The horror genre has always had a proud and passionate fanbase, filled with movie-lovers who can handle the most thematically and visually disturbing films. However, even for devoted followers of the genre, some horror movies prove too shocking and upsetting to warrant multiple viewings, no matter how well-made they may be.
Though it might seem contradictory to enjoy a film while simultaneously never wanting to watch it again, this feeling loudly announces itself in the horror genre. Many films within the genre root themselves in an audience's adrenaline, looking to excite and disturb at the same time. Maybe too successful in this are a handful of horror films that hit so hard the first time it is difficult to imagine a second round.
While a number of films within the horror genre have been criticized for their gratuitous, and occasionally pointless depictions of violence, falling into the category of "torture porn", many are made of strong narratives that deliver as much emotional pain as physical. The most haunting horror films are able to scare on multiple levels, igniting fear through creative forms and diving deep into the psyche. Whether disturbing in their overall theme or specific moments of horror, these six films are so rattling that just one viewing should suffice.
Audition (1999): Shudder
Based on Ryu Murakami' s novel of the same name, Takashi Miike's 1999 psychological horror film Audition is filled to the brim with emotional and physical dread, delivering such a brutal plot that it does not warrant a re-watch. Horror fans will be thrilled by the increasingly disturbing scenes as the film's creative antagonist, Asami, enacts a unique type of torture on a potential suitor. Her warped obsession with love and loyalty lead Asami down a gruesome path that viewers will not quickly forget. The scenes of violence in Audition are slow and precise, torturing the audience along with the victim.
Martyrs (2008): Shudder
Doing all it can to secure its spot in the New French Extremity film movement, Pascal Laugier's Martyrs is known for its relentless scenes of torture that definitely do need not be seen more than once. The film focuses on two women, Lucie and Anna, who are tracked and tormented by a philosophical cult that believes the key to transcendence and awareness of the afterlife lies in torture. Depraved, demeaning but commendably daring, Martyrs is not an easy film to forget, though viewers may wish they could.
Antichrist (2009): SundanceNow
Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier's erotic psychological horror film, Antichrist, is extremely hard to watch, as are most of the controversial director's films. Following a married couple, stunningly played by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, as they wallow in the wake of a horrible tragedy, the film examines pain in a visceral and violent way. Daring its audience to cover their eyes, Antichrist presents some of the most gory mutilation scenes in recent years, standing out as a film many can only watch once, if that.
Kill List (2011): Shudder
Ben Wheatley's 2011 film, Kill List, is a horror crime film that uses a dreary tone and a horrific twist to haunt its viewers. While the movie serves a consistent sense of doom, the final thirty minutes are a non-stop scare-fest, building up at a steady rate and climaxing in an unforgettable moment of horror as sad as it is violent. Emotionally heavy and packed with gore, Wheatley's film is a slow, psychological burn that is tough to sit through but worth the one-time effort. Wheatley followed Kill List with Sightseers, a lighter and less mentally consuming horror-comedy that feels like a breather beside its predecessor.
Green Room (2013): Netflix
Green Room, a brutally tense thriller by director Jeremy Saulnier, amps up the metal music and the gore in a tightly packed plot filled with cringe-worthy depictions of violence. Starring the late Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Imogen Poots and Patrick Stewart, Saulnier's film follows a young punk rock band traveling through the Pacific Northwest and a gig gone very wrong. After becoming accidental witnesses to a murder while playing at a neo-Nazi bar the band struggles to escape a cruel group of locals led by the vicious Darcy Banker (Stewart). Green Room pushes the limits of its viewers but rewards them with a strong, satisfying story of terrifyingly realistic horror.
mother! (2017): Hulu
Darren Aronofsky's 2017 psychological horror film mother! caused critics to debate, audiences to warn one another and horror fans to relish in its visceral violence. An aesthetic hit, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence as the young, and most recent wife, of an eccentric and strong willed poet played by Javier Bardem. Packed with biblical allegories and metaphorical depictions of motherhood burdens, Aronofsky's film is a relentless exploration into religion, isolation and selflessness. The horror movie incrementally increases the violence, resulting in a highly disturbing climax that does not necessarily need to be seen twice. A beautifully dizzying one-time ride, mother! may reappear in its viewers mind but perhaps not their screens.