With a show David CronenbergX Crimes of the future at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, it seems like body horror films have made a notable comeback as of late. Avid cinephiles and avid moviegoers are instantly horrified by the genre’s horrific violations of the human body, but are equally fascinated by each film’s unique commentary on the vast possibilities of biological transformation that either make or break the human being.
While most body horror fans are perhaps more familiar with the work of Cronenberg and John Carpenterthere is always more fish in the sea for enthusiasts eager to explore the more visceral manifestations of physical distortion and psychological revulsion.
‘Three … Extremes’ (2004)
Want to touch East Asian horror TV movies? Three … Extremes horror anthology film consisting of three separate segments from three different East Asian countries - Japan, China and South Korea. With such directors Takashi Miike, Fruit Chan, as well as Park Chan WookThese horror shorts are sure to satisfy and please horror lovers with various addictions.
From atmospheric horror to brutal revelations of human nature, each director offers a unique cultural take on the extreme corporal grotesque genre, a genre that once dominated Hollywood and Europe.
‘Reanimator’ (1985)
fans Lovecraft won’t want to miss it. 1985 horror comedy see Geoffrey Combsdirector’s frequent collaborator Stuart Gordon, as the archetype of the “mad scientist” who recently discovered a reagent to resurrect or “revive” dead bodies. But at the same time, the appearance of his groundbreaking discovery causes unnecessary glances from ungrateful colleagues and malicious enemies.
These are films like reanimator which give CGI a bad name. Combined with Combs’s gaze and catchy one-liners, the cult classic makes for a useful array of shocking anatomy transmogrifications mixed with sardonic humor.
“The Brood” (1979)
A harrowing depiction of fatherhood and mental illness that competes David FincherX Disappeared girlCronenberg Brood follows a man trapped in a messy divorce and custody battle with his mentally unstable ex-wife. After the latter attends controversial therapy sessions, a string of brutal murders begins.
Although he is comparatively less known than his other works such as Fly as well as videodrome, Brood manages to frighten the public with vile displays of body mutilation due to female repression and neglect. The horror film also incorporates iconic slasher elements as the dwarf and ogre hybrid creatures prove to be some of the most terrifying creatures to watch out for.
“Altered States” (1980)
Based on the American playwright Paddy Chayefsky1978 novel, Altered States it is a psychedelic journey exploring the human unconscious. AT William HurtIn his film debut, he plays a psychopathologist who, after experimenting with sensory deprivation in a float tank, begins to experience strange hallucinations that seem more tangible than meets the eye.
The sci-fi body horror film contains some of the most mind-blowing visuals that can sometimes come across as distorted and amateurish. However, the imagery compensates favorably for the alternate dimensions of reality that disturb the characters, even leading to the actual biological transfer of their physical bodies.
‘Under the Skin’ (2013)
Shot mostly with hidden cameras and no actors, Under the skin sees Scarlett Johansson playing an otherworldly creature that preys on forgetful men in Scotland. However, the film also dives deep into the notion of a social identity crisis as Johansson’s enigmatic character ponders before leading his targets into a dark abyss (literally).
A visually stunning and deeply disturbing film to behold, Under the skin, It may be hard to understand on first viewing, but it certainly gets more mesmerizing and captivating with every re-watch of the sci-fi movie.
“From Beyond” (1986)
Second collaboration between Gordon and Combs, Because of, is a physical manifestation of the main argument put forward by people who do not approve of virtual and augmented reality.
Based on a short story by Lovecraft, just seven pages long, the horror film tells the story of a group of scientists who have developed a resonator, a machine that stimulates a person’s pituitary gland and allows them to see beyond ordinary perceived reality. . With outlandish creatures and a vicious scientist with a particular fondness for bodily torture and women, Combs is back again with his usual witty remarks and entertaining replay as a mad scientist once again saving the day.
“Tetsuo: Iron Man” (1989)
One of the most underrated Japanese horror gems, Tetsuo: Iron Man, a cyberpunk horror film that gradually gained a cult following due to its particular plot and underground tenor voice.
Surrounding an employee who accidentally hits a strange man with a metal fetish while driving, the poor employee begins to suffer from a strange disease, when his body begins to turn into a mixture of flesh and metal, plunging him into an unprecedented phantasmagoria of murder and terror.
“Prince of Darkness” (1987)
Part two of Carpenter’s Apocalypse trilogy. Prince of Darkness follows a research group of university students led by their quantum physics professor as they investigate a mysterious cylinder of green liquid in an abandoned church. After learning that the liquid can be a tool to destroy the world, the team begins to be haunted by masses of homeless people, while one of the members exposed to the green liquid begins to exhibit strange behavior.
The cult film is often cited as a commentary on the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, when the curse was transmitted through bodily fluids, just like the disease.
‘Society’ (1989)
Under the influence Rosemary’s baby and paintings by the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali, Brian YuznaThe directorial debut stuns everyone who sees it, not only with a terrifying second installment that’s guaranteed to shock anyone, but also with the inclusion of amazing practical effects and character designs that prove there’s no limit to creativity.
Society touches on the subject of religious cult followers, which is sarcastic seeing how this body horror movie has become a cult hit since it didn’t do well at the box office. The film centers on a Beverly Hills teenager who accidentally discovers that his wealthy parents are part of a gruesome orgy cult for the social elite.
“Mad” (1993)
1993 brought back the dynamic duo Keanu Reeves as well as Alex Winternot in Bill and Ted the sequel that viewers have been waiting for almost 30 years Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020), but in an appropriately titled surreal black comedy freaked out.
freaked out witnesses a vain actor and his comrades attend a local freak show called Freakland, only to be captured and mutilated by a mad scientist looking to expand his team of “freaks”.
Source: Collider
