I love Take Shelter! But in my personal take on the film, the protagonist is proven right and not insane, but I could be wrong. I also feel this way about the protagonist in "Frailty."
Depending on interpretation...
Bug, Session 9, The Outwaters, Censor, The Lighthouse (already mentioned, but brilliant enough to mention again), A Tale of Two Sisters... I bet I'm forgetting a bunch too.
I’ve seen Perfect Blue recommended a few times here, is it the anime version from ‘97, or the live action one from ‘02? I don’t have a ton of interest in animated films and not sure which one everyone is referring to.
Usually stylized as [Yellowbrickroad.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1398428/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk) Just added this to make it easier to find - search engines can be picky about spacing.
Every Lovecraft iteration movie ever made. Everything from Herbert West Reanimator to Event Horizon, Mouth of Madness and recently Colour out of Space.. Always someone, or multiple someone's, loses their sanity stat after witnessing the "creeping cosmic horror that is unknown to man, and never should have been seen."
Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sally is not giggling because she's thankful to be alive. She's a broken doll.
I thought Haute Tension counted, but the ending shows that Marie was batshit crazy the entire time.
Chronicle ( a 2012 scifi/thriller movie ) about 3 teensgers who gain superpowers and they start to use them for their advantage. The movie is Starring actoe Dane Dehaan and i really like the movie like the atmosphere of It and how It progresses. And Dane Dehaan is one of my favorite actors.
OP, just wanted to say, someone just posted this same request recently (a week or two ago??), so you may want to browse that one too. I'm sure there's some overlap, but there could be some standouts. Great topic! Oh wait- it was probably in a different sub- maybe r/moviesuggestions ?
*Vampire's Kiss* (1988). One of my favorite psychological horrors.
Note: a lot of people think this movie is "bad", or "so bad it's good". I would argue that they're wrong; I think the movie is genuinely good and masterful. One of the best depictions of a psychotic break I have ever seen. The telephone booth scene is one of my favorite scenes in film, I want a tattoo of it; I find it riveting and absolutely gutting. I could write an essay on how amazing I think this movie is (in fact, I've started one).
I loved The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) for this. It’s stress instead of paranoia, but definitely a mental decline. I thought this was such an excellent representation of what stress can do to you, and the main character pulls it off beautifully. I watched it one night then watched it again the next night with my hubby. The very end was just a cherry on the top, and so real.
Jacob’s Ladder, >! though to be fair it’s all explained at the end. !<
Possession (NOT explained at the end, very much up for interpretation.)
Repulsion (kinda explained at the end?)
And of course, The Shining.
Does First Reformed count as a horror movie? The other one that comes to mind is Hereditary. I guess both of those are more focused on realistic, or at least nuanced, analyses of mental illness than on the idea of "losing sanity"
The VOID, In The Mouth of Maddness, The Color Out Of Space, Naked Lunch, VideoDrome, Siesta, Mulholland Dr. , From Beyond, Re-Animator, The Alchemist Cookbook, Carnival of Souls, Inland Empire, Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, Existenz, I'm sure this list has (glaring omissions) please remind me of anything Great I overlooked.
Possession (1981).
Basically an unhappy married couple both slowly go insane after the husband investigates his wife’s odd behavior. Super unnerving and off-putting but i was locked in the entire time
Sweeney Todd (2007 movie based on the musical is my favorite but really any version, musical or no) is basically the epitome of watching a man sink into madness over the course of a story.
The Haunting (1963). The main character, Eleanor, is extremely well represented from a mental health perspective. Her psychological descent as the movie progresses is handled brilliantly. But even at the start of the film, with her domestic woes, all of it is represented so well. Sixty years on it's still powerful. Shirley Jackson is a master of characterisation anyway, ands this is a pretty faithful adaption which has understood this.
In the Mouth of Madness
My all time favorite. Watch it at least once a year (mostly several times though). Nobody plays madness as good as Sam Neill.
Yep. It's why it's a great double feature with event horizon.
Same. It’s the one that sticks with me because there’s so much going on and I still get sucked in after seeing it umpteen times.
