The 10 Best Torture Horror Movies, Ranked (2024)

Dismissively tarred with the derisive label “torture p*rn” in the wake of its mainstream boom in the 2000s, torture-horror is in fact one of the most compelling and provocative horror subgenres. Although its roots date back much further, the subgenre gained notoriety after the 2004 launch of the immensely popular Saw franchise, with many subsequent horror films continuing its bloody legacy.

Exploring the limits of what the human body can endure, as well as themes of gender, power and political unrest, torture-horror is able to provide gruesome scares and compelling stories. These are 10 of the very best torture-horror films, showcasing the strengths of the surprisingly varied subgenre.

10 'Saw VI' (2009)

Directed by Kevin Greutert

Saw VI is the sixth entry in the immensely popular Saw franchise, and is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert. The film centers on a twisted game devised by Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) to punish the people involved in a predatory health insurance company that denied him potentially life-saving medical treatment. As the game takes place after Jigsaw's death, the game is run by his apprentice, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) as he attempts to evade the suspicion of the authorities.

The Saw films are known for their extreme violence and often self-inflicted torture sequences, and Saw VI is highly effective at shocking and thrilling its audience with its clever and gruesome traps. The film is notable due to its surprisingly incisive critiques of the profit-driven US healthcare industry, adding pathos to Jigsaw's character as you witness his struggles in the system, brought to life by one of Tobin Bell's strongest acting turns in the entire series. Gory, fast-paced and extremely entertaining, Saw VI is one of the best films in its series as well as the torture-horror subgenre.

Saw VI

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9 'Wolf Creek' (2005)

Directed by Greg McLean

Written and directed by Greg McLean, Wolf Creek is a 2005 Australian horror film. Set deep in the Australian outback, the film follows two English women, Liz (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristy (Kestie Morassi) who meet an Australian man, Ben (Nathan Phillips), while travelling. The three embark on a road trip together that eventually turns horrific when they encounter Mick (John Jarratt), a sadistic serial killer, after being stranded in the middle of the wilderness.

Wolf Creek is a notoriously brutal and bleak horror film, portraying the raw terror of being pursued and captured by a serial killer in horrifyingly realistic detail. Played perfectly by John Jarratt, Mick is one of the most twisted villains in modern horror, being highly xenophobic and misogynistic and completely dehumanizing his innocent victims. Containing distressing scenes of physical and psychological torture, Wolf Creek is one of Australia’s nastiest horror films.

Wolf Creek

R

Horror

Thriller

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Potenial für jahrelange Albträume: 13 extreme brutale Filme

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Release Date

September 16, 2005

Director

Greg Mclean

Cast

John Jarratt , Cassandra Magrath , Kestie Morassi , Nathan Phillips , Gordon Poole , Guy O'Donnell

Runtime

99

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Greg Mclean

Tagline

The thrill is in the hunt.

Website

http://www.wolfcreekthemovie.com/

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8 'Eden Lake' (2008)

Directed by James Watkins

Eden Lake is a 2008 British horror film written and directed by James Watkins. The film follows a middle-class couple, Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender), who attempt to have a romantic getaway in a small English village. However, upon arrival, the two quickly become involved in a rivalry with a group of local teenagers led by the terrifying Brett (Jack O’Connell) and find themselves the targets of nightmarish violence and cruel torture.

The film centers on the high socio-economic tensions of mid-2000s British society, aiming to satirize tabloid fear-mongering about out of control youths by portraying the worst case scenario possible. Jack O’Connell is highly imposing in his antagonistic role, despite his young age, and the violence inflicted upon the film’s characters is intense and uncompromising. Eden Lake is a disturbing and depressing horror film about class divisions, featuring visceral torture scenes.

