Image Credit: Black Fawn Distribution.
Some horror movies get their fear factor from ghosts, demons, cannibals, or ritual murderers. You know what also works? Infections and infestations.
A popular online film forum member recently called for movies that are “really gross with their body horror aspects, with nasty gore effects, body transformation, etc.”
Hundreds of forum members obliged, with obvious answers like District 9 and The Brood, plus some under-the-radar suggestions. Here are 25 of their best (worst?) recommendations.
1. Slither (2006)
Image Credit: Universal Pictures.
James Gunn (Suicide Squad, all three Guardians of the Galaxy films) made his directorial debut with this horror-comedy film about a small South Carolina town overrun by an alien parasite. The cast includes Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, and Michael Rooker. “I’d call it a B-movie modern classic,” says one forum member.
2. Night of the Creeps (1986)
Image Credit: TriStar Pictures.
This homage to the B-movie genre is a sci-fi/horror/comedy mashup with nods to the alien invasion and slasher film genres. A dude infected by an alien slug is put in cryostasis; a few decades later, he’s accidentally thawed out as part of a fraternity prank. Although the film flopped, it’s since developed a loyal following. One cinephile claims that Slither was “hugely inspired” by this movie.
3. The Bay (2012)
Image Credit: Roadside Attractions.
Ain’t no horror like mockumentary horror, especially when it’s done by a respected director like Barry Levinson (Wag the Dog, Rain Man, The Natural, Diner). Set on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the film concerns pollution that causes a parasite “tongue-eating louse” to mutate and start munching on humans instead of fish. One fan says, “If you’re into found footage/mockumentary style horror, it’s one of the best.”
4. Splinter (2008)
Image Credit: Magnolia Pictures.
A weird splintery creature attacks a gas station attendant, and things get a lot worse from there. It’s a classic “siege” film, in which people throw everything they can at a monster, but it just keeps on coming. A review from The Village Voice notes the film’s “solid ensemble work, some yuckily effective special effects, and a script that subverts genre convention by having its characters do smart things instead of stupid ones,” adding that the movie is “82 minutes of lean, mean fun.”
5. Cabin Fever (2002)
Image Credit: Lionsgate.
The freshman effort from Eli Roth (Hostel, Knock Knock, The House With a Clock in Its Walls) is a horror/comedy story of college grads who rent a cabin in the woods (of course) and fall victim to a flesh-destroying virus. One cineaholic cites the scene where a woman shaves her legs, unaware that she’s been infected: “The sound effect they used for that is just perfect. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to throwing up in a movie theater.”
6. The Ruins (2008)
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Two couples vacationing in Mexico visit a Mayan ruin. Guess the tourist brochure didn’t mention the “carnivorous vine growth” that waits for them. “It’s a true ‘man vs nature vs monster’ survival movie and I love it! One of my favorite films,” exults one fan.
7. Videodrome (1983)
Image Credit: Criterion.
James Woods (Once Upon a Time in America, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino) and Debbie Harry (yep, the one from the band Blondie) star in this body-horror romp about a UHF broadcast signal that airs snuff films. Conspiracy and mind control are also part of the plot – just what you’d expect from director David Cronenberg (The Fly, eXistenZ, Naked Lunch). One admiring cineaste describes it as “super weird, super gross.”
8. Antiviral (2012)
Image Credit: Alliance Communications.
David Cronenberg’s son, Brandon Cronenberg, directs this creepy tale of a company that buys viruses and other pathogens from celebrities, then sells them to obsessed fans desperate to share something with famous people. There’s also a “celebrity meat market,” where meat is lab-grown using cells from famous people’s bodies. Eeekkk! “Antiviral will get your germophobia going,” promises one fan.
9. Contracted (2013)
Image Credit: IFC Films.
An independent zombie/body horror flick written and directed by Eric England, Contracted uses sex as the delivery vehicle for the disgusting virus. Talk about body horror! “It’s about as realistic as a patient-zero zombie movie can get. It’s gruesome, yucky, squelchy, and legitimately sad in some parts,” according to one contributor.
10. Infection (2004)
Image Credit: Toho Co., Ltd.
A hospital doctor’s error creates devastating consequences (and lots of goo!) for his fellow staffers. A review from The Japan Times says the movie “stresses Grand Guignol atmospherics more, rational-sounding explanations less.” What else could a horrorphile want?
11. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Image Credit: Kaijyu Theatres.
Another Japanese film, Tetsuo has been described as “cyberpunk body horror.” The movie helped writer/director Shinya Tsukamoto develop a worldwide network of horror fans. It’s the story of a “salaryman” (a worker expected to give up his life for his employers) plagued by horrifying visions of metal and industrial components. The Washington Post calls it “as surreally weird as Eraserhead and as intense as a Novocain-less tooth extraction.”
12. Rabid (1977)
Image Credit: Lionsgate Films.
