By Liam Gaughan
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Body horror is a very unique subgenre of the larger horror umbrella, as it tends to focus on a more personal type of terror that audiences might be able to relate to, albeit in the most grotesque ways possible. Although many of the best body horror stories contain some degree of science fiction or fantasy, they often relate to very real human feelings about being uncomfortable within one’s own body.
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Body horror is a very personal style of filmmaking, so it’s no surprise that it often inspires great acting, and no small amount of commitment. Although the term “elevated horror” can often be used in a pretentious way, truly excellent body horror films can serve as a form of catharsis for those struggling with their own mental health difficulties. Here are the ten best body horror movies with great acting, ranked.
10 ‘The Substance’ (2024)
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
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The Substance is already guaranteed to be a modern classic, as the astounding body horror thriller examines the psychotic ways in which women are judged by the media, and the manner in which youth is prioritized among all other factors. Demi Moore gives the single best performance of her entire career as an aging actress who takes a synthetic drug that allows her to turn into a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley.
Moore and Qualley do a great job at playing a single character who is at odds with herself, and often falls back on self-criticism as a means of coping with the unreasonable expectations that she is faced with. The Substance also features a memorable performance from Dennis Quaid as a sexist producer, a villain whose blatant disrespect for his clients makes him one of the single most loathsome screen characters in recent years.
710
The Substance
R
Horror
Drama
A fading celebrity, Elisabeth Sparkle, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth. The drug temporarily creates a younger version of herself, named Sue, who quickly ascends to the fame Elisabeth once craved.
- IMDb ID
- tt17526714
- Release Date
- September 20, 2024
- TMDB User Rating
- 0 .0
- Director
- Coralie Fargeat
- Cast
- Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer
- Runtime
- 140 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Coralie Fargeat
- Studio(s)
- Working Title Films , A Good Story
- Character(s)
- Elisabeth Sparkle , Sue , Harvey , Oliver , Diego , Alan , The Stylist , The Doctor , Girl , The Photographer , Troy , Bob Haswell , Mr. Scream
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9 ‘Dead Ringers’ (1988)
Directed by David Cronenberg
Dead Ringers is an incredible feat of acting on the part of Jeremy Irons, who stars as two identical twin brothers, both of whom work as gynecologists for high end clients. Casting one actor to play twins can often feel like a gimmick, but in the case of Dead Ringers, it was essential to showing how two characters can reflect different sides of the same coin.
Irons manages to capture the haughty arrogance of a prestigious medical professional, and the authenticity that he brings to the role only makes the gradual descent into more supernatural territory even more disturbing. David Cronenberg certainly has a unique style of writing that may seem impenetrable to audiences that are not well-versed in the idiosyncratic manner in which he chooses to tell stories; that being said, Irons is so richly compelling in his dual roles that it is hard to look away from Dead Ringers.
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Dead Ringers
R
Drama
Documentary
Horror
Thriller
- Release Date
- September 23, 1988
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Cast
- Jeremy Irons , Geneviève Bujold , Heidi von Palleske , barbara gordon , Shirley Douglas , Stephen Lack
- Runtime
- 116 minutes
- Writers
- Bari Wood , Jack Geasland , David Cronenberg , Norman Snider
- Studio(s)
- Annapurna Television , Morgan Creek Entertainment , Amazon Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Prime Video
Watch on Prime Video
8 ‘Slither’ (2006)
Directed by James Gunn
Slither was a tremendous breakthrough feature for James Gunn, who proves his merits as a horror director long before he went on to helm some of the greatest superhero movies ever made.Slither is essentially a modern day tribute to the classic B-movies of the 1950s, with Nathan Fillion as the small town police chief who is tasked with protecting his community from a strange monstrous group of invaders.
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Fillion does a great job at handling the strangely idiosyncratic tone that Gunn was going for with Slither, as it verges from being genuinely upsetting to having a very dark sense of humor. Michael Rooker, a regular collaborator of Gunn’s that has appeared in many of his best films, is also quite memorable as a seemingly average man whose body is taken over, turning him into one of Slither’s most terrifying antagonists.
Slither
R
Comedy
Horror
Sci-Fi
A small town is taken over by an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters.