Eden Lake

R

Horror

Thriller

Release Date

September 12, 2008

Director

James Watkins

Cast

Kelly Reilly , Michael Fassbender , Jack O'Connell , Thomas Turgoose , Bronson Webb , Shaun Dooley

Runtime

91 Minutes

Main Genre

Thriller

Writers

James Watkins

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7 'Hard Candy' (2005)

Directed by David Slade

Directed by David Slade, Hard Candy is a 2005 psychological horror-thriller film. The film follows Hayley (Elliot Page), a young teen who meets a grown man, Jeff (Patrick Wilson), online and begins a flirtation with him. However, while Jeff believes he is going to be able to take advantage of Hayley when they meet in person, he is soon blindsided by the reveal that she is in fact planning on torturing him as punishment for his predatory behavior.

The entire film is an intense psychological cat and mouse game between Hayley and Jeff, with Page and Wilson both delivering chilling and engaging performances. While the film’s subject matter is highly disturbing, seeing such a monstrous character be on the receiving end of most of the film’s physical and psychological violence is subversively cathartic for a film focused on torture. Visually striking and compelling, Hard Candy is a bold and twisted thriller.

Hard Candy

R

Drama

Thriller

Hard Candy: A teenage girl meets a seemingly charming man online, leading to a tense confrontation that unfolds over an afternoon. As power dynamics shift, their unsettling encounter reveals complex themes of trust, manipulation, and morality, challenging perceptions and exploring the consequences of online interactions and vigilantism.

Release Date

April 14, 2006

Director

David Slade

Cast

Patrick Wilson , elliot page , Sandra Oh , Odessa Rae , G.J. Echternkamp

Runtime

104 Minutes

Writers

Brian Nelson

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6 'Hostel' (2005)

Directed by Eli Roth

Written and directed by Eli Roth, Hostel is a 2005 torture-horror film. The film focuses on a group of young men who travel to Slovakia in the hopes of taking advantage of the sex tourism industry but end up unwittingly falling into the clutches of an organized crime ring of wealthy businessmen who pay to torture and kill tourists. Centering in on Paxton (Jay Hernandez), the ringleader of the group, the film follows as he attempts to outwit his would-be killer and escape captivity.

Hostel’s central themes focus on gender dynamics and American ignorance about other countries, with the protagonists’ bravado putting them directly at risk as they underestimate the dangers surrounding them. Featuring a subversively intelligent screenplay underneath its characters’ brash sexist and ignorant remarks, Hostel uses its violence to satirize the concept of sex tourism, drawing a direct comparison between the torture facility and the brothel the protagonists patronize. Smart, disturbing and brutal, Hostel is a torture-horror classic.

Hostel

R

Horror

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Release Date

January 6, 2006

Director

Eli Roth

Cast

Jay Hernandez , Derek Richardson , Eythor Gudjonsson , Barbara Nedeljakova , Jan Vlasák , Jana Kaderabkova

Runtime

95

Writers

Eli Roth

Tagline

Welcome To Your Worst Nightmare

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5 'The Loved Ones' (2009)

Directed by Sean Byrne

The Loved Ones is a 2009 Australian coming-of-age torture-horror film written and directed by Sean Byrne. The film follows Brent (Xavier Samuel), a depressed teenager who finds himself at the mercy of his psychopathic classmate Lola (Robin McLeavy) after rejecting her romantic advances. Kidnapped by Lola and her father (John Brumpton), Brent is forced to endure a twisted and violent version of prom as her "date".

The film's strongest element is its antagonist, Lola, who is highly unique for a horror villain due to her being a conventionally shy and feminine teenage girl. Robin McLeavy's performance in the role is fierce and delightfully unhinged, with the film playing out like a relentlessly extended Texas Chain Saw Massacre dinner sequence as Lola and her father induct Brent into their messed up family. Funny, gruesome and disturbing, The Loved Ones is an underrated gem.

The Loved Ones

R

Crime

Drama

Horror

Thriller

Release Date

November 4, 2010

Director

Sean Byrne

Cast

Xavier Samuel , Robin McLeavy , Victoria Thaine , Jessica McNamee , Richard Wilson , John Brumpton

Runtime

84 minutes

Main Genre

Crime

Writers

Sean Byrne

Tagline

Prom night can be torture.

