With summer coming to an end and fall beginning, many fans start to look to horror movies for the Halloween season. While everyone likes a good scare that time of year, there are some horror movies that prove too much for even the most dedicated horror fans.
Fans on Reddit have admitted to some of the most intense and terrifying horror movies that they had trouble getting through. From gruesome violence to anxiety-inducing tension, these horror movies pushed viewers past their comfort zones so much that they couldn't even finish the whole thing.
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
As one of the most infamous horror movies of all time, Cannibal Holocaust is still heavily debated for how much of its unsettling depictions of violence are actually real. The Italian found-footage movie revolves around the search for a missing filmmaking crew in the jungle.
The movie has become quite controversial due to its offensive depiction of tribes in the Amazonian jungles as well as violence toward animals depicted in the movie. Redditor supercarisachan admitted the movie left them "in tears and still get sick to my stomach when I think of it."
Midsommar (2019)
Ari Aster's Midsommar is the rare horror movie set in a happy location that soon turns twisted. It stars Florence Pugh as a young woman recovering from a devastating tragedy who joins her boyfriend and his friends on a trip to attend a midsummer festival in Sweden.
Despite the beautiful scenery and most of the movie taking place in the daylight, it gradually turns into a twisted horror story that mixes trauma with creepy cults. Redditor Disastrous_Ad3020 revealed that they've "yet to watch to the end."
Possum (2018)
Though a lesser-known horror movie, Possum has deeply impacted many of the viewers who did see it. It follows a disgraced puppeteer who retreats to his uncle's cabin in the woods to confront his childhood trauma while being haunted by a spider-like puppet.
The movie deals with difficult subject matters and carries a dark tone throughout which can be hard for fans to endure. One Redditor went so far as to call Possum "quite possibly the bleakest film I have ever seen."
Audition (1999)
The Japanese movie Audition was an obscure 1990s horror movie that gradually grew into a cult hit for the genre. But part of its reputation comes from its deeply disturbing story and violent sequences in the story of a widower who auditions women to be his potential love interest, only to become intrigued by a girl with a dark past.
The movie became notorious for its climactic torture scene which was hard for many fans to get out of their minds. Redditor Drpretorios described it as "one of the pinnacles of cinematic sadism."
Hostel (2005)
Following the gruesome and grimy Saw, Hostel looked to capitalize on the new-found fascination with elaborate torture sequences. Hostel follows two American friends who find themselves lured into a business that provides clients the opportunity to kill live victims.
While some fans enjoyed the unabashed brutality of the movie, others found it too distasteful to bear. Redditor DarkTrebleZero admitted that "anything that remotely resembles that type of violence shuts me down."
Martyrs (2008)
There have been a number of horror movies about cults yet Martyrs is often seen as perhaps the most disturbing. It follows a woman on a quest to find the people responsible for her childhood torment as her friend attempts to save her.
It is another movie filled with disturbing violence and an endlessly bleak tone that can make it hard to watch regardless of how impactful the story is. Though Redditor DroppedThatBall admitted they had to stop Martyrs on their first viewing, they eventually finished it and found that "the payoff was worth it."
Landmine Goes Click (2015)
While the small horror movie Landmine Goes Click doesn't feature as much violence as some other movies, it is a deeply disturbing movie. It follows a young couple who go hiking when the boyfriend steps on a landmine. Unable to move, he is left helpless as a stranger arrives and begins tormenting his girlfriend.
It is a small premise and setting but the psychological horror depicted in the story is incredibly unsettling. Redditor eddiesteddy_ found that the movie was "very disturbing and hard to get through."
Teeth (2007)
Body horror is an aspect of the genre that seems to disturb most people. Teeth finds an interesting approach to this kind of story, making it more of a weapon than a curse yet still having it be deeply disturbing.
It tells the story of a young woman who is shy and awkward about her own body, but when she is attacked she discovers that she has an advantage that is quite unexpected. Redditor Haunting-Pop-5660 suggested that Teeth is "probably enough to scare off any but the most intrepid horror fanatics."
Goodnight Mommy (2014)
The excellent German horror movie Goodnight Mommy uses the horror trope of creepy kids in an interesting way. It follows two twin boys who go to their new secluded home with their mother following her facial surgery. But the boys begin to suspect the woman under the bandages is not their mother at all.
Goodnight Mommy is reportedly the rare horror movie that caused viewers to faint in theaters which speaks to how disturbing it is. One Redditor admitted they tried to check out the movie but found they weren't "in the right head-space for it."
His House (2020)
Sometimes it is an unexpected movie that audiences weren't ready for that can deliver the biggest impact. The horror movie His House follows a couple who escape from war-torn Sudan and become refugees living in Britain. But the temporary house they've been assigned has terror lurking within.
The movie mixes real-world horror with supernatural horror in a captivating way. But it is also an intense experience and Redditor gracerules501 found that it was "way scarier than I was expecting it to be."