PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Growing up, I remember walking down the video store aisles looking at all the horror movies. I was old enough to watch some films, but with horror, it wasn’t going to happen based on the content. My parents just wouldn’t rent them for me. So, I was stuck catching any horror movie I could on late night tv or a Halloween marathon.
My friends and I always tried to find a horror movie to talk about on the playground. It eventually became a game to see who can out horror the other person. As we grew older, the infamous tape trading began. Someone would get a copy of some extreme horror film from a “friend,” something like Faces Of Death. They felt real seeing that unmarked VHS with little to indicate what they were really about. This was before the internet, so tape trading was our version of posting and sharing YouTube clips on our social accounts.
Now with the internet and filmmakers going above and beyond with their ideas, we have access to even more gore and extreme horror films, and I want to share my favorites. Perhaps you’ve seen them, or maybe you’ve only heard of them but never got the chance to watch. This list is in no way a countdown as they’re all equal in my eye. You may or may not agree, but these extreme horror films are the top five I feel are worth, streaming, owning, renting, and watching.
Irreversible (2002)
Directed by Gaspar Noé (I Stand Alone 1998)
Gasper is no stranger to pushing the envelope when it comes making films. His name alone is enough to give you an idea of what to expect. Irreversible is no different. In fact, it’s usually the first movie audiences will bring up as an uncomfortable experience in the realm of extreme horror movies.
The Plot:
Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in the underpass.
The film doesn’t prepare you as it progresses to the ending of the film… which is actually the beginning of the story. The amount of violence plays a major part, seeping into the veins of morality where the audience watches the characters who are left with emotional and physical scars.
In A Glass Cage (1986)
Directed by Agustí Villaronga (The Belly Of The Sea 2021)
The idea of hell is created in the terrifying film, In A Glass Cage (our retro review), and the story explains how someone deals with loss and pain. There is no sympathy for the protagonist or the antagonist. This extreme horror film starts off like a foreign arthouse flick but as you watch, you realize it’s actually a disturbing horror movie.
The Plot:
A former Nazi child-killer is confined in an iron lung inside an old mansion after a suicide attempt. His wife hires him a full-time caretaker, a mysterious young man who is driven slowly mad by the old man’s disturbing past.
The caretaker was once tortured by the now helpless monster. Once he enters the home, the caretaker loses his last string of humanity, and he becomes the thing he hates. We watch the torture go on in a way that would make anyone squeamish and uncomfortable. The film doesn’t allow the viewer to breathe or decide who’s right or wrong. We want justice but at what price?
Larva Mental (2021)
Directed by Mikel Balerdi (Vore Gore 2021)
We have all seen taglines like this: “You’re not prepared for this!” “Shocking and appalling!” It is understandable as the palate of horror and terror varies amongst us all. However, with Larva Mental (our review), I can say this film goes above and beyond shock and awe.
The Plot:
A couple who seem normal enough at first, begin to show their dark side when an interest in disturbing imagery starts to chip away at their minds causing them to cross in the unknown.
From the first five minutes to the very end, you are horrified. This extreme horror film is truly hard to watch, but you just can’t stop watching. The story covers taboo topics, but as you watch the actions unfold, it goes beyond that of extreme. Walk into the movie blind. It’s truly an experience.
The Human Centipede 2 (2011)
Directed by Tom Six (Human Centipede franchise)
Out of all the films on this list, a sequel is finally being recommended. Truth be told, this film stands out the most in the franchise and is perhaps the creepiest and most gut-churning.
The Plot:
Inspired by the fictional Dr. Heiter, disturbed loner Martin dreams of creating a 12-person centipede and sets out to realize his sick fantasy.
With a black and white landscape, Human Centipede II (AKA Human Centipede 2: Tom Six Discusses The Story Concept) feels dark, sinister, creepy, and just uncomfortable. You’ll want to take a shower to clean off the drenching mist that surrounds you after watching the brutality of the torture Martin puts his victims through. The buildup to the finale is truly a work of extreme horror as you witness what a deranged person with no medical experience, no prop tools, and no care for human life will do to complete his opus.
XXX Dark Web (2019)
Directed by Alex Hernández, Domiziano Cristopharo, Emanuele Marchetto, Adam Ford, Lorenzo D. Zanoni, and Daniel Valient dei White Gardenia
I know I said that this isn’t a countdown list since all the movies listed are equal in my opinion. However, I will say that XXX: Dark Web is the closest to my number one film here. The evils and curiosities of a void of deception, torment, and death are shown in this movie, and it holds nothing back, revealing humanity’s darkest desires, wants, and fears. What’s enjoyable about this extreme horror film is that there’s no moral lesson or any inclination that things will be better after the story has been told. It’s just a horror movie that gives us an idea of what is out there. Do we dare venture further? With topics like cannibalism, BDSM, and self-mutilation, XXX: Dark Web doesn’t hold anything back. Everything is only here to make things even more uncomfortable. There is one particular scene that gets under my skin. The first time I watched it, I felt bound and couldn’t move in my chair. It felt too authentic, making it hard to distinguish what was real and what was a movie prop.
Overall, the film delivers a great combination of depravity and art. Yes, art is subjective, but with a film like this, you can’t help wonder where art begins and reality ends. XXX: Dark Web blends the two so closely that it’s hard to tell, but still, our curiosity is captivated.
All of the extreme horror films in this list are worth watching, owning, and talking about, going from the days of renting VHS movies to now where the internet provides us so many ways to watch and buy them. What do you think of this list? Is there anything I should have added? Let me know in the comments!
