13 Horror Films So Disturbing You Can’t Finish Watching Them

The genre of horror goes far back into human history. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans had among their myths works that can still inspire fear and disgust today. The themes of supernatural phenomena and events, death, cannibalism, murder, torture and evil itself were also not uncommon in folk tales and legends of many countries around the world. Many literary works that we now consider classics have also made use of this genre.

But why do horror subjects attract so many people? Most would probably agree that hardly anyone would voluntarily want to experience a dangerous situation, possibly involving ghosts or vampires, in reality. Likewise, traumatised people have little desire to repeat a comparable, perhaps retraumatising experience.

But in the media world, things are quite different. Quite a few of us consume horror films regularly and enjoy them. Researchers have looked for the reasons for this and actually found a few. Our interest in scary stories could be because we want to test ourselves and our protective mechanisms. In doing so, the fear and also the feeling of disgust can be stimulating for the body, because it releases many hormones that help us feel “alive”. Another reason could be that we find human abysses fascinating in themselves, but have little opportunity to explore them in everyday life.

As for horror films, they are a perfect way to immerse ourselves in an imaginary, alternative world and experience the full range of feelings from the comfort of our own homes or in the cinema. There are often horror films after which you can hardly sleep and which keep you occupied for days. But there are also films that are so disturbing that we can’t even finish them. In this article we would like to present just such 13 films that not everyone can finish watching.

1. Shining

By now a classic, released in 1980. The horror film was directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. An unsuccessful writer makes an attempt to finally put his new novel on paper. To do so, he travels with his wife and son to a lonely hotel in Colorado, where he pretends to be a caretaker. At the hotel, all his writing attempts are interrupted by an inexplicable supernatural force. The writer takes an axe instead and sets out to hunt down his own family.

2. Alien – the uncanny creature from an alien world

Probably the best-known Ridley Scott film, which premiered in 1979. In the meantime, it has also become one of the best-known titles in the genres of science fiction and horror. The crew of the space ship Nostromo is on its way back to Earth from its mission and in an artificial deep sleep. Suddenly the ship receives an SOS signal. The on-board computer therefore wakes up the entire crew, which follows the call for help and then finds itself on an eerie planet. There the team discovers the debris of an alien spaceship. One of the team members is attacked by an alien that sucks itself onto his face. The ship’s doctor manages to remove the alien organism, but the danger posed by the unknown being is far from over. In the confines of the space freighter, a fight for survival plays out and the enemy is almost invisible, insidious and extremely deadly.

3. Conjuring – The Haunting

The Perron couple hope for a new start in a farmhouse on Rhode Island. But no sooner have they arrived there with their five daughters than strange events begin to occur that drive the family almost to the brink of madness. Completely desperate, Carolyn Perron calls the well-known psi-scientists and demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren, to have her house checked for paranormal elements. The discovery the two professionals make is the most gruesome of their entire careers. Satanic forces residing in the area are targeting the Perron family and haunting them everywhere. To defeat the terrible neighbours, the Perrons need all their strength and energy, because the most important thing is at stake: their lives and those of their children.

4. The house that Jack built

With this film, viewers have the opportunity to get a glimpse into the inner life of a serial killer. Released in 2018, the film comes from world-renowned director Lars von Trier and premiered in Cannes. The plot takes us to the USA in the seventies, where we follow the highly intelligent Jack as he commits his murders over the course of 12 years. The murderer sees his deeds as works of art and puts more and more on the map with each crime. The unusual thing about this is that we also participate in Jack’s world of thoughts, experience his mental state and can listen to the voices in his head.

5. Paranormal activity

This horror seems more like a documentary. A young couple move into their new flat and immediately notice that something is very wrong with it. Every night they hear strange noises that rob them of their sleep. The wife is convinced that the cause is the demon that has haunted them since childhood and has now apparently moved into the new home with them. The two buy a camera and try to film the mysterious and creepy guest with it. What they discover exceeds the limits of human understanding.

6 The Descent – Abyss of Horror

A horror thriller from Great Britain, released in 2005. A group of six women friends set out on a caving expedition in Appalachia, USA. At first everything goes according to plan, but then the friends decide to go into a cave system to explore it. No sooner are they inside than one of the passages in the cave collapses and the women are blocked. Desperate to find another exit, they discover that they are not the only creatures in the caves.

7. A Serbian film

Released in 2010, this psychological thriller contains, among other things, explicit depictions of violence and is extremely controversial for this reason. The plot takes place in Serbia. The former porn actor Milos is confronted with money problems. He leads a happy and fulfilled life with his wife and son, but financial problems cloud the family idyll. However, Milos unexpectedly receives a very lucrative job offer as an actor that could solve all his problems. Milos is not told anything about the plot of the film he would be playing in. After some deliberation, he signs the contract. He soon learns that the film will depict paedophilia, necrophilia and torture. But for Milos there is no way back and possibly his family is also in serious danger.

