Are you not a horror fan, but - nevertheless - love to be shaken? Do you want to watch some movies that keep awake at night, beyond the reaches of bloodlust and jump scares? Well, we've got just the list for you. This list has 11 stunning feats of cinema that aren't within your typical parameters of ghouls, ghosts, and gore – but they will undoubtedly crawl under your skin and stay there. Covering anything from abducted children to drug abuse, from sexism to giant arachnids – we've got you covered. Of course, proceed with caution, as there will be major spoilers ahead. (Also, if you're a Jake Gyllenhaal fan, you're gonna really appreciate this one.)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
This fantastical contemporary classic by visionary director, Guillermo del Toro, has captured the imaginations of audiences everywhere. However, del Toro's imaginings prove downright macabre, at times. Pan's Labyrinth poses as a coming-of-age story with a backdrop of war, meaning there is an underlying threat at every turn. However, nothing can quite prepare a first-time viewer for the utter terror of the iconic Pale Man. A fleshy humanoid creature that can only be likened to the weird Voldemort fetus in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part II), the Pale Man's eye-less face, combined with his eye-full hands, has since become a staple of body horror and costume design that feels very reminiscent of Hellraiser's Cenobites.
The Assistant (2019)
Kitty Green's most popular film to date is one that will make your stomach turn. We follow Kate, a recent graduate who has landed an assistant job in the entertainment industry. However, when she wishes to report an incident to HR, a slow but sinister nightmare begins to unfold. The Assistant is masterfully subtle in its writing and premise, but the horrors of misogyny and bureaucracy are tenfold. Green's film reminds us of the everyday atrocities that occur against women, especially in the entertainment industry. It's a grueling watch but a necessary one, as we see come truly gripping performances that are careful never to escape the realm of reality.
Prisoners (2013)
So, hop aboard the Jake Gyllenhaal train, because this is the first of four movies that he stars in on this list. In Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners, Gyllenhaal plays a detective in search of a missing girl and her friend. However, the girl's father, played by the wonderful Hugh Jackman, decides to take matters into his own hands. This grim and depressing thriller proves a horrifying study of humanity, asking: how far will we go to save someone we love? The answers that movies poses are uncomfortable and thought-provoking. Furthermore, in a similar vein to The Lovely Bones, the seemingly harmless suburban setting is twisted and warped into a place of sordidness and danger. You won't be happy while watching, but it's a guarantee that - if you haven't seen it already - you will be on the edge of your seat the entire time.
Come and See (1985)
Set during the Nazi occupation of Belarus, this story opens our eyes to every single horrible aspect of war and dictatorship that you could imagine. We follow the treacherous journey of Flyora, who endures unimaginable amounts of pain, loss, and disillusionment. Come and See features scenes of such brutality - particularly towards women - that will keep you awake at night. This tragic and grueling cinematic experience is an exhibition of the dangers of fascist ideologies and the sick and warped actions that a mob mentality can create. The final moments of the film prove a very poignant exploration of the nature of evil, and whether it is born or made.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
This weaving and woeful tale of drugs, sex, and devastation is brought to us by an excellent ensemble cast: such as the likes of Ellen Burstyn and Jennifer Connelly. We are sucked into the troubling lives of four people, each with their own precious dreams and aspirations - but their ever-disintegrating psyche, prospects, and self-respect give a new definition to the term "rock bottom". The central themes of this modern tragedy are addiction, poverty, the desire for approval, and loss of identity - each one just as awful to watch unfold as the last. They say, in story-telling, to be "cruel to your characters", but Requiem for a Dream takes this concept and beats it to a bloody pulp.
Changeling (2008)
This entry to our list stars the bewitching Angelina Jolie, as a mother in pure distress. Directed and scored by movie legend, Clint Eastwood, Changeling follows the plight of a single mother, Christine Collins, who is devastated to discover her son is missing. If that wasn't bad enough, instead of being reunited with the boy she knows to be her son, the wrong boy is returned to her. This film is enough to make anyone paranoid and distrust the system, as Christine's protests against the authorities land her in nothing short of a nightmare. This woman is subjected to a gross miscarriage of justice, forced to parent a stranger, and taken to a psych-ward. If that wasn't disturbing enough, this movie is also based on real-life events.
Nightcrawler (2014)
The second Gyllenhaal entry on the list, this compelling thriller follows an odd-ball and recluse that will literally stop at nothing to gain the fame and recognition he feels he deserves. Much like films such as Black Swan and Whiplash, Nightcrawler is a tale of bloodthirsty ambition, focusing on the protagonist, Louis Bloom, who prowls the night for crime footage to sell to news stations. It's not long before things take a very exploitative and twisted turn. We see Gyllenhaal masterfully lose himself in, probably, the darkest role of his career. The lengths he goes to for fame and recognition become more and more extreme, and we are chilled by the amount of exploitation this industry can have.
Candy (2006)
A relatively small, unknown Australian film, Candy is a love story that invites us into the all-consuming world of drug abuse. Starring Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish, this movie features some incredibly raw and heart-wrenching moments. Candy and Dan are young and in love – but, unfortunately, they love heroin even more. It is distressing enough to watch these two fall into the pits of addiction, but it's even more disheartening to witness their fruitless attempts to crawl out of it. Like Trainspotting, Candy does not glamorize or hold back in the slightest, reminding us that the results of addiction yield horrifically tragic results.
Zodiac (2007)
For the third time on this list, Gyllenhaal stars alongside Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. The case of the Zodiac (until very recently) has baffled authorities and the public for decades, and his seemingly motiveless murders and bizarre ciphers and letters make for bone-chilling stuff. We are taken back to 1970s San Francisco, where we follow three men and their various approaches to catching this killer, and the stakes get very high, very quickly. Thrilling to the very end, much like The Changeling, the excitement and dread of Zodiac come from the fact it's embedded in reality.
Enemy (2013)
The fourth and final Gyllenhaal entry on this list, this one is baffling but a highly absorbing experience. Denis Villeneuve's Enemy takes from traditional elements of Gothic horror. Gyllenhaal does double duty playing two roles and things get messy and sinister the more the two men meddle in each other's lives. Although the true meaning behind the imagery and symbolism of this film can prove highly allusive and open to interpretation, that doesn't stop this movie from leaving a lasting impression. Oh, and as if the strange clone-twin treachery wasn't unsettling enough, if you're arachnophobic this will be a living nightmare for you. This movie has a lot of spiders, some of them unreasonably huge and detailed.
Old Boy (2003)
From the get-go, this one gets under your skin. The viewer is introduced to a very Kafka-esque plot-line, as we see a man imprisoned for years and years, with no explanation as to why. The unusual set design, the dystopian eeriness of the prison, and its slight mimicry of a seedy motel room give an element of the Uncanny Valley. This modern classic of betrayal and revenge becomes more and more gruesome to the point of insanity - featuring, probably, one of the best villains in movie history. Not to mention, Old Boy's final twist is enough to make anyone want to barf in utter horror.