10 Body Horror Films to Watch After ‘The Substance’
Over the last few years, the horror genre’s fascination with the body has become even more prevalent. Gone are the days of exorcisms and haunted houses that were prominent in the 2010s, and instead the genre has begun to explore mutation and transformation in the most severe ways. Although body horror has always been a way for filmmakers to showcase the most vicious kills, it’s now being used as a means to explore bodily autonomy, desire, and fear.
The grotesque is all the rage now, especially this year with films like Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance becoming box office hits and critical darlings. From remakes to book adaptations, the horror genre is changing as fast as its viewers’ needs are, and what audiences crave right now is undeniably some gross yet fascinating displays of the tests which our bodies can withstand. If you’re craving more after seeing The Substance, here are 10 of the best body horror films of all time.
Titane
Infamous for one of its opening sequences where the protagonist has sex with a car, Julia Ducanaru’s sophomore feature surpassed her first feature with its showcasing of body horror. The film focuses on Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), who as a child gets her skull reinforced with a plate of titanium. As she ages, her fascination with violence leads her to become a serial killer, before she goes on the run and disguises herself as Alexei, a boy who went missing 10 years prior. While the body horror in this one is as extreme as the next, Duconaru also applies a steadfast earnestness to the film. The bond between Alexia and her newfound father figure Vincent (Vincent Lindon) is sometimes so heart wrenching to watch, it makes you forget that this is a film that explores bodily autonomy in such a severe way.
Re-Animator
Despite being hailed as the king of cosmic horror, HP Lovecraft’s work also examined how the body can change, willingly or unwillingly. Inspired by Lovecraft’s short story “Herbert West–Reanimator,” Re-Animator follows a man whose hobby of attempting to bring the dead to life becomes an obsession that quickly becomes unhealthy, and deadly. Unlike many of the films on this list, the film toes the line between comedy and horror, making it one of the most unique in this subgenre. Decades later the film still feels fresh, using Lovecraft’s original work to examine how dedication and obsession go hand in hand while also allowing its audience some well-needed comedic breaks from the horrifying misdeeds of the film’s main character.
Crimes of the Future
Known as the king of body horror, David Cronenberg’s filmography is filled to the brim with films that explore how the body and pain intersect. 2022’s Crimes of the Future, follows a group of people who remove and regrow their organs as a part of new-wave performance art. Cronenberg directly confronts his previous films and examines what the genre he had a hand in creating means anymore. While doing so, he also examines how obsessed our modern society is with body modification, and where this will lead our species in the future.
Suspiria (2018)
While the original Dario Argento’s film from 1977 and Luca Guadgnino’s remake both focus on a young American dancer who trains at a ballet school run by witches, Guadagnino’s version unabashedly ups the ante. The film utilizes dance in a way that its predecessor didn’t, and instead uses this mode of movement to showcase how horrifically our bodies can be manipulated. From the crack of a bone to wheezes escaping a restricted throat, Suspria’s body horror is also found within its sound design. It’s a film directly concerned not only with witchcraft, but how the body is intrinsically linked with its characters’ hidden desires and fears.
Society
Like Re-Animator, this 80’s film is another light hearted take on a subgenre that at the time, was still quite new. The film follows Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) the heir to a wealthy family who begins to think his loved ones and their friends aren’t who they appear to be. What begins as a bit of a conspiracy thriller quickly turns on its head when it’s revealed that his family are actually aliens, ones who meld their bodies together to absorb the energy of those around them. Despite its silly premise, Society features images of bodies molding together, and various body parts ending up where they should not be, to display some of the most jarring instances of body horror in the history of the genre.
Under the Skin
The sci-fi horror film follows an unnamed alien who takes on a human form to lure lonely men into her home. When we finally see what happens to them, they are caked in a strange black liquid, and submerged beneath the surface, becoming one with the substance and our protagonist as well. Jonathan Glazer keeps us at a distance from our protagonist, never allowing us answers into how she came to earth, or why she’s doing this. While not as gruesome as the rest of the films on this list, Under the Skin’s dream-like sequences featuring the alien’s victims and its final moments where her true form is revealed are enough to warrant it a spot on this list.
Prince of Darkness
While not as revered as John Captenters directorial work on Halloween, Prince of Darkness remains one of the best works in his filmography. The film follows a group of quantum physics students who are meant to examine an unknown liquid at a monastery. However, things quickly go south as it is revealed that this liquid actually happens to be the physical embodiment of Satan. It is able to possess the students through its physical contact with them, turning this educational trip into a warzone where the students must fight for their bodies, and their lives.
Final Destination 3
While the Final Destination films are known for traumatizing a generation, they aren’t nearly talked about enough for ushering the body horror genre into new territory. Unlike most of the films on this list, this franchise isn’t trying to say anything deep about body modification or manipulation; it’s simply trying to gross its audience out in the best way possible. Final Destination 3 in particular was a turning point for the series, with its kills being more gruesome than the first two installments attempted to be. From burning to death in tanning beds to being killed by a rogue nail gun, this installment felt particularly mean spirited. Because of this, the film will go down in history as the best in the franchise.
Possessor
Brandon Cronenberg’s fascination with the human body has made for a filmography that is even more experimental than his fathers. His sophomore feature Possessor follows an assassin who carries out killings by taking over other people’s bodies and soon finds a host whose mind resists the technology she’s used for years. The film’s most explicit scenes are basked in a glowing orange and red hue, cloaking body parts and fluids in a neon light that you can’t tear your eyes away from. At the center of this struggle are two standout performances by Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbot, who expertly play into Cronenberg’s ideas of bodily autonomy and feeling like an outsider in your own skin.
Annihilation
Alex Garland’s Annihilation follows a team of women scientists who venture into a mysterious and fantastical quarantine zone—called the Shimmer—where no other team has returned from. As the Shimmer begins to mutate their minds, their bodies also break down in time, with their blood becoming mixed with shimmering rainbow hue. While deemed a science fiction film, as they go further and further into this untamed wilderness, the team begins to get picked off one-by-one in horrific scenes of violence that envy even the most severe body horror films of the decade. The film takes an approach that makes us question if violence and terror can still create something beautiful. If the captivating showdown between the film’s protagonist and her alien-like doppelgänger are anything to go by, the answer is yes.
Categorized:Editorials
