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Suspense/Horror movie recommendations!

GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
edited September 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
So a couple of weeks ago I watched The Shining for the first time, and just about fell in love with the flick. I loved it so much i've wanted to see a lot more movies similar to it! I like psychological thrillers more than the straight-up gore-fests that seem to oversaturate the genre. Movies like Saw or Hostel can kindly fuck right off; those are just gross, not scary.

I just have two problems though:

1) There's nowhere to rent these things! Ever since places like Blockbuster went out of business, the only way to get a DVD is through Redbox (which only carries recent stuff) or Netflix. I could get a Netflix subscription, but we don't have a way to hook it up to our TV (no game systems/etc) and i'd rather watch the movie on my TV screen than my laptop.

2) Some of these movies are hard to find! Quite a few stores i've looked over didn't have such classics like Psycho or Rosemary's Baby; either that or they're bundled/prepacked with unwanted merchandise or sequels that jacks up the price substantially. No thanks, i'd rather not drop twenty just to watch something once!

I could go the route of Quickster, but it takes a few days for that to come in the mail, and i'd rather go out and grab something today.


Aside from those problems, what are some recommendations anyone could make? Cheap hollywood "pop-out" scares tend to annoy me more than terrify, as well as the buckets-of-blood slasher flicks.

Godfather on
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Posts

  • Butler For Life #1Butler For Life #1 Twinning is WinningRegistered User regular
    If you're interested in internet horror, I'd recommend Marble Hornets.

    Very well done, and it has some good suspense.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmhfn3mgWUI

  • EWomEWom Registered User regular
    I'm a huge horror fan, and couldn't get into Marble Hornets at all.

    Anyway
    The Exorcist
    The Omen
    Alien
    Poltergeist
    Paranormal Activity
    Jaws
    The Haunting In Connecticut
    An American Haunting
    The Others
    Silence of the Lambs
    It
    Pet Cemetery
    Seven


    While gore-porn like Saw and Hostel might gross you out, have you considered earlier over the top/campy slashers/horror such as
    Friday the 13th (originals)
    Nightmare on Elm Street (originals)
    Pumpkin Head
    Hellraiser
    Trick 'r' Treat
    Halloween (originals)
    Scream


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  • RialeRiale I'm a little slow Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    I would recommend The Thing, which is great classic horror, however it has quite a bit of gore. Still, there are plenty of psychological thrills to be had. It's an entertaining movie all around, and now is a great time to watch it with the prequel hitting theaters soon.

    Let The Right One In is a great recent vampire film that is suspenseful and entertaining without beating you over the head with horror movie cliches. Definitely try it if you can enjoy a movie with subtitles. I wouldn't recommend the American remake, Let Me In, based on your criteria because it has considerably more gore.

    The Machinist is less horror and more psychological thriller. The film does an excellent job building tension and is one of those movies that improves with repeated viewings (much like The Shining) in that there are lot of small details here and there to catch.

    American Psycho is a little gory in places, and more than a little strange in some sections (I often don't know whether to laugh or be horrified) but it's thoroughly enjoyable.

    Also, just about every movie mentioned by EWom are very awesome and worth your time. Definitely make room for Alien, Silence of the Lambs and Seven.

    Riale on
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  • NobodyNobody Registered User regular
    Do you have cable? I've been hitting some older horror movies through On-demand (a lot of them through Fearnet).

    Other than that, Ewom and Riale have hit my personal suggestions. The only thing I would add is 1408.

  • AtaxrxesAtaxrxes Hellnation Cursed EarthRegistered User regular
    Funny Games (original, not the remake which was actually done by the same director for some reason) is a great exercise in psychological mind-fuckery. I thought about this one for about two weeks after I saw it. Highly recommended to everybody who is looking for these types of films.

    High Tension is exactly that, but there is some gore involved if I remember correctly. These are both foreign films BTW.

  • DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    I thought Moon (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009075-moon/) was pretty good. That's suspense, right?

  • jefe414jefe414 "My Other Drill Hole is a Teleporter" Mechagodzilla is Best GodzillaRegistered User regular
    Opera, Susperia, well, any Dario Argento movie will do.

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  • NeurotikaNeurotika Registered User regular
    You mentioned no game systems, but you might be able to hook up your laptop to a HD TV with an HDMI cable (assuming, of course that your lappy has an HDMI out, anyway).

    Wife and I did that for Hulu.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    Djeet wrote:
    I thought Moon (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009075-moon/) was pretty good. That's suspense, right?

