Most Famous Psychological Horror Films

The most famous psychological horror films:

Rosemary's Baby

Short description from IMDB:
'A young couple move into a new apartment, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbours and occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins controlling her life.'

Rosemary's baby came around at a vital time in American cinema history. Hollywood was just emerging from the slump of the 1950s (during the post-war period ticket sales had plummeted) and times were changing. Film production in Hollywood turned on its head and studios began financing independent productions - and the independent films started to become mainstream. Charlie Bluhdorn, head of Gulf and Western (which bought Paramount in 1966) decided to hire Robert Evans. It was less than a year after Paramount’s new ownership and with Evans then on board Paramount needed a hit film. Rosemary's Baby was the answer. It is still recognised as one of the best horror films as it is a creepy, unsettling film that tends to get under the skin of the audience - which is key for a apsychological horror. The film is slow paced, atmospheric, quiet and deliberate.

The Shining

Short description from IMDB:
'A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.'

The shining is one of the most memorable horror movies of all time due to its shock value, suspense and gore. Right from the beginning it gets the audience involved and has a menacing atmosphere about it. The line between real and fantasy in the film is very blurred and leaves you wondering which parts of the film are supposed to be real and which parts aren't.