The 10 Most Disturbing A24 Thrillers And Where To Stream Them
A24 is known for giving horror fans the weirdest, darkest, and most twisted titles they can find. So, it is unsurprising that many of us find most of their films quite disturbing. Many production companies have given us nightmare fuel, but how many of them have practically made getting under our skin their mission? This is why we thought it might be a good time to figure out which films are the 10 most disturbing A24 titles. Check out our list below and let us know if your favorite made the final cut.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2017)
Where You Can Watch: Max
A troubled young woman makes her way to an isolated prep school where two students are fighting an unseen evil. The Blackcoat’s Daughter is three bad vibes in a trenchcoat. The supernatural psychological horror stars Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, Lauren Holly, and James Remar. This Oz Perkins film has found quite the fanbase over the years and is arguably his most popular movie—at least until the highly anticipated Longlegs hits theaters this summer.
Climax (2019)
Where You Can Watch: VOD
A dance troupe is lured to an empty school and unknowingly drinks LSD-spiked sangria. We love dance horror, but not like this. Between the hallucinations and head injuries, there’s also a lot of blood and violence. If you are familiar with Gaspar Noé’s work, you already know this is a disturbing ride. His aesthetic is the upsetting cherry on top of the upsetting sundae drowning in upsetting fudge.
Hereditary (2018)
Where You Can Watch: Max
A grieving family finds themselves in over their heads when they discover their recently deceased matriarch had a few terrifying secrets. This is my favorite Ari Aster film and has so many disturbing scenes that it is hard to pick a favorite. It’s also a movie that saw Toni Collette get robbed of an Oscar and introduced most of us to Alex Wolff. This creepy title is on most A24 lists for a reason. If you have not seen it, get ready to have your peace disrupted.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Where You Can Watch: Max
A picture-perfect family discovers that a young man has ill intentions toward them as their world begins to unravel. I was late to the party, but this is my favorite Yorgos Lanthimos film I’ve seen so far. It is the perfect blend of dark humor, stress, and mayhem. I highly suggest you watch it knowing as little as possible if you have not seen this unhinged tale yet. The psychological horror stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and the chaos king Barry Keoghan.
Midsommar (2019)
Where You Can Watch: Max
A group of young people travel to Sweden for a midsummer festival and find themselves surrounded by a pagan cult with extremely violent ritualistic practices. This was the first time many of us saw Florence Pugh in our genre, and we immediately threw a flower crown on her head and begged her to stay. While this is not my favorite Ari Aster movie, I did lean forward for some of the most disturbing scenes I’ve ever seen on a big screen. I am never mad when this makes it onto an A24 list, at least not as long as Hereditary is also there.
Saint Maud (2019)
Where You Can Watch: Prime Video and MGM+
A reclusive nurse becomes a devout Christian, which leads her into an unholy spiral. Filmmaker Rose Glass gave us a chilling tale with one of the most disturbing endings in recent memory. It is so hard not to gasp when you see the final shots. That’s not to downplay the unsettling images we made on our way to the finale. However, few movies have such a haunting image that comes to mind when you think of them.
Talk To Me (2023)
Where You Can Watch: Kanopy
A group of friends conjures spirits for fun, but the game takes a dark turn after an evil entity refuses to leave them alone. This was one of my favorite movies of 2023. It is beyond chilling and has one of the most disturbing scenes of last year. Not only is this creepy tale cool and fun, but it is also another title proving Australian filmmakers do not play when it comes to the genre.
Tusk (2014)
Where You Can Watch: VOD
A podcaster travels to Canada to interview a mysterious old man. He soon discovers the old guy has something else in mind. I knew the second Justin Long appeared on-screen, Tusk would be a wild ride. Sadly, there was no way for me to prepare for how unsettling this movie would become. I rarely have a visceral reaction to body horror movies. However, this one came right from hell. I have not been able to force myself to rewatch it since the first time.
Under the Skin (2014)
Where You Can Watch: Max
An alien disguised as a woman drives around Scotland, capturing men and sending them to another dimension to be eaten. I support this message. This Jonathan Glazer film is based on a science fiction book of the same name written by Michel Faber. Scarlett Johansson is the leading extraterrestrial of this title that continues to end up on so many lists of disturbing movies. People specifically cite the infamous beach scene when explaining how this movie chills them to the core.
The Witch (2015)
Where You Can Watch: Max
In 1630 New England, a small family suspects their eldest daughter of witchcraft. Robert Eggers truly captured paranoia, isolation, and despair, then put a good for her ending on it. There are no words to describe watching this family’s descent into madness as we were bombarded with disturbing images. We actually did live deliciously with The Witch. It’s wild knowing this was Anya Taylor-Joy’s first feature, and now she is leading Furiosa. It was also Eggers’ first feature, and now we are foaming at the mouth for his Nosferatu. Won’t Black Phillip do it?
Did your favorite A24 movies make the cut? Have you seen all 10 of these disturbing films? If so, which do you think is the most upsetting? Let me know at @misssharai.
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