Thehorrorgenre is known for conjuring up scares, either through hauntings, serial killers, or monsters. When most of us think about horror movies, we think about how they frighten us. We think about how they prey on our biggest fears and make them come to life right before our eyes. We think about how they get under our skin and force us to confront what scares us most, either physically or mentally. However, we often do not recognize how utterly devastating horror films can be.
Outside of drama, horror is perhaps the saddest genre of film. Yes, horror is typically unnerving, and sometimes even fun. Still, it more often than not emotionally destroys us. When watching a horror film, we spend hours watching characters survive hardship after hardship in usually dire situations. We root for their survival, their revenge, and hopefully, their happiness. When those things do not happen, it hits us hard. Especially whenthe characters do everything right, and still don’t succeed. It reminds us how soul-crushing horror can be.
Here are 10 horror movies that will emotionally destroy you.
10’The Descent' (2005)
The Descent
A movie thatrattled an entire generation, Neil Marshall’sThe Descenthas been stuck in audiences' minds for 20 years. In the year following a personal tragedy that occurred after a rafting trip with friends, an adventure-seeker named Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) decides to go on a caving expedition with the same group of friends, hoping it will help her heal. When one of Sarah’s friends neglects to tell the group the truth about this particular cave, the expedition goes horribly wrong. With limited resources, the women are left trapped in an unexplored cave system with secrets of its own.
A Claustrophobic Watch
This will be an incredibly uncomfortable watch for anyone claustrophobic. Part of the horror in the film stems from the women being physically stuck in a cave system not meant for human beings to explore. The extreme claustrophobia and dark caves are the least of their problems, though, as there are far more terrifying things down there. The movie plays on all your biggest fears and adds new ones to the mix, but it also explores the potentially severe consequences of intentionally putting your friends in harm’s way. There is a particular decision that Sarah makes that will have you questioning morals and wondering how far is too far when you have been wronged.
Here’s What Makes The Descent an Empowering Horror Movie For Women
Horror movies with empowering women don’t get much better than The Descent, Neil Marshall’s scary, feminist masterpiece.
9’Speak No Evil' (2022)
Speak No Evil
Not to be confused with the 2024 American remake of the same name,Speak No Evilis an emotional yet frustrating psychological horror film. It follows a Danish couple, Bjorn and Louise, who meet a Dutch couple, Patrick and Karin, while on summer vacation in Italy. Despite the rivalry between the Dutch and the Danes, both families get along well. Soon after the vacation, Bjorn and Louise receive a letter from Patrick and Karin inviting them and their daughter Agnes to spend a week with them in their countryside home in Holland. They both think the invitation is a bit odd, but for fear of being impolite, they decide to accept. What follows is a weekend of rising tension as Bjorn and Louise continuously endure insults and uncomfortable behavior from Patrick and Karin.
An Emotionally Frustrating Watch
Even when Bjorn and Louise do speak out against Karin and Patrick, they never fully stand their ground against them, not even when it comes to their daughter’s safety. They act as though they are left with no choice but to appease their hosts. In reality, they could have put a stop to Patrick and Karin’s behavior from the beginning if they hadn’t worried about sounding impolite.
It is fascinating to watch the power dynamic between the Danish and Dutch couple, and the execution of the message the film is trying to convey is incredibly well done. Bjorn and Louise’s inability to stand up for themselves and remove their family from uncomfortable situations results in a horrific ending for their family. It is both emotionally devastating and incredibly frustrating to watch the Danish couple let the Dutch couple mentally and, eventually, physically, torture them. You will only need towatch this film once.
8’Funny Games' (1997)
Funny Games
German director Michael Haneke’s horror thrillerFunny Gamesfollows two seemingly polite young men, Paul (Arno Frisch) and Peter (Frank Giering), as they knock on their vacationing neighbor’s door to ask if they have eggs. The two young men appear to be normal at first, but their true intentions are quickly revealed after they enter the house. Once inside, Paul and Peter keep the family imprisoned in their vacation home and force them to participate in brutal or embarrassing games.
Morality vs. Entertainment
Haneke’s intention with the movie is to let viewers know thatthey share some complicity in the violent actsthat are committed against this innocent family. We are also never given an explicit reason as to why Paul and Peter do what they do. The men clearly get enjoyment out of humiliating and psychologically torturing the family, but there are no clear motivations.
