The best body horror movies of the last half-century
If Oscar nominee 'The Substance' piqued your interest, these other films will likely be your speed


Horror movies and literature reflect people's anxieties by taking them to gory extremes. Body horror taps into the very human fear of how unpredictable, and even uncontrollable, our bodies can be. While this theme has its roots in gothic literature, the term "body horror" was coined in 1983 during a golden age of horror filmmaking.
The genre's unsavory nature usually means it does not receive major industry accolades, but this year's Oscar nominations may indicate a shift. Since the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, only seven horror movies have ever been recognized with a Best Picture nomination; and one of them is "The Substance," a feminist body horror film starring Demi Moore that has had critics buzzing since its September release.
Here is a list of five more seminal body horror classics that remain critical to the genre's foundation, despite their lack of Oscars.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'The Fly' (1986)
David Cronenberg's name is synonymous with body horror and has dominated the space for decades. Though he has many body horror films in his oeuvre, "The Fly" is arguably the most important. This remake of a 1958 monster movie of the same name stars Jeff Goldblum as a man who inadvertently transforms himself into a human-fly hybrid after a teleportation experiment gone wrong. The disturbing practical effects earned Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis the Oscar for Best Makeup that year, and lines like, 'You can't penetrate beyond society's sick, gray fear of the flesh' are the "perfect introduction to the corporeal philosophizing that permeates most of Cronenberg's work," said The New York Times.
'Hellraiser' (1987)
British horror maestro Clive Barker based this film on his novella "The Hellbound Heart," and it was the start of a franchise that would become a genre staple. The original movie introduces us to the villainous Pinhead and other demonic Cenobites, who take torture and sadism to a memorable level of depravity. The "leather-bar aesthetic" of the antagonists also "gives the body horror in this film a defiant queer edge," said the Times.
'Teeth' (2007)
Mitchell Lichtenstein's dark horror comedy made a splash when it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where lead actor Jess Weixler won the Special Jury Prize. She stars here as Dawn O'Keefe, a teen member of a Christian abstinence group who discovers a set of teeth in her private parts, a condition known as vagina dentata. This film turns the final girl trope on its head, as Dawn takes control of her sexuality while using the power of the vagina dentata against those who wrong her. The cult classic has a campy feel, but the "intimacy of the body mutilation and the intensity of Dawn's panic as she causes it help 'Teeth' leave a lasting mark," said Vulture.
'Tusk' (2014)
Director Kevin Smith may be most famous for offbeat comedies like "Clerks," but his take on body horror will stick with you. Horror veteran Justin Long stars in this film, which draws on "The Walrus and the Carpenter," a poem recited by Tweedledum and Tweedledee in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass." Long plays a podcaster who gets saved by a crazy seaman — then tries to transform him into a walrus. The movie has some of Smith's signature comedic beats, but Long's mutation into an animal is also deeply unsettling. The film not only signified a "turning point for Kevin Smith as a storyteller," but it paved the way for A24 to "explore some deeply rich yet absurd themes within the horror genre," said Collider. It was the studio's first of many standout horror films with a penchant for obscure themes.
'Possessor' (2020)
Another recent entry in the body horror genre from the Cronenberg family, but this time, it was directed by David Cronenberg's son Brandon, who holds his own. "Possessor" is a sci-fi horror movie that follows an assassin who kills by taking over other people's bodies. When the main character finds a target who will not bend to her will, it "sets up a thrilling showdown" that also "raises some provocative questions about the nature of body autonomy in an increasingly technology-driven world," said IndieWire.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers
-
8 recipes that require minimal effort for the best kind of summer eating
The Week Recommends It's the season of grilling and smart desserts
-
7 places across the country to experience the best of summer drinking
The Week Recommends Stops include a Basque-inspired spot and a bar where the menu overhauls twice a year
-
6 smart, surprising food books to drag you through the summer months
The Week Recommends BBQ and why we consume the way we do are just two of the tackled topics
-
Film reviews: The Life of Chuck, How to Train Your Dragon, and From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Feature A backward trip through one ordinary life, a young Viking tames a monstrous foe, the franchise's new assassin chases revenge
-
Hot for summer with these 10 tours from some of music's best artists
The Week Recommends Get ready for sing-along sunshine
-
10 upcoming albums to stream on the beach this summer
The Week Recommends Ring in the sunshine with a selection of new albums
-
These 8 superb cocktails welcome summer with open arms
The Week Recommends Everything required to get you through warm — or sweltering — weather
-
7 touring theater productions that are out to bring the joy
The Week Recommends 'Hamilton' and 'Wicked' never die, and neither does ABBA