    Moon is amazing. The soundtrack is worth picking up too.

    I'll toss in "Into The Mouth Of Madness" and "The Mist".

  • adytumadytum The Inevitable Rise And FallRegistered User regular
    The Descent

  • ThesmileyemoThesmileyemo Registered User regular
    Antichrist is really good.

  • Peter PrinciplePeter Principle Registered User regular
    Session 9 is a great sleeper movie, very much with the same sort of feel as The Shining. I'd also recommend The Haunting (1963 version, not the '99 version which was lackluster). I do believe that when King wrote The Shining (the novel) he was partly inspired by Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. Of course, the The Haunting is the movie version of the Jackson novel, and Kubrick's The Shining is based off the King novel.

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  • DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    I'd argue there is a significant distinction between horror and suspense, so are you looking for both or what?

    Shutter Island is the latter, for example.

  • DeadfallDeadfall I don't think you realize just how rich he is. In fact, I should put on a monocle.Registered User regular
    Seconding The Thing. So good. And I'm not even a horror fan.

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  • finralfinral Registered User regular
    If you are ok with foreign movies, Oldboy is fantastically suspenseful. Shutter is another good option, although that is more of a ghost story.

  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    Deusfaux wrote:
    I'd argue there is a significant distinction between horror and suspense, so are you looking for both or what?

    Shutter Island is the latter, for example.

    I guess more Horror then. Whenever I think of the term "horror" I think of buckets of blood, grotesque scenes and heavy on the supernatural elements.

    I'm more of a low-key horror guy; stuff like Paranormal Activity appeals to me much more than Nightmare on Elm Street.

  • EliminationElimination Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    My favourites of all time would be these:

    28 Days Later
    Alien/Aliens
    The Thing
    The original Hellraiser film (Most of the sequels are garbage.)
    Tetsuo The Bulletman
    Tetsuo The Ironman
    Pitch Black
    The Midnight Meat Train
    Trick or Treat
    Cargo
    The Evil Dead series (campy and funny.)
    Dead Snow (Also Campy)


    In the suspense/horror category:
    Sunshine (this one especially)
    The Mothman Prophecies
    Signs
    Fire in The Sky
    Oldboy

    Elimination on
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  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    finral wrote:
    If you are ok with foreign movies, Oldboy is fantastically suspenseful. Shutter is another good option, although that is more of a ghost story.

    Oldboy, then Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, and finally Sympathy For Lady Vengeance. Trilogy.

  • molefacemoleface Registered User regular
    I strongly recommend Das Experiment for some great tension and suspense. It's a german movie based on that prisoner experiment that happened I think in South Africa in the 80s? I think there is an american remake out there but stick with the german version. It's tense stuff

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  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator mod
    Something I certainly felt was a horror movie in disguise: The Prestige.

    Also, the Silent Hill movie.

  • NappuccinoNappuccino Surveyor of Things and Stuff Registered User regular
    Sunshine is amazingly tense before anything even happens. Kinda like Alien in that regard.

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  • Stewart HowellStewart Howell Registered User new member
    The Machinist is great. Anything with Anthony Hopkins playing a psycho will never go awry, even some of his older stuff like a movie called "Magic" about him going crazy thinking his vintriloquist dummy is telling him to kill.
    Also, One Hour Photo was a crazy awesome thriller.

  • theSquidtheSquid Sydney, AustraliaRegistered User regular
    For your B-movie options:
    - Zombi 2
    - Suspiria
    - The Beyond
    - From Beyond
    - Re-animator

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    Oh, Spoorloos. It's Dutch I think, and it was remade as "The Vanishing" (which is terrible).

  • AdusAdus Registered User regular
    I saw a movie on Netflix Instant a while back called Lake Mungo which I thought was extremely effective. However it's not exactly a horror movie, but the tone is very sullen and it's altogether very eerie. It's basically a fictional documentary about how a family deals with a daughter's tragic death, and the strange things they learn about her following it.

    As someone who prefers atmospheric horror as opposed to slasher or torture horror, it really worked for me.

    Pulse, the Japanese version, is also very eerie. Again it's not so much scary as eerie. I think its ultimate goal is to make a statement about the isolating nature of technology. The atmosphere gives off a good feeling of helplessness. I believe it also is on Netflix instant. Unless it was pulled, which I suppose is always a possibility.