8. Human Centipede – the human centipede.

This horror film is considered one of the most disturbing ever. Two young Americans are on a road trip in Europe. In Germany, their car breaks down in the middle of the night in a rural area. They seek help and discover an old abandoned villa. The next morning they wake up in the basement of the house, which looks like a hospital laboratory. They are not alone there, a Japanese truck driver is also trapped there. The “host” is a former surgeon who specialises in separating Siamese twins. But right now he is planning not to separate the three “patients” but to sew them together and unite their digestive systems. In doing so, the doctor wants to fulfil his lifelong dream by creating the first human centipede in history.

9. Killing a child …

One of the most famous horror films from Spain, released in 1976. Two English holidaymakers are in Spain and decide to hire a boat to explore an island south of the Spanish coast. When they enter the town on the fictional island of Almanzora, they find no adults there. The town is inhabited only by children who do not speak and only smile at the visitors. Soon the tourists find out that the children on the island are possessed by a power that orders them to kill the older people. The adults cannot defend themselves in the process, because who could ever kill a child?

10. The 120 Days of Sodom

This film is so brutal that it is banned in some countries. Actually, the title already gives away the content. It is set in the northern Italian Republic of Salo, occupied by the Nazi German Reich. The rulers of the morally and sexually depraved regime hold captive for 120 days young women and men who have been forcibly abducted beforehand. Every day, limitless, perverted power is exercised on the prisoners. This takes on ever more cruel forms, the victims are treated worse than animals in the process, to be subjected to real torture and murdered at the end.

11. Begotten

This film is considered one of the most unusual horror films and was presented for the first time at the Montreal World Film Festival. What makes it special is that it does not contain any human speech, only sounds of nature. The film contains explicit depictions of violence such as mutilation, suicide and rape. The plot alludes to the creation of the world. The god eviscerates himself, creating “Mother Earth” from within himself. The mother revives the dead god and with him to beget a son. Mother and son find themselves a little later in a barren landscape where they are confronted by a race of faceless nomads who capture and torture the two.

12. Annabelle

The beautiful doll in the white wedding dress seems to be the perfect gift for John’s pregnant wife. But the enthusiasm for the doll named Annabelle does not last long. At night, the couple is attacked by members of a satanic cult in their own home. They leave behind not only blood and destruction, but also a demonic creature that now inhabits the house. The evil spirit wreaks so much havoc that it is hard to imagine that the source of it is the doll Annabelle.

13. Terrifier

This US horror film was released in 2017. Two friends want to really let it rip on Halloween and are looking for the coolest party in town. On the way, they go to a fast food restaurant to grab a bite to eat. There they meet Art, who is dressed up as a clown. The two women think his costume is great and ask him for a photo. They have no idea that a serial killer is hiding behind the mask. The clown has found his next victims with the two of them and makes their Halloween night a real hell.

We hope that among the films presented above, you will also be able to find those that will give you unforgettable emotions and an adrenaline rush. And if you want to get away from all this horror, we recommend that you visit RichardCasino, as we think it has the most interesting online arcade games. Positive impressions are guaranteed!

Conclusion

Cinematic horror offers a safe passage into nightmarish scenarios, where we can confront our deepest fears and embrace the sensation of being alive in the face of terror. These chilling narratives allow us to traverse the twisted landscapes of the mind, confronting both the external monsters on screen and the internal ones they mirror. Immersing ourselves in these spine-tingling tales, we’re granted an escape from the mundane and the ordinary, finding ourselves on a rollercoaster of emotions that can linger long after the credits roll.

Yet, within the expansive spectrum of horror, there exist films so profoundly disturbing that even the most seasoned horror aficionados struggle to endure them. These are the tales that push the boundaries of the genre, venturing into territories of psychological torment, graphic violence, and existential dread that can leave an indelible mark on the viewer. The 13 films we’ve explored above stand as a testament to the power of horror to elicit visceral reactions and psychological unease, films that provoke discomfort so profound that some may find themselves unable to witness their stories to the end.

As we delve into these cinematic nightmares, we acknowledge the intricacies of human emotion and the twisted paths of storytelling that lead us to confront the depths of our own darkness. In the safety of our living rooms or the dimly lit theaters, we grapple with fear, uncertainty, and the uncanny, exploring the boundaries of our endurance and our capacity to navigate the realms of the unknown. Whether we’re drawn to these films by a morbid curiosity, a fascination with the enigmatic, or a desire to push our own boundaries, horror remains an ever-evolving genre that continues to captivate and challenge us, offering an unending journey into the shadows of the human experience.