- Release Date
- March 31, 2006
- Director
- James Gunn
- Cast
- Don Thompson , Nathan Fillion , Gregg Henry , Xantha Radley , Elizabeth Banks , Tania Saulnier
- Runtime
- 96
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Writers
- James Gunn
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
- Tagline
- Horror Has A New Face
- Website
- http://www.slithermovie.net/
Watch on Tubi
7 ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ (2016)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a very strange horror movie, as while a majority of the film is quite psychological, it turns into a shocking work of body horror by the time that it reaches its devastating conclusion.Colin Farrell is well cast as a highly professional, if somewhat haughty surgeon who is forced to deal with the sins of his past when he is confronted by a young boy (Barry Keoghan) whose parents died on his operating table.
Farrell is able to capture the profound trauma of being a paternal figure in crisis, as despite all the flaws he has, there is no denying the genuine compassion that he has for his children. Keoghan would go on to play other creepy characters in The Banshees of Inisherin, The Batman, and The Green Knight among others, but The Killing of a Sacred Deer remains the single most unsettling performance that he has given thus far in his career.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
R
Drama
Horror
Mystery
Steven, a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister.
- Release Date
- November 3, 2017
- Director
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Cast
- Colin Farrell , Nicole Kidman , Barry Keoghan , Sunny Suljic , Denise Dal Vera
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Writers
- Yorgos Lanthimos , Efthymis Filippou
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6 ‘Titane’ (2021)
Directed by Julia Ducournau
Titane is a film that may seem indescribable to most mainstream audiences, as the notion of a graphic sexual thriller focused on automobiles sounds more than a little strange. Nonetheless, Titane won the prestigious Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, and has already emerged as one of the most popular cult classics in recent years.
Titane ’s success rests on the incredible performance by Agathe Rousselle, who commits to the highly demanding physicality of the role. There are moments in which the strange story turns so shocking that it would be easy to dismiss Titane as nothing but exhibitionist nonsense, but Rouseselle provides the film with an earnest sense of bravery that justifies how utterly graphic it gets by the time that it wraps up. It’s hard to think of a riskier performance that has aged so well.
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Titane
R
Horror
Drama
Sci-Fi
- Release Date
- October 1, 2021
- Director
- Julia Ducournau
- Cast
- Vincent Lindon , Agathe Rousselle , Garance Marillier , Laïs Salameh , Dominique Frot , Myriem Akeddiou
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Julia Ducournau
5 ‘Eraserhead’ (1977)
Directed by David Lynch
Eraserhead was the debut film of David Lynch that saw his first collaboration with Jack Nance, who would go on to work with him in Twin Peaks, Dune, and several other projects. Nance stars as the hapless man Henry, who is forced to care for his mutant child after his wife leaves him unexpectedly.
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Eraserhead explores the anxieties that come with being a parent, and Nance perfectly captures the terror that a single man feels trying to raise a child without the presence of femininity in his household. Although there are a few moments in Eraserhead that Lynch ended up cutting out because they would be too disturbing, Nance nailed the pathetic, comically incompetent nature of Henry that gives the film its dark sense of humor. It is unlikely that Eraserhead would have become such a beloved cult classic without his performance.
Eraserhead
r
Horror
Thriller
Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.
- Release Date
- March 19, 1977
- Director
- David Lynch
- Cast
- Jack Nance
- Runtime
- 89minutes
- Writers
- David Lynch
4 ‘Videodrome’ (1983)
Directed by David Cronenberg
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Videodrome is among the most urgent and terrifying films that Cronenberg has ever made, as it contains a message about the terror of media sensationalism and the cult of politically motivated violence that has sadly become more relevant than ever before. Videodrome stars James Woods in the role of Max Renn, a Canadian broadcaster who becomes obsessed with a steam that runs simulations of torture and violence; it’s only after further investigation that Renn discovers that there is nothing fake about the program.
Videodrome works because of the complex nature of Woods’ performance; despite the fact that Renn is a very unlikeable character at first, it is challenging to not relate to him by the time that he has no control over his body anymore. The way in which Woods captures toxic masculinity is among the most astute aspects of Videodrome.
Videodrome
R
Horror
Mystery
Sci-Fi
- Release Date
- February 4, 1983
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Cast
- James Woods , Sonja Smits , Deborah Harry , Peter Dvorsky , Leslie Carlson , Jack Creley
- Runtime
- 87
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- David Cronenberg
- Tagline
- First it controls your mind. Then it destroys your body.