The movie famously has Paul grab a remote and rewindFunny Games itself after Peter is accidentally killed, effectively changing the outcome of the movie. The movie finally ends with Paul giving the audience a knowing glance, confirming that we were complicit in their games. It’s thought-provoking as it makes you question your morality while also being quite sad.
7'28 Days Later' (2002)
28 Days Later
The zombie apocalypse subgenre of horror has been around for decades, and its start is often credited to George A. Romero’s classicNight of the Living Dead. Nevertheless, there isperhaps no better zombie flickthan Danny Boyle’s 2002 horror film28 Days Later. The British-set apocalypse film follows a mail courier named Jim (Cillian Murphy) after he wakes up from a 28-day coma, only to find London a desolate wasteland. This apocalyptic nightmare was set in motion after a group of activists released monkeys from a laboratory, accidentally releasing a rage virus that the monkeys were carrying. This caused the virus to spread rapidly throughout England.
Humans Are the Real Monsters
This film is a devastating story of loss, grief, fear, and desperation. The journey that Jim and his fellow survivors go on is harrowing and full of heartbreak. They watch countless people succumb to this gruesome virus and are falsely presented with salvation at their lowest point. For a film about rage-infected creatures, it’s a very human story. The people who were supposed to be able to help and protect them only wanted to take advantage of them, specifically Selena (Naomie Harris) and Hannah (Megan Burns).
6’The Wailing' (2016)
The Wailing
The Wailingis a folk horror film from South Korea that deals with family tragedy at the hands of supernatural forces. After a Japanese stranger arrives in a small village on the Korean mountainside, a mysterious illness starts spreading. A bumbling but caring police officer, Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won), is forced to investigate the phenomenon when his daughter’s safety is put at risk.
Slowburn Horror That Makes You Care
Something South Korean cinema is excellent at doing is making you feel connected to the characters. Yes, this is a horror film, butThe Wailingtakes ample time to introduce us to the characters and help us understand the importance of the setting. This allows us to feel empathy towards the characters when tragedy strikes this mountain village and genuinely root for their survival. We also see Jong-goo develop into a more confident, capable officer as he dives headfirst into this gruesome case. Which makes the outcome of the story even more gut-wrenching. His final monologue in particular will surely destroy you.
5’Eden Lake' (2008)
Written and directed by James Watkins, who directedThe Woman in Black and theBlack Mirrorepisode ‘Shut Up and Dance’,Eden Lakeis a difficult watch. The psychological horror thriller follows Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender) as they head to a remote lake in the English countryside for a romantic getaway. What starts as a relaxing lakeside weekend quickly turns into a nightmare when a group of aggressive teenagers begin to terrorize them. Jenny and Steve must battle for their survival in the woods surrounding Eden Lake.
A Disturbing View of Youth
This is the type of horror film that reminds you why the genre is called that. There are no jump scares, no spirits, no masked maniacs, but instead regular human beings who go too far. It’s also the kind of film that makes you weary of humanity as you watch these teenagers relentlessly hunt Jenny and Steve. The teens, led by Brett (Jack O’Connell), don’t hold back in their psychological and physical pursuit of this couple. There are some truly harrowing moments in this film, but the ending in particular will destroy you. It is viscerally heartbreaking, and the justification for Brett’s actions is infuriating and disturbing.
4’Train to Busan' (2016)
Train to Busan
Zombie movies are a tried and true subgenre of horror, but South Korea’sTrain to Busanis undoubtedlyone of the best zombie films of all time. It follows a distracted, selfish businessman named Sok-woo (Gong Yoo) who seems incapable of putting his phone down, even when his young daughter Soo-ahn (Kim Su-an) comes to stay with him. While on the ultra-fast KTX train from Seoul to Busan to drop Soo-ahn off at her mother’s house, a sudden zombie outbreak occurs. Sok-woo and the rest of the train’s passengers are left to defend themselves against the rabid flesh-eating monsters during the long trek to Busan.