Website

http://www.thelovedonesmovie.com/

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4 'Calvaire' (2004)

Directed by Fabrice Du Welz

Calvaire is a 2004 French-Belgian folk horror film directed by Fabrice Du Welz and co-written by Du Welz and Romain Protat. The film follows Marc (Laurent Lucas), a singer who becomes stranded in a bizarre small village composed entirely of men. After a tense few days, Marc is eventually held prisoner by an innkeeper named Bartel (Jackie Berroyer) who seeks to turn Marc into his ex-wife, Gloria.

Although less graphic than many of its contemporaries, Calvaire contains intense psychological torture and dehumanization inflicted upon Marc, as well as featuring some shocking explosions of physical violence. The film provides an intelligent commentary on the treatment of women, making the subversive choice of portraying a male character becoming the victim of misogyny in an isolated patriarchal community. A key entry in the European extremity horror canon, Calvaire is a darkly comedic and deeply uncomfortable torture-horror film.

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3 'Saw' (2004)

Directed by James Wan

Saw is a 2004 psychological torture-horror thriller directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell. The film follows Adam (Whannell) and Lawrence (Cary Elwes), two strangers who find themselves chained to opposite ends of a disused bathroom and forced to fight for their lives by the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell). In order to prove that they cherish their lives and deserve redemption, Jigsaw victims are subjected to brutal torture and pushed to make impossible decisions.

The film that launched one of the most successful horror series of all time, as well as the prolific careers of Wan and Whannell, Saw is a crucial part of modern horror history. While the torture itself occurs largely offscreen, the film’s striking editing and brutal sound design make its violence viscerally impactful. Featuring excellent twists, a distinctive and effective visual style and establishing one of horror’s greatest icons in Jigsaw himself, Saw is a true standout of its genre.

Saw

R

Crime

Horror

Mystery

Release Date

October 1, 2004

Director

James Wan

Cast

Leigh Whannell , Cary Elwes , Danny Glover , Ken Leung , Dina Meyer , Mike Butters

Runtime

100

Main Genre

Crime

Writers

Leigh Whannell , James Wan

Tagline

Experience the Ultimate Halloween Event

Website

http://www.sawmovie.com/

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2 'The Devil’s Rejects' (2005)

Directed by Rob Zombie

The Devil’s Rejects is a 2005 neo-Western horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie. Set in the aftermath of House of 1000 Corpses, the film follows the murderous Firefly family as they go on the run, engaging in a horrific crime spree. As a vengeful Sheriff (William Forsythe) pursues them, Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis (Bill Moseley) and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) take on the roles of both perpetrators and victims of torture.

Taking influence from horror classics as well as the Western genre, the film makes the subversive and compelling choice of portraying its serial killer protagonists as antihero outlaws, while still maintaining their evil brutality. The film’s greatest weapon is the stellar performances of its cast, with Haig, Moseley and Zombie imbuing their characters with an immense energy and sense of menace, as well as portraying their surprisingly endearing familial bond. Considered by many fans to be Rob Zombie’s crowning achievement, The Devil’s Rejects is torture-horror at its very best.

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1 'Martyrs' (2008)

Directed by Pascal Laugier

Martyrs is a 2008 French extreme horror film written and directed by Pascal Laugier. The film follows Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï), a torture survivor who seeks revenge on the people who tormented her as a child with the help of her friend Anna (Morjana Alaoui). Together, the women discover the horrifying reasoning behind Lucie's ordeal, connected to a conspiratorial organization intent on discovering the truth about life after death.

Martyrs is a deeply upsetting film, presenting an almost unrelentingly bleak story about pain and suffering in all forms, with the sole light being the tenderness shown by its traumatized protagonists towards fellow victims. The film contains several extreme torture sequences, including an extended montage that deliberately seeks to push the audience to its limits. Asking heavy questions about spirituality and the human body, Martyrs is a unique and horrifying torture-horror film.

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NEXT: The Best Horror Movies of 2024 (So Far)

Wolf Creek

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