Could you recommend any horror that's more psychological and less gore? I love freak you out stuff like The Shining and Midsommar and It Follows and Get Out and the Ring series, but I have a squick for overly gory or body horror stuff like say Human Centipede.
I was okay with The Cabin in the Woods though, that was a great movie.
Thanks so much for your time and for making recommendations, a good scare is fun!
If you liked Cabin in the Woods, I’d suggest Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon, and The Final Girls which imho do the same thing but are more knowledgeable about the genre. Both are horror with a layer of humor and not heavy on gore.
However, if we’re talking more about surreal horror that relies more on strange imagery, feelings of dread, suspense, etc here’s some options:
Have to mention David Lynch again because of movies like Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, and of course the Twin Peaks series.
I will also add another favorite, Stalker, which I find is incredibly fear inducing with no actual source. However, it is three hours long and in Russian with subtitles. Still, worth it.
Since you mentioned Midsommer, I assume you’ve seen the original Wicker Man (not the Nick Cage remake) and since you mentioned It Follows, also assuming you’ve seen The Babadook but if not, consider them strong recommendations. Also, I consider Lords of Salem an interesting pairing with The Shining.
Beyond the Black Rainbow is a really excellent surreal movie styled after the 80s and light on gore, heavy on atmosphere, trippy imagery, and a synthwave score. Watch the trailer and if you dig it, that movie is for you. The second film by the same director, Mandy, is if anything better and more surreal, but also features substantially more gore so take it as you will.
You’ll want to watch everything by Osgood Perkins of course. You could perhaps skip I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In the House, but he does a great job with heavy atmosphere and complex movies. Also, if you liked Get Out, follow it up with His House. And if The Ring was good for you, consider Z and also Stillborn by Brandon Cristensen although if I had to pick one I’d go with Z. I’ve heard good things about Spring but I haven’t seen it.
Specifically the 2012 Color Out of Space adaptation is really cool, mostly German, low key brilliant. I feel like I’m forgetting some but that should hold up for a bit.