Rent on Amazon
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3 ‘The Fly’ (1986)
Directed by David Cronenberg
The Fly is one of the single greatest remakes of all-time, as Cronenberg was able to take what was a fairly cheesy science fiction B-movie from the 1950s, and transform it into a horrific tragedy about the consequences of genius. Jeff Goldblum is an actor best known for his idiosyncrasies and winning sense of humor, but he gives a terrific performance as the scientist Seth Brundle, who slowly transforms into a monster after a mistake in an experiment.
The Fly works as a tragedy because of how charismatic Goldblum is in the earlier scenes in the film, making it all the more tragic when he gradually begins to lose all sense of humanity. Although the Academy Awards have been notoriously biased against nominating performances in horror films, it is still very upsetting that Goldblum’s career best performance did not earn him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
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The Fly
R
Horror
Sci-Fi
Drama
In a daring exploration of science's potential to alter human life, a brilliant but eccentric scientist develops a technology for teleportation. When he decides to test the device on himself, a tragic error involving a common housefly leads to horrifying consequences. The film chillingly portrays his transformation and the impact it has on his relationship and psyche.
- Release Date
- August 15, 1986
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Cast
- Jeff Goldblum , Geena Davis , John Getz , Joy Boushel , Leslie Carlson , George Chuvalo
- Runtime
- 96 minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- George Langelaan , Charles Edward Pogue , David Cronenberg
- Budget
- $15 million
- Studio(s)
- 20th Century
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Sequel(s)
- The Fly II
- Franchise(s)
- The Fly
2 ‘The Thing’ (1982)
Directed by John Carpenter
The Thing is simply an all-time great masterpiece that is often cited as the single greatest accomplishment of John Carpenter’s career, but it is often not given enough credit for how excellent the performances are. The claustrophobia sense of dread that occurs once the researchers become aware that they are trapped with an extraterrestrial creature only hits as hard as it does because Carpenter wrangled together a group of actors that the audience could feel sympathy for.
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Kurt Russell has become a regular collaborator of Carpenter’s for a reason, as he is able to bring a sense of urgency, and never treats the material with anything less than complete and utter respect, despite the fact that is technically classified as “genre fare.” The terrific side performances from Wilford Brimley and Keith David ensure that The Thing is secretly one of the most well-acted horror films of all-time, and certainly one of the best of the 1980s.
The Thing (1982)
R
Horror
Mystery
Sci-Fi
Thriller
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter's 1982 film is a remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
- Release Date
- June 25, 1982
- Director
- John Carpenter
- Cast
- Kurt Russell , wilford brimley , T.K. Carter , David Clennon , Keith David , Richard Dysart
- Runtime
- 109 mins
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- John W. Campbell Jr. , Bill Lancaster
- Studio
- Universal
- Tagline
- Man is The Warmest Place to Hide.
Watch on Prime Video
1 ‘Under the Skin’ (2014)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
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Under the Skin is one of the most ambitious films of the 21st century, but none of the incredible foresight that Jonathan Glazer had with his unusual science fiction body thriller would have succeeded if it was not for the all-time great performance by Scarlett Johnasson in a role that redefined her career. Johansson stars as an enigmatic alien seductress who travels to Earth in order to lure men to their death in order to learn more about the human race.
Johansson captures a blank-faced stoicism that shows how an alien might react to human nature, yet is able to earn more identifiable traits as the film becomes more developed in its commentary. While Under the Skin is a work of genre fiction that is destined to be analyzed by sci-fi buffs, Johansson’s performance reflects how the story can also stand in for a metaphor for both the immigrant experience and the pressures of sexism.
Under the Skin
R
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Drama
Horror
Disguising itself as a human female, an extraterrestrial drives around Scotland attempting to lure unsuspecting men into her van. Once there, she seduces and sends them into another dimension where they are nothing more than meat.
- Release Date
- April 4, 2014
- Director
- Jonathan Glazer
- Cast
- Dougie McConnell , Lynsey Taylor Mackay , Jeremy McWilliams , Scarlett Johansson , Kevin McAlinden
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Writers
- Jonathan Glazer , Walter Campbell
- Tagline
- Website
- Budget
- $13.3 million
- Studio(s)
- A24
- Distributor(s)
- A24
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Rent on Amazon
KEEP READING: The 10 Best Paul Thomas Anderson Movies With Great Acting, Ranked
- Movie
- The Substance
- Under the Skin
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