7 highly rated body horror movies of the 21st century

7. "Swallow"

• 2019
• USA, France
• Thriller, drama
• Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
• Starring: Hayley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Denis O'Hare, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche
• IMDb Rating: 6.5

Hunter (Haley Bennett) lives expecting a baby with her perfect husband Richie (Austin Stowell). The pregnancy is proceeding normally, except for her strange eating habits. The woman realizes that she wants to eat inedible things. After Hunter eats a piece of marble, her husband and mother begin to watch her closely and monitor her every move, making the woman suspect that something terrible is being kept from her.

"Really enjoyed the movie! Yes, the movie is strange, complicated, this kind of movie is definitely not for everyone. But people who have experienced different difficult periods of their lives, anxious, suffering from depression, experiencing other psychological problems, will find in this movie something familiar that will resonate and give the opportunity to understand and sympathize with the main character", — sad_hybrid_child.

"Beautiful movie, everything is great, pity the main character", — id212027600.

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6. "Possessor"

• 2020
• Canada, UK
• Fantasy, thriller
• Director: Brandon Cronenberg
• Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean
• IMDb Rating: 6.5

Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) is an assassin in the service of a secret corporation. Using brain implant technology, she infiltrates the minds of others to 'puppeteer' them into committing crimes. When the deed is done, all she has to do is kill the host to return to her own body. However, the longer she spends in other people's bodies, the more she loses control of her own mind.

The son of classic visionary filmmaker David Cronenberg ("The Fly", "Videodrome"), director Brandon Cronenberg fills "Possessor" with resourceful visual tricks in the best tradition of his father's filmmaking, and builds the plot in the most suspenseful and unexpected ways.

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5. "Titane" 

• 2021
• France, Belgium
• Fantasy, drama, thriller, crime
• Director: Julia Ducournau
• Starring: Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Nathalie Boyer, Myriem Akheddiou
• IMDb: 6.5

Alexia (Agathe Rousselle was in a car accident as a child and as a result had a titanium plate sewn into her head. After growing up, the girl performs wild car dances, and one day begins recklessly and uncontrollably killing people, not particularly realizing what drives her. To evade the police, Alexia shaves her head and pretends to be Adrien Legrand, the long-missing son of French firefighter Vincent (Vincent Lindon).

"It's filmed lushly, vilely and beautifully, the same with the sound and music. And in some places it's quite a witty thing, but not for everyone, unequivocally. If I recommend it, it should be recommended either for provocation or to those who are sure of it. But if you decide to watch it, then an unusual viewing is assured. In general, I do not regret that I touched", — myauser.

"Murahi the whole movie, deserved "Palme d'Or" 74th Cannes Film Festival", — macbluefeel.

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4. "Together"

• 2025
• Australia, USA
• Horror
• Director: Michael Shanks
• Starring: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Damon Herriman, Mia Morrissey 
• IMDb Rating: 6.7

Millie (Alison Brie) and Tim (Dave Franco) move from the big city to the outback. To cheer themselves up, they go for a walk in the woods, where they accidentally walk into a mysterious cave. When Millie and Tim return home, they begin to feel strange: they are incredibly attracted to each other, and it is almost impossible to resist this attraction.

For Michael Shanks, this work was his debut in the full-meter segment as both director and screenwriter.

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3. "Little Otik" / Otesánek

• 2001
• Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan
• Drama, comedy, thriller, horror, fantasy
• Director: Jan Švankmajer
• Starring: Veronika Žilková, Jan Hartl, Kristina Adamcová, Jaroslava Kretschmerová, Pavel Nový
• IMDb Rating: 7.3

A childless couple, Karel (Jan Hartl) and Božena (Veronika Žilková), dream of having a child, but all their attempts to conceive are fruitless. Desperate to make his wife happy through constant bed workouts, Karel brings a small log into the house. Božena happily begins to take care of the piece of wood and gives it the name Otik. Soon this strange game fascinates the husband and wife, and their newfound "son" begins to show signs of life.

"Little Otik" is a surreal adaptation of the Czech folk tale "Otesánek" about a childless couple who really wanted to have a child.

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2. "The Ugly Stepsister" / Den stygge stesøsteren

• 2025
• Norway, Denmark, Romania, Poland, Sweden
• Horror, drama, comedy
• Director: Emilie Blichfeldt
• Starring: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Isac Calmroth, Malte Myrenberg Gårdinger
• IMDb Rating: 7.3

Elvira's (Lea Myren) mother Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) marries the father of the beautiful Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), who dies suddenly at his own wedding after falling face first into a cake. The unhappy widow discovers that he has little or no means of livelihood behind him. The only way to find prosperity is to marry Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth) off to her eldest daughter, who dreams of happiness with the handsome man.

"Not a bad variation of Cinderella that shows the main character's transformation journey to her main goal of marrying the prince. There are some uncomfortable moments, but they are generally organically incorporated. The theme of accepting yourself and your appearance will always be relevant, so it's worth watching)", — FragileCor.

"Really liked this interpretation of Cinderella, cool way of showing the motivation of the characters and their relationships. I sympathized with all three sisters, each with their own truth. The visuals are top nightmare", — mara_sun.

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1. "The Substance"

• 2024
• UK, France
• Horror, drama
• Director: Coralie Fargeat
• Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia, Oscar Lesage
• IMDb Rating: 7.3

Fading Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is desperately trying to stay afloat in her beloved profession. However, Elizabeth's best days are long gone and she now runs a fitness program on television. One day the management decides that her time is up and offers the actress to retire. This becomes a heavy blow for Sparkle. The celebrity decides to use a black market substance called the Substance to bring back a young and perfect version of herself.

"Awesome movie, simply the best, inhaled at the beginning exhaled at the end. How well it's shot, those shots, the music, the acting, the thought and idea itself. Everything is perfect I am thrilled, I haven't seen such a gorgeous movie in a long time. Yes, at the end of the fat a lot, the message is complex I did not really understand, but perhaps in another way the effect did not achieve", — Flokker.

"Watched this movie on the recommendation of a colleague. The movie is specific, with a moral and marked 18+. Some people won't like it, but I personally liked it", — AmelinZ.

"Not bad, at the same time vile, disgusting, tense and delightful. How in this day and age people don't like themselves and don't know how to accept themselves as they are. The cult of beauty and youth is very scary!" — irun4ik.

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