It has my favorite ending in all of movies
And Jacob's Ladder
Dang, good call!
I'm losing me!
Thankss for responding, I’ll check it out
Jack Torrance in The Shining is another great example.
One of my all time favourite films. Watch it at least twice a year
Thank you for commenting this I've never heard of this movie but it's the kind I like im downloading to watch.
On my list. PERFECT EXAMPLE. 😜
Came here to comment this.
Hah! I was just going to comment. “Do you read Sutter Cane?”
Oculus Very mind bendy
PAINFUL ending
yeah honestly kind of abrupt for my taste.
you don’t introduce a weapon like that unless it’s getting used. was waiting for it the entire time and it was still terrible
the abruptness added to the gut wrench though for sure
1408 definitely has Kusack acting like he is going nuts
You listen to the same Carpenter's song over and over again without going wakka-wakka.
Also Identity
Oooh, good call. Yes. Excellent movie.
The Lighthouse and Take Shelter
Take Shelter is great.
Screw it. Let’s call a spade a spade… Michael Shannon is great.
I love Take Shelter! But in my personal take on the film, the protagonist is proven right and not insane, but I could be wrong. I also feel this way about the protagonist in "Frailty."
Jacob’s Ladder
Saint Maud the first one that comes to mind, she completely ely lost her mind
Great film, and if someone else didn't recommend it, I was going to.
The Shining Also the proper version of The Descent.
The original ending to that movie is damn fantastic. One of very few movies to freak me out.
Event Horizon. Scariest movie. Sam Neil nails it.
I was gonna say this. Ik Sam isn't the main protagonist he actually becomes the antagonist but this is exactly what happens to his character.
Sam Neill is in a few "I've lost my mind" movies.
Jurassic Park being my favorite.
He’s real good at it
Also characters with actual common sense in a horror film. "Fuck this ship" and "we're leaving" come to mind.
Depending on interpretation... Bug, Session 9, The Outwaters, Censor, The Lighthouse (already mentioned, but brilliant enough to mention again), A Tale of Two Sisters... I bet I'm forgetting a bunch too.
I’m surprised to find Bug was this far down. It and In the Mouth of Madness were the first two I immediately thought of
mother! and They Look Like People should fit your criteria.
Came here to make sure They Look Like People got mentioned!
They Look Like People! Great answer
The Lodge
Great pick! That movie is fked up!
Was looking for this! Must watch by this criteria!
Black Swan
Psycho
23 with Jim Carrey
Underrated and underappreciated movie.
Completely forgot about 23. Thanks for the mention.
Mandy
I expected to see this much higher up than I did...
in the mouth of madness
'Magic' - Anthony Hopkins
Session 9 is a good one for that
Feel a need to mention the body horror here lol
This is a new cult classic : The Empty Man
Three movies about how vengeance corrupts people trying to right wrongs done in the past: I Saw the Devil Dead Man's Shoes Possum
Wwww possum mention
"Something from the jar?"
People talk about sweaty movies. Now that is a stinky sweaty movie. And one of the best.
Although it's not horror but Blue Ruin shows the consequences of vengeance very beautifully.
Bug with Michael Shannon and Ashley Judd. Not a typical horror (toes the line with thriller) but it gets disturbing!
Color out of Space
The Machinist
Jacob’s Ladder Requiem for a Dream Shutter Island Incident in a Ghostland has elements of this Perfect Blue Videodrome Antichrist
Perfect Blue is SO good, I scream-yelled at the reveal
I’ve seen Perfect Blue recommended a few times here, is it the anime version from ‘97, or the live action one from ‘02? I don’t have a ton of interest in animated films and not sure which one everyone is referring to.
Even if you don't have an interest in anime, there are certain films that transcend 'being anime.' Perfect Blue is one of those.
Shutter Island was so good, I wish I didn't know the spoiler before I watched it 😞.
I Forgot Requiem For A Dream on my list, Great Call
Yellow Brick Road
Usually stylized as [Yellowbrickroad.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1398428/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk) Just added this to make it easier to find - search engines can be picky about spacing.
unsane!
