Midsommar is a deeply effective and distressing folk horror film, with none other than Jordan Peele, director of the smash hit Get Out, declaring it has “the most atrociously disturbing imagery I’ve ever seen on film.” Perfect date night material for Halloween season, then.
Train to Busan
South Korean cinema seems to love combining the end of the world and trains. Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer got things on track in 2013, but director Yeon Sang-ho really left the station with this 2016 zombie horror masterpiece.
Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) starts his journey on the express train from Seoul to Busan just wanting to drop daughter Su-an off with her mother. Unfortunately, the last passenger to board might be a teensy bit infected with the zombie plague that’s kicking off outside, turning the ride into the express train to hell. The tight confines allow for some incredibly inventive action choreography, while genre fans are treated to a revolting twist on the undead themselves, a misshapen, juddering, ravenous horde that moves like a liquid mass of corpses.
Like all the best zombie films, though, it’s the social commentary that really elevates Train to Busan, with its exploration of class and status standing alongside Romero’s work at his peak. A decade on from release, this is still one of the freshest takes on zombies you’re likely to find—look up animated prequel Seoul Station and stand-alone sequel Peninsula if it leaves you wanting another bite.
Altered States
A bit of a deep cut, but director Ken Russell’s 1980 outing will really mess with your head. No, really—this tale of psychological horror and transformational terror is loosely based on real-world tests of the effects of psychoactive drugs and sensory deprivation on the human brain. The film sees researcher Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) subjecting himself to highly questionable experiments with hallucinogenics and isolation in an effort to tap into other states of being. Unfortunately, he’s wildly successful, not only opening his mind to genetic memories and shared consciousnesses, but seeing his physical body horrifyingly warp and devolve beyond recognition with each trip.