Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for body horror movies like Videodrome:
Infinity Pool
There are some real highlights in Brandon Cronenberg‘s newest art house horror movie, mainly the chemistry between Alexander Skarsgard and Mia Goth. But Infinity Pool struggles to build into anything beyond a set of shocking horror images and audacious scenes.
The Substance
A vaguely named, neon green liquid is at the center of The Substance, the sophomore effort from director Coralie Fargeat following her successful debut Revenge (2017). The titular substance is capable of delivering happiness to those desiring to look younger and more attractive. Accompanied by a strict list of rules involving when to take the substance and how to maintain the younger self the injection inevitably births, the chances of a user mishandling such a lethal experimental drug is absurdly high.
Eraserhead
Eraserhead is unlike anything you’ll ever see – both a testament to David Lynch’s early adoption of idiosyncratic, dreamlike imagery and his interest in turning the usual into the surreal. It’s no wonder the acclaimed director’s 1977 debut breakthrough still stands among the best first films ever made and a canonical entry in 1970s filmmaking; an era that saw decades of boundary-pushing auteurs establish themselves in the industry. While David Lynch‘s career arch wouldn’t take the form of a traditional blockbuster filmmaker, there was clearly enough in Eraserhead to hand him the car keys for whatever passion projects he decided to tackle in the future.
A Different Man
Although the story sometimes feels like it’s chasing its own tail, Aaron Schimberg deserves praise for his calculated setup, precise direction, and visual flair. A Different Man is not just intellectually stimulating, but it also offers a bright, grainy color palette and shot design that recalls old school B-movies. It’s schlocky in all the best ways while maintaining a serious script and story about valuing yourself and staying confident in your abilities.
V/H/S/85
V/H/S/85 offers some of the most deranged moments in the franchise’s recent history, but occasionally loses steam as a product of half-baked concepts. David Bruckner and Mike P. Nelson stand out as the directors that utilize the form the best.
Barbarian
Zach Cregger‘s Barbarian is still refreshing and thrilling, and it’s easily one of my favorite theater experiences of 2022. Films try over and over again to use the schlocky marketing bit of audiences screaming in theaters only to be disappointing in actual terror when places in front of you – but Barbarian is genuinely jaw-dropping.
Scanners
Scanners is far from Cronenberg’s best, but it’s still an essential artifact for fans of his work—especially for those interested in tracing how his style evolved from straight horror (Rabid, The Brood) into more philosophical and speculative realms. It’s an influential film, no doubt. Just not the one you’ll revisit the most.
Rabid
David Cronenberg’s Rabid builds on the raw, squirm-inducing energy of his debut feature Shivers, but elevates it with a bigger story, clearer characters, and a more polished sense of direction. As a sophomore effort, Rabid still feels like an early work from a filmmaker who would go on to deliver more refined and layered horrors in films like The Fly, Scanners, Videodrome, and Dead Ringers, but there’s an unmistakable step forward in craft here—especially in how Cronenberg handles tone, pacing, and sheer body-horror spectacle.
Men
Now nearly two years removed from its initial release date, Alex Garland’s Men for A24 feels underrated. A body horror home invasion movie featuring one of Hollywood’s best actresses in Jessie Buckley, the film is a shift in tone and themes from Garland’s previous works, transitioning from stories involving anxiety we have about the advancement of technology, to the societal and gender issues that plague our society.
Evil Dead Rise
There aren’t many horror franchises able to reinvent themselves as often as Evil Dead does while still maintaining relevancy and quality. Maybe it’s because Sam Raimi holds his creation so close to his heart that only a select few are able to take on the premise, or maybe it’s because the premise seems simple and malleable enough to make nearly anything work. It can shoot for the downright zany and ludicrous with Evil Dead II or Army of Darkness, or it can strive to be like Lee Cronin’s newest spin Evil Dead Rise – a movie so sick and twisted that you can’t help but give it its dues by the time the credits roll.