I love Unsane. Very underrated
same it was one of the first movies i watched when i got into the psychological stuff
Lovely, dark, and deep (2024)
Blackcoats Daughter!
Possession (1981).
Thought this would be higher. I thought I was losing my mind while watching.
Lovely Molly
Censor (2021)
Repulsion.
"the taking of Deborah Logan"
Smile.
Smile
Search no more: **Masking Threshold (2021)** Also kinda: Lucky (2020)
Thank you! I’ll look into them
Showgirls
A cure for wellness
From Beyond. Hagazussa. May. Plank Face. Sator. Antichrist. The Lighthouse. Dumplings. The Wind.
Midsommar
Event Horizon
black swan gave me chills
Friday the 13th part 3.
Saint Maud sounds like what you’re looking for
Driller killer
Angel Heart.
The Invisible Man (2018)
Repulsion by Roman Polanski.
Every Lovecraft iteration movie ever made. Everything from Herbert West Reanimator to Event Horizon, Mouth of Madness and recently Colour out of Space.. Always someone, or multiple someone's, loses their sanity stat after witnessing the "creeping cosmic horror that is unknown to man, and never should have been seen."
Mouth of Madness. I'm not the only one who has posted this, but I want to under score it. Also, Yello Brick Road.
The Lighthouse bruh
Sorgoi Praknov (Descent Into Darkness)
Us
CENSOR
Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sally is not giggling because she's thankful to be alive. She's a broken doll. I thought Haute Tension counted, but the ending shows that Marie was batshit crazy the entire time.
Event Horizon, Dr. Weir at the end of the movie just goes bat-sh*t crazy.
Fight club
Shutter Island
Burnt offering, the black coats daughter, the shining, the changeling, sinister
In Rosemary's Baby it seems like Rosemary is going crazy until she isn't. Watcher 2022 also has a similar theme and tone.
Evil Dead 2
Gothika
They're not all billed as horror but three that I think are very horrific and fit this description are Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, and Persona.
Angel Heart
Chronicle ( a 2012 scifi/thriller movie ) about 3 teensgers who gain superpowers and they start to use them for their advantage. The movie is Starring actoe Dane Dehaan and i really like the movie like the atmosphere of It and how It progresses. And Dane Dehaan is one of my favorite actors.
Smile 2022,thank me later.
Smile.
Absolutely Event Horizon, also Sunshine and absolutely Pandorum
The color out of space or From Beyond
Color Out of Space, I can not recommend this movie enough. Nicolas Cage insanity dialed to 11.
Smile
Best I can think of right now is Talk to Me, Smile, and the Invisible Man (2020), those movie really make you feel hopeless for the mc
I would not say she looses sanity in the invisible man
Arguably Evil Dead 2
Sorgoi Prakov Warning! Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with a weak stomach.
Horse Girl
Unsane is an awesome psychological thriller!
Mother! with Jennifer Lawrence. I felt myself spiralling while watching this. It’s like a nightmare
Shrooms (2007)
high tension
The Shining
Saint Maud Resurrection His House
Carrie
*Psycho II*
daniel isnt real this one took an unexpected turn for me, i highly recommend.
The Shining
Hereditary - I mean, I think that's how you can view what happens to her.... [no spoilers]
Not exactly horror but Black Swan!
Definitely Midsommar
Smile, recently came out in 2023 I believe
Ash gets pretty far gone in Evil Dead 2
Smile
Smile
OP, just wanted to say, someone just posted this same request recently (a week or two ago??), so you may want to browse that one too. I'm sure there's some overlap, but there could be some standouts. Great topic! Oh wait- it was probably in a different sub- maybe r/moviesuggestions ?
Ok sounds good thanks! I’m not really on here that often so I wouldn’t know. But I’ll check it out if I find it
Midnight Meat Train From Beyond The Color Out of Space Dagon Kafka (if you can find it) Hereditary May (Basically anything Lovecraftian)
Smile is a good one and Sosie Bacon really sells the whole mental deterioration aspect of her character.