A Beautifully Devastating Ending
Sok-woo, Soo-ahn, and the allies they make during this intense journey spend the entire film fighting off hordes of ferocious undead as they watch human beings get ripped apart and eaten alive. Through this traumatic experience, Sok-woo begins to understand there is so much more to life than his business and being successful. He realizes that the most important thing in the world to him is his daughter.
When Sok-woo decides to sacrifice himself to save Soo-ahn, it hits especially hard. As his body starts to succumb to the infection, he remembers the day Soo-ahn was born, and he falls into the mob of zombies with a smile on his face. It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming to watch Sok-woo’s character develop exponentially to the point that self-sacrifice was an easy choice for him.
3’Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me' (1992)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
The late, great David Lynch was a master at making the audience guess what his films meant. His films are ambiguous and mean something different to everyone. His feature-film follow-up to his belovedTwin Peaksshow is no different.Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Metakes place during the last week ofLaura Palmer’s (Sheryl Lee)life. Fans of the show already knew how she died, but the film expands on what was actually happening in Laura’s life in those harrowing days leading up to her death. From her secret life at One Eyed Jack’s, her drug addiction, and the toxic way most men in her life treated her, Laura’s final days were devastating.
A Tragic Ending
Despite knowing that Laura dies a rather horrible death, it never makes watching the prequel film any less horrifying. Laura was a troubled teenager who didn’t have any stable authority figures in her life. She unknowingly attracted unwanted attention from terrible men, and no adult could see that she needed help. Everyone assumed Laura had her own things going on, and she would figure them out on her own. Combined with the eerie mystical elements that the town of Twin Peaks harbors, Laura never stood a fighting chance.
2’The Mist' (2007)
Based on the novel by horror icon Stephen King, Frank Darabont’sThe Misttakes place in a small seaside town in Maine, the day after a fierce storm hits. David Drayton (Thomas Jane) decides to take his son Billy (Nathan Gamble) and their displeased neighbor Brent Norton (Andre Braugher) to the local grocery store to pick up supplies. A mysterious mist has settled over the town, and once inside the grocery store, David and the other shoppers realize the mist is home to terrifying creatures waiting to kill the humans inside.
Another Heartbreaking Ending
After realizing the gravity of the situation, David takes it upon himself to attempt to lead the rest of the store’s occupants in a desperate attempt to keep Billy safe. The unlikely group is divided on how to proceed, mostly because of the local religious follower, Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), inciting arguments. David tries his best to keep everyone inside, but eventually, he realizes they must venture into the mist if they want a chance at finding help.
After narrowly escaping the deadly creatures waiting to pounce in the mist, David, his son, and three others make it to his truck. David and the other adults soon realize that looking for help is pointless in the endless mist. David makes another desperate call moments before a shred of hope appears. It is one of the most heartbreaking, frustrating endings in movie history that will certainly destroy you emotionally.
The Top 10 Korean Movies with Tragic Endings
Needless to say, things don’t end well for the characters in these Korean films.
1’I Saw The Devil' (2010)
I Saw the Devil
South Korean cinema is incredibly detailed and moving, but some of their films are not for the faint of heart. Korean horror pushes even the most hardcore horror fans to their limits, while still taking the time to thoughtfully establish their characters and remind audiences why we should care about them. Kim Jee-woon’s filmI Saw The Devilis just as much ahorror film as it is a revenge thriller. It follows secret agent Kim Soo-hyeon (Lee Byung-hun) in his violent revenge mission against local serial killer Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik), who brutally murdered his fiancée and dispersed her remains in a river.
A Disturbing Yet Important Film
Kim Soo-hyeon treats his revenge mission like a sadistic game of cat and mouse. Every time he catches Kyung-chul about to take his next victim, he brutally beats Kyung-chul and leaves him stranded. Kim Soo-hyeon doesn’t dole out regular beatings either. Instead, he tortures Kyung-hul, giving him just a taste of the torment he has inflicted upon others.
Inevitably, Kim Soo-hyeon’s revenge consumes his entire state of being, resulting in the horrific death of his fiancée’s sister and the vicious beating of his father-in-law. Still bent on vengeance, he traps Kyung-hul and leaves him stuck in a contraption designed to kill him when his estranged family opens the door to his torture chamber. The entire film is devastating from beginning to end, and it makes you question the nature of revenge.