This early (and independent) film by David Cronenberg concerns a woman (porn star Marilyn Chambers) who develops a stinger that lets her feed on the blood of others. Those who are stung become zombies. Hungry zombies. “It’s a wild time, and I recommend it to purists,” says one forum member.
13. Starry Eyes (2014)
Image Credit: Netflix.
This horror film follows a hopeful actress stuck in a dead-end job, and what she’s willing to do to become a star. (Hint: It doesn’t end well.) “The brutality of the second half is just insane…It is genuinely shocking, and the practical effects are gruesomely convincing,” according to a contributor.
14. The Special (2020)
Image Credit: Red Hound Films.
B. Harrison Smith (Death House, Camp Dread) helms this sordid little tale of a middle-aged narcissist who thinks his wife is having an affair. To get his revenge, he joins a friend at a brothel. Naturally, he gets more than he paid for. HorrorNews.net calls the film “heartfelt and entertaining.”
15. Bite (2015)
Image Credit: Black Fawn Distribution.
More body horror, this time concerning a young woman who is transformed by a vacation – but not in a good way. “There were so many disgusting instances in this movie I had to turn it off and restart it the next day,” claims one fan.
16. The Sadness (2021)
Image Credit: Raven Banner Entertainment.
Canadian filmmaker Rob Jabbaz directs this Taiwanese body horror flick about a couple struggling to find each other during a viral outbreak that turns ordinary citizens into crazed killers. “I literally don’t think any zombie movie has ever gotten so bloody,” reports one fan. “It is ridiculous. It is awesome. It is so violent!”
17. Thanatomorphose (2012)
Image Credit: Bounty Films.
A depressed introvert with an abusive boyfriend realizes her body is slowly decomposing. Yuck! One forum member acknowledges the lack of plot, but defends the film anyway. “It (did) truly get under my skin…the ending will forever be burned in my mind.”
18. Condemned (2015)
Image Credit: RLJE Films.
Dylan Penn (yep, Sean’s little girl) plays a rich woman who decides to live with her musician boyfriend in a condemned building full of chaos. What could go wrong? Plenty, as it turns out. A review on ComingSoon.net calls it “a rather amusing and cheerfully revolting downmarket exploitation film.”
19. Kuso (2017)
Image Credit: Brainfeeder Films.
This anthology film was directed by rapper Flying Lotus and includes a jazz spoken word piece by rapper Busdriver. Still with us? Kuso comprises four creepy tales about the mutating survivors of a shattering earthquake. One commenter says Kuso is “gross, crazy, funny, disturbing.” Another said it was “the most disgusting” movie they’d ever seen: “I couldn’t even finish it. Really wish I could watch it, because the music is awesome.”
20. Infestation (2009)
Image Credit: Icon Productions.
A slacker who works as a telemarketer (the horror!) finds himself trapped by his profession. No, really trapped: Giant bugs are cocooning him and others in the workplace. Is this a metaphor for dead-end jobs? “One of my favorites!” says a forum member.
21. The Fly (1986)
Image Credit: 20th Century Studios.
Yet another David Cronenberg exercise, this one oddly touching despite all the splatter. Geeky scientist Seth (Jeff Goldblum) shows journalist Veronica (Geena Davis) his work in teleportation. A simple error turns his scientific achievement into a horror show. Time magazine calls The Fly both a shocking horror movie and an affecting romance.
22. Deranged (2012)
Image Credit: CJ Entertainment.
A real-life parasite called the horsehair worm is the culprit in this sci-fi thriller from Park Jung-woo. Another group of real-life parasites is involved, too: Those who seek to profit from the misery of others. A Los Angeles Times review calls it “an intelligent thriller,” but don’t worry: There are also many gross-outs.
23. Ticks (1993)
Image Credit: Republic Pictures.
A grower uses steroids on his pot plants, which unexpectedly affects the region’s ticks. This direct-to-video movie, also known as Infested, has a surprisingly decent cast that includes Seth Green, Peter Scolari, Ami Dolenz, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Clint Howard. “Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air turns into a giant bug – you have to see it to believe it,” says one admirer.
24. Eat (2014)
Image Credit: Mad Dimension.
A struggling actress can’t get a job and can’t pay the rent. The pressures of her daily life cause her to start eating her own flesh. And you thought your nail-biting habit was bad! HorrorNews.net says it’s a “disturbingly beautiful film.” A film buff admits that “it grossed me out more than I expected.”
25. Dead Alive (1992)
Image Credit: WingNut Films.
Peter Jackson (that Lord of the Rings guy) directed this 1992 zom-com about a guy whose mother gets bitten by a rat/monkey hybrid and turns into a vicious zombie. Widely regarded as one of the goriest films of all time (check out the guy who swings a lawnmower like a sword!), Dead Alive crashed and burned at the box office but has since developed many fans. It’s a good bet if “you want a good laugh with your cringes,” notes one commenter.
Source: (Reddit).