  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    adytum wrote:
    The Descent

    Seconding this. It's my favourite horror film. It does have some gore but the main theme of the film is the claustrophobic feeling caused by the underground setting of the film.

    I'd also recommend REC and its sequel. Once again, some gore but nothing like Saw or Hostel.

  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    adytum wrote:
    The Descent

    Seconding this. It's my favourite horror film. It does have some gore but the main theme of the film is the claustrophobic feeling caused by the underground setting of the film. Seeing it in the theatre was one of my favourite movie experiences ever.

    I'd also recommend REC and its sequel. Once again, some gore but nothing like Saw or Hostel.

  • Drake ChambersDrake Chambers Lay out my formal shorts. Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Adus wrote:
    I saw a movie on Netflix Instant a while back called Lake Mungo which I thought was extremely effective. However it's not exactly a horror movie, but the tone is very sullen and it's altogether very eerie. It's basically a fictional documentary about how a family deals with a daughter's tragic death, and the strange things they learn about her following it.

    As someone who prefers atmospheric horror as opposed to slasher or torture horror, it really worked for me.

    Pulse, the Japanese version, is also very eerie. Again it's not so much scary as eerie. I think its ultimate goal is to make a statement about the isolating nature of technology. The atmosphere gives off a good feeling of helplessness. I believe it also is on Netflix instant. Unless it was pulled, which I suppose is always a possibility.

    Seconding Lake Mungo. It's a great entry in the fictional documentary genre and has a number of very creepy moments.

    It was recommended to me by Netflix. I know the OP doesn't have it but for anyone else who may happen into this thread, we've found some real gems via Netflix recommendation that we never would have known about otherwise. Make sure and always rate the films you watch and their recommendations will be more likely to be on-target.

    One of those was The Burrowers, which is an unusual joining of an old Western and monster-horror.

    Drake Chambers on
  • Drake ChambersDrake Chambers Lay out my formal shorts. Registered User regular
    adytum wrote:
    The Descent

    Seconding this. It's my favourite horror film. It does have some gore but the main theme of the film is the claustrophobic feeling caused by the underground setting of the film. Seeing it in the theatre was one of my favourite movie experiences ever.

    I'd also recommend REC and its sequel. Once again, some gore but nothing like Saw or Hostel.

    Maybe folks here will disagree but I'm not sure Descent is for you if you're not into gory violence. I agree that the claustrophobic feeling of the film is intense and very well done, but the violence is exceptionally graphic in this one.

  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Okay, well so far these are the movies i've seen:

    Paranormal Activity - Very creepy and unsettling. I was generally surprised because the hype for this thing was off the charts a few years back, but I feel that it's well deserved here. Had trouble sleeping for the next few nights.

    The Last Exorcism - Got kind of a "meh" reaction from me. Granted, I had the ending spoiled a bit for me before I saw it, so that could be a substantial factor. It was okay, but didn't deliver on its Blair Witch-style promise. There are a few good tense parts though.

    The Ring - I was looking forward to this one, but it didn't really do much for me in the sense of horror and dread. If anything it felt like a better mystery movie than anything. Consider me disappointed!

    The Grudge - This movie is nightmare fuel, Jesus Christ.


    I actually know a lot about The Descent, and I don't think it's for me to be honest. The gore is too much in a lot of scenes.


    Anyone know about a movie called Yellow Brick Road? I am very curious about it!

    Godfather on
  • EWomEWom Registered User regular
    There is a sequel to Paranormal Activity, if you liked the first, you'll probably like the second. It's enjoyable, I'll leave it at that.

    I agree with you on the ring, but I also felt that way about the grudge.

    Whether they find a life there or not, I think Jupiter should be called an enemy planet.
  • Magus`Magus` The fun has been DOUBLED! Registered User regular
    There's actually a second PA sequel coming out now.

    Also, how many of these horror movies on Netflix streaming? I love me some horror.

  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    Magus` wrote:
    Also, how many of these horror movies on Netflix streaming? I love me some horror.

    That would be great to know. Finding all of these movies can be a colossal pain in the ass.

  • Drake ChambersDrake Chambers Lay out my formal shorts. Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Godfather wrote:
    Okay, well so far these are the movies i've seen:

    Paranormal Activity - Very creepy and unsettling. I was generally surprised because the hype for this thing was off the charts a few years back, but I feel that it's well deserved here. Had trouble sleeping for the next few nights.

