australian film is about two twin boys who feel uneasy when their mother returns home with her face completely bandaged up from surgery. As they reconnect with their mom, they believe she’s not who she claims to be.
6. Inside (2007)
Inside is a French home invasion horror about a pregnant woman who recently lost her husband in a tragic car crash. Alone in her apartment on Christmas Eve, a strange woman shows up at her doorstep with a sinister plan.
7. Let the Right One In (2008)
When a bullied twelve-year-old boy meets his new neighbor, he quickly grows close to the strange, pale girl next door. But as a string of gruesome murders hits their town, the girl shares a secret with her neighbor that tests their friendship in this Swedish film.
8. Oxygen (2021)
This French horror will make anyone with claustrophobia panic. When a young woman wakes up trapped in a cryogenic chamber, she must battle with her AI helper for release. But she’s running out of time and soon will be out of oxygen.
9. The Piano Teacher (2001)
The Piano Teacher is a French and German language film about a music professor at an elite conservatory in Vienna. She’s stuck living with her overbearing mother and only escapes her watch when she’s out pursuing her voyeuristic sexual fantasies or at work. Things turn dark quickly when she meets a student who catches her eye.
10. Caché (2005)
A couple in Paris with flourishing careers and a happy marriage become uneasy when they find videos of themselves left at their doorstep. The two watch the tapes without knowing who’s filming them and uncover dreadful secrets that threaten to break up the happy couple and change their lives forever.
Maya (she/they) is a queer entertainment and culture journalist. They cover interviews, reviews, roundups, news, and more. She loves horror, history, and creativity. They hope their writing both entertains readers and inspires them to think critically. Her favorite pastimes include needle felting, gaming, and drawing.
