Even the most bread-and-butter horror fan appreciates some diversity, and the best psychological horror films are tailor-made to upend expectations and keep viewers guessing not only about the motivations of the characters, but also the nature of the action that unfolds on screen -- maybe even reality itself.
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
Elena must endure daily therapy sessions administered by a menacing doctor at a New Age research facility, where she is held captive underground. Elena can communicate telepathically, revealing a secret world of visionary capabilities. It's all very mysterious, and entirely entrancing (photo above).
Dust Devil (1992)
Writer/director Richard Stanley fashioned a fascinating, fantastical tale, filled with beautiful imagery and characters appearing (and disappearing) seemingly out of nowhere. It's populated with magical and murderous rituals and inexplicable events, and it's both horrifying and hypnotizing to watch.
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Vietnam veteran Jacob (Tim Robbins) suffers from disturbing hallucinations dating back to a terrifying battle he managed to survive during his military service. As time goes on, his nightmares get worse, and he has trouble distinguishing between his current life as a postal worker with a live-in girlfriend and his highly-disturbing hallucinations.
Videodrome (1983)
James Woods stars as a cable TV programmer who has a taste for the sleazy and salacious. He acquires the titular program, which appears to show outrageous conduct, but little does he know that the program is actually intended to cause physical and mental distress in the form of brain tumors and hallucinations, allowing the program's creators to control others. David Cronenberg directed.
Altered States (1980)
William Hurt made his film debut in Ken Russell's trippy fright flick, based on a screenplay by the great Paddy Chayefsky (Network). Hurt plays a scientist experimenting with a hallucinatory drug, making extensive use of an isolation chamber, and claims that he has experienced alternate physical and mental states.