    The Last Exorcism - Got kind of a "meh" reaction from me. Granted, I had the ending spoiled a bit for me before I saw it, so that could be a substantial factor. It was okay, but didn't deliver on its Blair Witch-style promise. There are a few good tense parts though.

    The Ring - I was looking forward to this one, but it didn't really do much for me in the sense of horror and dread. If anything it felt like a better mystery movie than anything. Consider me disappointed!

    The Grudge - This movie is nightmare fuel, Jesus Christ.


    I actually know a lot about The Descent, and I don't think it's for me to be honest. The gore is too much in a lot of scenes.


    Anyone know about a movie called Yellow Brick Road? I am very curious about it!

    Funny, I actually had the opposite feelings in comparing The Ring and The Grudge -- the first I think is the scariest movie I've seen in my life, and my wife feels the same way. We got freaked out enough that we joked about getting other people to watch the film because... she would be mad if we didn't. D:

    The Grudge was just sort of meh for us though overall. Certainly a few scary bits here and there but the overall story I think is weaker.

    Funny story about The Ring which I may have told here before, spoiler if you haven't seen it:
    We saw the film in the theater on the opening weekend. There's a point late in the movie where it seems like the horror is resolved and it's coming to a typical happy ghost-story ending where the angry spirit has been put to rest. Samara's body is being recovered by the police and Rachel and Noah are having their huggy moment. A group of people in the front of the theater filed out, thinking that was the end. They took a very different ending home with them that day. I wondered what kind of conversations they'd have with friends who'd seen the whole thing, thinking it had a nice, happy-family ending. :lol:

    Drake Chambers on
  • Drake ChambersDrake Chambers Lay out my formal shorts. Registered User regular
    If you're interested in internet horror, I'd recommend Marble Hornets.

    Very well done, and it has some good suspense.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmhfn3mgWUI

    Okay, I just watched the first four or five of these and it's creeping me the hell out. Isn't helping that I'm alone in a large office late at night.

    Thanks for posting, I had no idea this existed.

  • EWomEWom Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    Magus` wrote:
    There's actually a second PA sequel coming out now.

    Also, how many of these horror movies on Netflix streaming? I love me some horror.

    Netflix' horror selection seems to be primarily made of low budget horror clones. Like instead of Paranormal Activity they have Paranormal Entity (just noticed, they now have PA on streaming), instead of Friday the 13th, they have Sleepaway Camp, instead of Jaws, they have Shark Attack etc. The most maddening thing I think is they love to have sequels but not originals. So they have Cabin Fever II, but not Cavin Fever, tons of Hellraiser sequels, but not Hellraiser.

    They do have the Exorcist, Poltergeist, A Haunting in Connecticut on streaming.

    You may also want to check out Fallen, it's on streaming also. Pretty good flick, not really horror, more suspense/mystery, but good.

    Edit(on second thought, I think I'll watch Fallen right now, it's been a few years)

    EWom on
    Whether they find a life there or not, I think Jupiter should be called an enemy planet.
  • BagginsesBagginses __BANNED USERS regular
    Does your town have a library? We could actually check if our suggestions are there if you give us a link.

  • Salvation122Salvation122 Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    Seven is quite possibly the greatest horror movie ever made. There's not a lot of (on screen) violence and gore, but what is there is pretty graphic, so it may not be for you; on the other hand, it's something of a police procedural, so it's more along the lines of finding exceedingly fucked up crime scenes, rather than showing the act itself.

    The Strangers is also incredibly, incredibly good, and there's no gore at all that I remember. I straight-up slept with the lights on after that one, and screamed like a four-year-old girl when my cat jumped into the bed.

    Trailers in the spoiler:

    Salvation122 on
  • Salvation122Salvation122 Registered User regular
    Honorable Mentions that no one else has brought up:

    1408 (Ghost story, mostly, also based on one of King's stories; stars Jon Cusak and Samuel L. Jackson
    The Mist (Cthulhu-esque, stars Thomas Jane)
    Darkness (Cthulhu-esque, stars Anna Paquin. The very end is pretty shit, though.)

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited October 2011
    Honorable Mentions that no one else has brought up:

    1408 (Ghost story, mostly, also based on one of King's stories; stars Jon Cusak and Samuel L. Jackson
    The Mist (Cthulhu-esque, stars Thomas Jane)
    Darkness (Cthulhu-esque, stars Anna Paquin. The very end is pretty shit, though.)

    I mentioned The Mist. Going to check out The Darkness though now.

    Esh on
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