Screenshot: Lamm / A24
The trailer for Lamb, the upcoming freaky psychological horror drama from A24 and director Valdimar Jóhannsson, came out yesterday, and if you’re on social media at all, you’ve probably seen it, or at least horrified, if people are confused, reactions to it. Which makes a lot of sense once you’ve seen it:
A24 has a certain reputation for strikingly atmospheric films that hit a certain sweet spot – films that are generally a mix of art, entertainment, commentary, and holy shit-what-have-I-just seen ?! Think of the lighthouse, the witch, the killing of a sacred stag, and Midsommar (as well as the upcoming Green Knight). Whatever your thing, they are all completely unforgettable. That’s the power of what we call the genre of fucked-up film: good or bad, they stay with you, maybe forever.
Sometimes one premise alone can haunt your dreams. There are certainly films that I have never seen that have made me deeply concerned. Even reading a storyline or catching a few moments from a trailer can be unsettling. Fucked-up films have this power and range from art house award winners to recycling waste. Here are 20 of our … favorites?
(It’s probably not surprising that some notable films weren’t included here just because they aren’t available for streaming anywhere – think The Unknown, Faces of Death, Spanking the Monkey, Happiness, Salo, Visitor Q, and other infamous twisted classics Feel free to add titles from your own, somewhat disreputable DVD collection to our selection.)
