its october and the only horror movies i've watched are scream 1-3. they are ok for what they are (deconstruction of horror tropes via murder mystery), but i need something spicier. something existentially horrifying, not just a wrinkly monster chase or a crazy guy hacking up white girls. something that follows you out of the movie and changes how you think about the world for a few days before you're normal again. stuff that pulls at the threads of your understanding of reality. a lot of so called psychological thrillers do this but thats not specifically what i'm looking for as much as existential terror.
since i created this post i'll start with suggestions of my own
1 - SKINAMARINK
watch this without any research or info going in. all i will say is that there is limited dialogue and the amount of times you see a face or character asymptotically approaches zero. watch while stoned for maximum effect.
2 - They Look Like People
psychological thriller, avoiding spoilers but i'll say that it mayyybe leans into some problematic ableist tropes relating to mental health common to the horror genre. i have a friend that loves this movie and relates to it strongly for mental health reasons though so i might be over- or under- analyzing.
3 - The Lighthouse
monochrome period piece. 2 boys 1 lighthouse. you can probably predict how this goes but the execution is so worth it, the actors are amazing and the cinematography is excellent.
thats pretty much all i got, i haven't seen that many movies.
Definitely check out The Witch (2015) if you haven't already, it's from the same director as The Lighthouse.
Candyman (1992) is one of the greatest gothic horror films of all time IMO. The premise makes it sound like a cheesy slasher movie but it's actually quite beautiful and profound.
I'd also recommend the original Hellraiser (1987) and Possession (1981). Really I could go on, but I'll keep the list short.
Candyman is a great horror flick. I was about 13-14 when it came out. I got dropped off at the local cinema to meet a friend to go watch it since his brother worked the ticket booth and we could get in that way. The Candyman scared me, and Virginia Madsen made me feel some sort of way. Good tines.
Idk if the VVitch caused any existential fear but it was so atmospheric and the landscapes so similar to the local forests that it had me a feeling little anxious in the woods for a few days after.
spoiler
which is impressive in retrospect since the movie doesn't really have a spooky monster or malevolent being that'll 'jump out and get you', for me it just strongly associated that winter season dreary grey pine forest vibe with creeping dread