Top 10 psychedelic horror movies to watch if you want a good jump scare

Bizarre, haunting, and disturbing psychedelic horror movies stand out for their visual feasts and terrifying narratives. They are a niche category in films, and that often means they don't get enough credit for being some of the best, as they provide a satisfying scary movie experience to the viewers.

Whether it's for their stunning use of vibrant colors and kaleidoscopic editing or experimental narrative emphasizing distorted reality, psychedelic horror movies give that "trippy" feeling and euphoria as spooky events unfold. They are a great watch for those who prefer disorienting movies with nightmarish alternate realities.

Here's a list of some of the top psychedelic horror movies to watch, from timeless classics like The Shining to recent films like Climax.

Disclaimer: This list is purely based on the author's opinions.

The Shining, Suspiria, and other psychedelic horror movies to watch

1) The Shining

Based on Stephen King's namesake novel, this 1980 classic psychedelic horror movie is one that can still bring viewers into a chilling, bizarre madness. The film, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is simultaneously intriguing and beautiful, with plenty of terrific thrills and eerie moments.

The Shining follows Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, played by Jack Nicholson, who takes a temporary position at an isolated hotel in Colorado and moves there with his family. But what happens there starts to terrorize the entire family—his son starts getting plagued by psychic premonitions that get more disturbing by the day, as Jack ultimately discovers the dark secrets of the hotel.

2) Climax

Climax (Image via Rectangle Productions)

This 2018 Gaspar Noe's R-rated horror film, which is a product of a five-page script, brings viewers a visually distortive movie experience. It is often described as chilling horror, tragic, and forgiving, with plenty of cinematic trips and entertaining dance sequences.

Set in 1996, the movie follows a French dance troupe who find themselves at an abandoned school. But what was supposed to be their rehearsal descends into a dark nightmare after everyone gets drunk on sangria spiked with LSD, a potent psychedelic drug.

3) House

House is a solid choice among psychedelic horror movies for those who like a good thriller that will keep them on the edge of their seats. This 1977 Japanese comedy horror, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, brings both psychedelic horror with a tinge of comedy to the silver screen.

The tension starts when a schoolgirl goes to her aunt's mansion in the countryside with six of her classmates only to realize that the estate is haunted—household appliances in the mansion have life, a severed head is floating around, and an evil spirit is trapped in a cat's portrait.

4) Suspiria

Those looking for psychedelic horror movies can pick this 2018 film based on the 1977 mystery horror - Suspiria by Dario Argento. It can be described as suspenseful and hypnotic with its scary narrative and supernatural horror elements, involving a young dancer and a grieving psychotherapist.

It follows Dakota Johnson's Susie Bannion, an American dancer in 1970s Berlin, who auditions for a renowned dance company, nabbing the lead dancer role. However, the woman she replaced had disappeared after accusing the directors of witchcraft. Meanwhile, a psychotherapist, who is also part of the troupe, uncovers sinister secrets that bring them to hidden chambers under the studio's grounds.

5) Mandy

This 2018 Nicholas Cage film is for fanatics of action psychedelic horror movies and gore cinema. Some call it an "acid trip of a movie," while others praise the nightmarish technicolor that this Panos Cosmatos-directed film exhibits.

Based in 1983, Cage's Red Miller is a veteran lumberjack who loves his peaceful existence with his girlfriend Mandy in an isolated cabin. However, when a sadistic cult leader and his followers destroy their safe, quiet haven, he's forced to unleash a bloody rampage that includes a deadly fire.

6 ) Beyond the Black Rainbow

Beyond the Black Rainbow (Image via Chromewood Productions)

Another one of Panos Cosmatos's psychedelic horror movies—this 2010 Canadian science fiction is set in a dystopian world in 1983. The movie's storyline is deeply rooted in science intertwined with spirituality, with a heavy influence of psychedelic drugs that coined this genre of films.

Eva Bourne stars as Elena, a young woman who found herself imprisoned and heavily drugged in a secluded commune. The film follows her attempt to get out from the thumb of her sinister captor Nyle.

7) Eraserhead

Eraserhead is a David Lynch film that is often described as "profoundly disturbing," with its mind-bending plot paired with trippy visuals. In fact, Stanley Kubrick had The Shining cast and crew watch Eraserhead to get them in the mood for filming.

The movie follows Jack Nance as Henry Spencer, a young factory worker who marries a woman he impregnated. However, when their child is born, the new father is plagued, knowing that he has a mutant child who refuses all food, crying incessantly and intolerably. To add to his horror, more disturbing characters seem to be living in his building.

8) I Drink Your Blood

I Drink Your Blood (Image via Jerry Gross Productions)

Movie fanatics looking for psychedelic horror movies can watch this 1971 David Ransom counter-culture horror film next. Viewers have described it as "genuinely unsettling," with its vividly colored cinematography, freakout music, and riveting storyline.

It follows a group of satanic hippies who become rabid and cannibalistic after eating meat pies injected with dog blood. And when a young woman falls victim to them, her brother and grandfather try to get even, ending in a deadly revenge plot.

9) Color Out of Space

Color Out of Space (Image via SpectreVision)

Color Out of Space is another one of Nicholas Cage-starring psychedelic horror movies on this list, bringing yet another grotesque movie experience to fanatics. Some call the film "authentically nightmarish," with its visually alluring hues and memorable out-of-there effects.

Nathan Gardner, portrayed by Cage, finds himself and his family against a mutant extraterrestrial being after a bright meteorite crash-landed in their front yard. The 2019 film follows the chaos and strange occurrences that happen to their farm and their quiet rural life following the cosmic infections from the meteor.

10) Possessor

This 2020 Brandon Cronenberg film, which has a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, brings good body horror and a mind-bending trip for those who love psychedelic horror movies. It's equally gory, bloody, violent, and disturbingly crazy.

Set in an alternate 2008, it follows Andrea Riseborough's Tasya Vos, an elite assassin who can take control of other people's bodies. Using a brain-implant technology, she inhabits a stranger's body to commit murder for her high-paying clients.

Fans of psychedelic horror can pick and enjoy any of the movies from this list.

Edited by Janhavi Chauhan