You must be seeing things incorrectly. There is no way I would craft a second elongated anecdote + ranking of loopy movies that disturbed my waking being, right? Alas, it is the case, and I am probably just as shocked as you are that I found more to list below. Or maybe you aren’t shocked. That’s okay too.
#10. Taxi Driver (1976)
This movie did not live up to my expectations at all. I’m putting it right out there. Emotionless face the whole time. Very boring. For a fact, it is disturbing in its casual expression of unregulated racism and poor habitual living. The equivalent to watching this movie is like living alongside a burnt-out man. Maybe a little crazy, like You if it were a movie, but dialed down a lot. I was in high spirits waiting to see this movie because it was compared to other doomer movies, such as Fight Club or Blade Runner, and while it was a bit loopy, the entire premise is aimless and the protagonist, Travis, is a slow talker, not a smooth talker. He has absolutely no pick-up skills, and when he is rejected, he follows up with slander and death wishes. I’m sorry Martin Scorsese, but what were you thinking?
#9. The Witches (1990)
The Witches has got to be one of my top favorite childhood films. That gives me an idea for another story in The Shield. Anyway, the movie really isn’t disturbing, unlike the reboot and Anne Hathaway’s unusually unhinged jaw. The picture is more freaky—the old witches look like Xenomorphs! And this is an irrational fear, but imagine being stomped on by a shoe. I’ll pass on talking with old woman, preferably sticking by my parents.
#8. Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
Yet again, another inconvenience to my day. I was expecting a horror fest, and it did not supply one ounce of dread into my system. I never knew that there could be too much of a unique plot, but that’s what made the movie so much worse. The acting was dry, the special effects were entirely too false, and the performance was as bland as a desert. But why is it on this list, you may ask? The truth is: ghosts are scary. No matter how dull it was, the concept of being trapped in any house with the murderous undead is worry-inducing, and this movie does prove that they have the ability to kill in terrible ways. Nonetheless, it’s still very dumb. Don’t recommend it, but that’s just an opinion.
#7. Lady in White (1988)
This movie is based on a New York urban legend. Spooky. Just kidding, it isn’t scary, but it earns a loopy title, which you’ll realize serves as a pun. It is about a young child who commonly views the ghost of a little girl, one who is constantly suffering a loop of her unexpected murder. The twists are juicy and disturbing, mainly because the ghost sings this incredibly eerie version of Bing Crosby’s “Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?” No, thank you. Seeing childhood innocence crushed in such a quaint and rural setting is as disturbing as it gets. Well, obviously not based on the list below.
#6. Candyman (The reboot, 2021)
I’m a little surprised that I didn’t put this higher up towards the most disturbing films, but it didn’t quite hit as hard for me compared to the original Candyman (1992). Deep-seated prejudice is an obvious theme from the start, and the killing in this horror movie isn’t necessarily the disturbing part, though I would refrain from it if sensitive. The unfair ending and maltreatment of Black Americans leaves one feeling incomplete and deeply saddened. If you are a chiller-enthusiast, watch the classic following the reboot.
#5. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Hardly unsettling in comparison to the other contenders below. Almost all of these end in disappointment, and this is no exception. Unlike my mother, I did not think this movie was uber-terrifying. In fact, the antagonist, The Creeper, is nearly equivalent to Pennywise in terms of humorous actions. However, the fact that this creature is a relentless and reckless driver is the scariest part about this . . . it is the only logical fear in reality. Oh, and it is immortal. That settles it. Don’t go on road trips. Do not stop by derelict houses. And for the love of everything semi-holy, do not investigate basements. I do not wish to spoil the ending, but as a warning, it is unfair and gruesome. Up until this point, I was not scared, but now I wish to unsee everything.
#4. The Fly (1986)
Wow. This movie was incredibly anti-climactic, but the ending was so worth it. I always say that body horror movies are the most horrifying and grotesque, which is still true in my opinion, but they are more impressive than disturbing. The final transformation that they were building up to was magnificently gory, and the special effects really pulled taut the knot in my stomach. While it is disturbing because it is gross, it is horribly unrealistic and very sci-fi coded. That isn’t a bad thing. I have a feeling that there are still dents in the couch from my gripping nails. But did it earn the title of loopy? Not exactly.
#3. The Ritual (2017)
I immediately needed to read the book following this movie, and neither of them let me down. The Ritual belongs nestled in the 3rd spot, no questions asked. While the appearance of a Nordic god itself is not realistic, the grounding of long-lasting friendships and grappling with grief will forever be apparent in reality. But honestly? It was still more scary than loopy, and while there are eerie flashbacks and hallucinations that the protagonist experiences, the book in comparison had none of those. Was it good? Absolutely, but who on Earth goes backpacking in uncharted territory? Please, don’t do this!
#2. American Beauty (1999)
Ambivalence. If you have never used nor heard of this word, I shall describe it for you. It is this movie. A cynical, disturbing piece of cinema. I put a movie on the television during finals, thinking I could multitask my way through educational life. I watched the entire movie holding my US History notes. It was as if every scene had individual limbs freezing up on me. The cinematography, the acting, the suburban disillusionment. Everything meshed together perfectly, yet everything was so unsound. The ending is partially plausible, including the acceptance of profound beauty in a family, but the portion right after that . . . maybe so? Many people in the world may have these feelings appear in more ways than one, and this film brilliantly highlights how it feels. Since I do not condone any of the behaviors of the protagonist, it is the winning choice for disturbing and loopy. However, it still managed to make me sad and right after watching, I wished to wash my eyes out with soap. And ears. And the brain.
#1. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The outrageous part of this is how difficult it was to find an appropriate image. The content of the book was already revolting. Why did the movie industry do this?! Like clockwork (ahem, pun), this piece of media finally earned that deserved loopy title through its dream sequences, mind-bending costume choices, and boggling dialogue. While I can’t explicitly discuss what the matter is in this tale, I would like to point out that it is disturbing due to the excessive sensual discussion and the fact that so many men normalized this as “real” and “relatable”.” Disgusting, is what I have to say to that. I can’t say I enjoyed the book either, but both were created very well. Warning: It is an extremely tough movie to get all the way through (unless you have no soul), but I do like the film sets. Instead of 1960s Dublin, Ireland, the director pictured Big Hero 6’s San Fransokyo meshed with the (then) future 80s. What drugs were they handing out in the 70s?