Psychological Horror
American Psycho (2000)
"The ongoing argument about this one is did he or didn't he? The "he" in question is Patrick Bateman and his violent crimes.
From my point of view, yes, he did.
If you've read Ellis (Author of the book on which the film is based) you know he's a satirist, and a completely absurd one, great no doubt, but absurd. The film mirrors this with dropping chainsaws, exploding police cars etc.
Were they killed in those particular gruesome manners? No.
From the beginning we're told that Bateman is losing his grip on what little sanity and control he has left. Those exaggerations of actual events, are manifestations of this.
Why is Paul Allen's place clean?
Why is the woman so stern in dismissing Patrick? She's aware, doesn't care, and knows the incident will be bad for business...then why?
Then there's the conversation with the lawyer towards the end. He claims he met with Allen in London. Really now? Well wasn't Allen meeting with Halberstram, while Halberstram was meeting with Bateman, while Bateman was actually meeting with Allen?
By the way, who the hell is Davis?
That's what's being satirized, the superficial, greedy, impersonal, yuppie American, lifestyle of the 80s. The script being a bit too ambiguous can blur that point. In my opinion, this is the only glaring weakness of the film. Other than that, you've got good direction. Although flawed, a very funny, smart, dark script. And solid acting, which includes Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. One of the best performances in horror or film period. Really good movie all around, definitely one of the best modern horrors that all genre fans should see." -
AUSTIN316426808
"Here is a movie that is just amazing. The sheer brilliance of Christian Bale is what sticks out. He has become such a great actor it is awesome to look back and know he had added his touch into the horror genre. In this film he plays a crazy New York investment banker who just begins to kill people for seemingly no reason. That is not all though because if you watch closely and read in-between the lines you can probably tell it might be all in his mind. That's what makes this film so awesome because it plays with your head and emotions. It is definitely a must-see." -
Gorephobia
Psycho (1960)
"Alfred Hitchcock's darkest and scariest movie works on so many levels because it so sucessfully blends so many genres so intricately. In fact, the film could technically be uniquely categorized as a romantic-noir-slasher-con-drama-twist-detective flick. Mostly, though, what makes it so damn effective is its characters; after all, in order for a horror film to work, it needs believable characters. Hitchcock lets us get to know his beings so well that by the end of the film it feels like we've been through a hurricane.
Psycho was the birth of the slasher film, and is certainly one of the most shocking, but it is something much finer than that. It is what links the horror genre to class, and what stepped the industry's bar up so high. It is truly a legend and a revolution in film-making." -
Alkytrio666
"If you were alive in 1960 you could not help but notice the distinct aroma of halibut permeating the air.
Psycho would be the culprit....keeping many women out of the showers. Hitchcock was an artist and this was his Van Gogh. Tony Perkins captured perfectly the ultimate "momma's boy." Many sequels followed but none captured the suspense of this one, from the opening scene to the shocking final one..."I wouldn't hurt a fly"." -
Newb
Se7en (1995)
"Probably Fincher's most gripping narrative to date, and certainly his most devastating look at that primitive, evil side of human nature. The whole ensemble gives tragically human performances. Pitt brings a boyish excitement to the case, eager to go snooping around for clues with no idea of the moral consequence of such involvement; Paltrow is sadly sweet and quiet, almost angelic in this neo-noir-ish world of rain and shadows; and long before the Coens' Oscar-winner's discouraging word, Freeman proved that the evolving world is no place for old men- this new kind of crime is something almost incomprehensible, even to us. The film is profoundly intense. It keeps things from us, but not cheaply; the clues are all there, everything is in place from the get-go. So what makes the film an important part of horror history? The detective film is not often dipped in the horror genre, and when it is it must be done with precision and care. Fincher is not a nihilist, but he certainly has no problem watching his characters suffer. Still, the story is told in crime-scene style, often sparing its audience from the visual violence of the crimes. This is mature story-telling, but it's also a much creepier way of playing with us; the proof is the way our skin crawls throughout the film, and the way our spine tingles during its finale." -
Alkytrio666
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
"Unprecedented [for a horror movie] five Academy awards including Best Picture, this is Anthony Hopkins at his best. Very tense game of cat & mouse with an edge of your seat finale. Actually if you take away the skinnings and beheadings, this is a very touching love story between a troubled young lady and an older man.So grab the one you love...open a nice bottle of chianti with some fava beans and enjoy.
"Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?" " -
Newb
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
"In what are perhaps the two most ferocious female performances in horror history, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford delved into a new kind of psychological terror which would be imitated infinitely (including a second turn by the original duo themselves!).
What is most unsettling about the film is its slow-burn - the way it lets us grow very intimate with every aspect of the two womens' lives, and never pre-maturely unleashes its climax. Only when we feel most uncomfortable and vulnerable does the film attack us, and the effect is terrifying." -
Alkytrio666
Honorable Mentions:
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Maniac (1980)