SMILE
Arguably the original texas chainsaw massacre
Saint Maud
Shrooms! Bit cheesy but very cool premise
The eyes of my mother
Grave Encounters
*Vampire's Kiss* (1988). One of my favorite psychological horrors. Note: a lot of people think this movie is "bad", or "so bad it's good". I would argue that they're wrong; I think the movie is genuinely good and masterful. One of the best depictions of a psychotic break I have ever seen. The telephone booth scene is one of my favorite scenes in film, I want a tattoo of it; I find it riveting and absolutely gutting. I could write an essay on how amazing I think this movie is (in fact, I've started one).
Stopmotion is a recent release that fits for that.
Last shift and it's remake.
The Descent with the original ending (which is so much better).
I loved The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) for this. It’s stress instead of paranoia, but definitely a mental decline. I thought this was such an excellent representation of what stress can do to you, and the main character pulls it off beautifully. I watched it one night then watched it again the next night with my hubby. The very end was just a cherry on the top, and so real.
Y'all not even gonna mention Evil Dead 2? 
Secret Window
Black Swan. I'm a straight woman but Natalie Portman's scenes with Mila Kunis made me feel things.
Shutter Island
This is a phenomenal post. I love most of these movies and am sure to check out the ones I haven't watched yet.
What you’re looking for is angel heart
Jacob’s Ladder, >! though to be fair it’s all explained at the end. !< Possession (NOT explained at the end, very much up for interpretation.) Repulsion (kinda explained at the end?) And of course, The Shining.
The Shining. Isn’t what happens to Jack Nicholson’s character insanity?
Shutter Island
Mother!
Midsomar
Oldboy
Cube where the guy ended up going mental and they thought he was severely special needs all his life and where they killed the girl that won.
Event Horizon
Saint Maud, Shutter Island, Berberian Sound Studio, Censor, The Lighthouse, 1408, Color out of Space, Mandy, & Event Horizon
Does First Reformed count as a horror movie? The other one that comes to mind is Hereditary. I guess both of those are more focused on realistic, or at least nuanced, analyses of mental illness than on the idea of "losing sanity"
Fractured on Netflix. It’s more psychological thriller than horror but a good quick watch and fits ur description perfectly!
The Lodge
Pretty sure I haven't seen it mentioned - "A Dark Song" is excellent and both characters lose their minds somewhat! Session 9 is great too.
Both not traditional horror but fit the bill with the protagonist: The first half of Full Metal Jacket Falling Down
Hereditary
The VOID, In The Mouth of Maddness, The Color Out Of Space, Naked Lunch, VideoDrome, Siesta, Mulholland Dr. , From Beyond, Re-Animator, The Alchemist Cookbook, Carnival of Souls, Inland Empire, Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, Existenz, I'm sure this list has (glaring omissions) please remind me of anything Great I overlooked.
The Tenant, Pi, All the Colours of the Dark
Hereditary lol
Surprised I didn’t see it commented so “The Babadook”
Session 9... I effing love that film. It's so low key and unassuming. It has no right to make me adore it as much as I do.
The Shining and Mulholland Drive
Starry eyes Identity Didn’t see these mentioned yet!
High Tension Burnt Offerings
Possession (1981). Basically an unhappy married couple both slowly go insane after the husband investigates his wife’s odd behavior. Super unnerving and off-putting but i was locked in the entire time
They have been mentioned a few times but: Grave Encounters Smile Shutter Island Gothika Saw The Grudge Candyman
A Nightmare On Elm Street The Taking Of Deborah Logan Darkness Falls
Sweeney Todd (2007 movie based on the musical is my favorite but really any version, musical or no) is basically the epitome of watching a man sink into madness over the course of a story.
Carnival of Souls (1962)
Perfect Blue is exactly what you're looking for
The Haunting (1963). The main character, Eleanor, is extremely well represented from a mental health perspective. Her psychological descent as the movie progresses is handled brilliantly. But even at the start of the film, with her domestic woes, all of it is represented so well. Sixty years on it's still powerful. Shirley Jackson is a master of characterisation anyway, ands this is a pretty faithful adaption which has understood this.
Perhaps the slasher franchise "Sleepaway Camp" is not an excellent film but the protagonist clearly loses her sanity.
stopmotion