In recent years, the body horror genre’s fascination with the body has become even more prevalent. The days of exorcisms and haunted houses that were prevalent in the 2010s are over. Instead, the genre began to explore mutation and transformation in the most severe ways. Although body horror has always been a way for filmmakers to present the most vicious murders, it is now used as a way to explore bodily autonomy, desire, and fear.

The grotesque is all the rage right now, especially this year with films like That of Coralie Fargeat The bottom becoming box office hits and critical darlings. From remakes to book adaptations, the horror genre is evolving as quickly as the needs of its viewers, and what audiences crave right now are undeniably crude but fascinating demonstrations of the hardships our bodies can withstand. If you want more after seeing The bottomhere are 10 of the best body horror films of all time.

Titanium

Famous for one of its opening sequences where the protagonist has sex with a car, Julia Ducanaru’s sophomore feature surpassed her debut feature in showcasing body horror. The film focuses on Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), who, as a child, had her skull reinforced with a titanium plate. As she gets older, her fascination with violence leads her to become a serial killer, before running away and disguising herself as Alexei, a boy who disappeared 10 years previously. Although the body horror in this one is as extreme as the next one, Duconaru also applies an unflinching seriousness to the film. The bond between Alexia and her new father figure Vincent (Vincent Lindon) is at times so heartbreaking to watch that it makes you forget that this is a film that explores bodily autonomy in such a harsh way.

Resuscitator

Although he is hailed as the king of cosmic horror, HP Lovecraft’s work also examined how the body can change, voluntarily or involuntarily. Inspired by Lovecraft’s short story “Herbert West–Reanimator” Resuscitator follows a man whose hobby of trying to bring the dead back to life becomes an obsession that quickly turns unhealthy and deadly. Unlike most of the films on this list, the film straddles 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 allowing its audience to take a much-needed comedic break from the main character’s horrific misdeeds of the film.

Crimes of the future

Known as the king of body horror, David Cronenberg’s filmography is full of films that explore the intersection of the body and pain. 2022 Crimes of the futurefollows a group of people who remove and regrow their organs as part of a new wave performance art. Cronenberg directly confronts his previous films and examines what the genre he helped create now means. In doing so, it also examines how obsessed our modern society is with body modifications and where this will lead our species in the future.

Suspiria (2018)

While Dario Argento’s original 1977 film and Luca Guadgnino’s remake both focus on a young American dancer who trains at a ballet school run by witches, Guadagnino’s version unapologetically ups the ante. The film uses dance in a way that its predecessor did not, and instead uses this mode of movement to show how horribly manipulated our bodies can be. From the cracking of a bone to the wheezing of breaths escaping a restricted throat, Suspicious‘s body horror is also reflected in its sound design. This is a film directly concerned not only with witchcraft, but also with the way the body is intrinsically linked to the hidden desires and fears of its characters.

Company

As Resuscitatorthis 80s film is another light-hearted take on a subgenre that, at the time, was still fairly new. The film follows Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock), the heir to a wealthy family who begins to believe that his relatives and friends are not who they seem. What begins as a conspiracy thriller quickly turns on its head when it is revealed that his family is actually made up of aliens, those who fuse their bodies together to absorb the energy of those around them. Despite its silly premise, Company features images of bodies molded together and various body parts ending up where they shouldn’t be, to show some of the most shocking instances of body horror in the history of the genre.

Under the skin

The sci-fi horror film follows an unnamed alien who takes human form to lure lonely men to her home. When we finally see what happens to them, they are coated in a strange black liquid and submerged beneath the surface, becoming one with the substance and with our protagonist as well. Jonathan Glazer keeps us at a distance from our protagonist, never letting us know how she came to earth, or why she does this. While it’s not as gruesome as the rest of the films on this list, Under the skinThe dream sequences featuring the alien’s victims and its final moments where its true form is revealed are enough to guarantee it a place 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 supposed to examine an unknown liquid in a monastery. However, things quickly go south when it is revealed that this liquid actually happens to be the physical embodiment of Satan. He is able to possess the students through his physical contact with them, turning this educational journey into a war zone 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, it’s not talked about enough to introduce the body horror genre to new territory. Unlike most of the films on this list, this franchise doesn’t try to say anything profound about body modification or manipulation; it’s just about trying to gross out your audience in the best way possible. Final Destination 3 in particular, it was a turning point for the series, with its murders 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 episode seemed particularly mean-spirited. For this reason, the film will go down in history as the best of the franchise.

Possessor

Brandon Cronenberg’s fascination with the human body has given rise to a filmography even more experimental than that of his fathers. His second feature film Possessor follows an assassin who commits murder by taking over the bodies of others and soon finds a host whose mind resists the technology she has used for years. The film’s most explicit scenes are bathed in a vibrant orange and red hue, obscuring body parts and fluids in a neon light that you can’t take your eyes off. At the center of this struggle are two remarkable performances from Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbot, who expertly embody Cronenberg’s ideas about bodily autonomy and feeling like an outsider in one’s own skin.

Annihilation

Alex Garland Annihilation follows a team of female scientists who venture into a mysterious and fantastical quarantine zone, called Shimmer, from which no other team has returned. As the Shimmer begin to mutate in their minds, their bodies also decay over time, their blood mixing to a shimmering rainbow hue. Although considered a science fiction film, as they delve deeper and deeper into this wild and 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 leaves us wondering if violence and terror can still create something beautiful. If the gripping confrontation between the film’s protagonist and her alien doppelganger is anything to go by, the answer is yes.

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