If you’ve ever wondered how some films haunt without a jump scare or supernatural creature in sight, you’re not alone. Often, it’s that quiet unease that stays with you when you’re replaying scenes in your head days later. At their core, these are stories unafraid to sit with human nature, isolation, or existential dread, and they burrow under your skin precisely because they feel familiar (at times almost uncomfortably so).
Many of us chase horror films for their scares, yet some of the most unsettling experiences are hiding in plain sight, often tucked inside plausible, intimate dramas or psychological thrillers. Here, we revisit a selection of non-horror films that are guaranteed to haunt you in one way or another and explore how these masterful pictures build tension to leave a lasting mark.
10
‘Stalker’ (1979)
Following a guide (Alexandr Kajdanovsky) who leads two men through a mysterious zone to a room that allegedly grants wishes, Tarkovsky‘s Stalker employs slowness to create a sense of displacement and the philosophical undertones that have captivated many throughout the years.
At its core, Stalker is less about the characters’ destination than it is about their own internal journeys revealed to the audience as we watch them confront their own desires. What makes this sci-fi masterpiece truly haunting are the philosophical questions it raises, as well as the extreme slowness and desolate — even if stunning — landscapes. Despite a lack of action or climax, Stalker endures an affecting experience essentially thanks to the weight of questions that cannot be answered. It’s no wonder, then, that this Tarkovsky classic continues to be studied and celebrated by critics and cinephiles alike.
9
‘La Strada’ (1954)
In Federico Fellini‘s iconic film (a Pope Francis favorite), a wandering strongman (Anthony Quinn) purchases a naive, orphaned girl (Giulietta Masina) from her desperate mother for a small sum. She then becomes his travel company and stage assistant. However, Masina’s character is subjected to constant humiliation and cruelty, and it’s only after she forms a connection with an acrobat circus performer (Richard Basehart) that her captor’s jealousy awakens something more human.
Supported by an incredibly touching performance by Masina, La Strada is powerful and haunting alike because it refuses to offer easy redemption or clear moral judgment. Zampano learns compassion only after it’s useless, and the ending leaves the audience with unresolved guilt (as well as a generous dose of sorrow) overall. So, while the imagery may slowly fade into the back of your mind, La Strada‘s essence is undoubtedly one that sticks with you.
8
‘A Ghost Story’ (2017)
In this unconventional ghost story, a man (Casey Affleck) dies in a car accident and returns as a ghost, covered in a white sheet, unable to leave the house where he died. His widow (Rooney Mara) processes grief while he watches in this meditation on time, memory, and existence manifested through extended shots and minimal dialogue.
If there’s a movie that’s haunting in the literal sense, it’s A Ghost Story, which examines what it means to be slowly left behind. David Lowery creates a haunting atmosphere through an almost existential horror, and the result is, as many would agree, nothing short of devastating. Still, the film has sharply divided viewers: some find it a profoundly moving meditation on death and permanence, and others claim it’s tedious. Nevertheless, it’s certainly a film that sticks.
7
‘Under the Skin’ (2013)
Scarlett Johansson plays a mysterious, seductive young woman who drives through the Scottish highlands luring lonely men with a blank and predatory stare in Jonathan Glazer‘s highly sensorial Under the Skin, a B-terror sci-fi that continues to capture the attention of global audiences.
Under the Skin‘s allure is not in what’s said but in what’s barely shown. Despite its minimal dialogue, the film manages to create a creeping existential unease that stays with viewers. Add in Johansson’s mesmerizing performance, the visceral imagery (including the beach scene, which is particularly memorable), and striking cinematography, and it’s clear why Glazer’s picture haunts. Part of its chilling appeal, though, is its approach to existentialism and philosophy, particularly in how it forces audiences to experience humanity externally.
6
‘Manchester by the Sea’ (2016)
Also starring Affleck — though this time not hiding under a sheet — Manchester by the Sea follows a man forced to return to his small Massachusetts hometown after his brother’s passing. In the meantime, he must care for his teenage nephew while confronting his past, specifically the guilt and loss.
Essentially, the Oscar-winning film is a moving portrayal of grief that accumulates weight through understated moments. What’s particularly moving about Kenneth Lonergan’s picture is how it refuses to overly romanticize grief, delivering no catharsis or neat arcs — it’s the story of a man destroyed by irreversible loss who cannot be present for the people who need him most. Much like A Ghost Story, the movie’s minimalism makes it even more devastating: it sticks with audiences because it validates their own experience of grief and the painful reminder that emotional damage can be heart-wrenchingly permanent.
5
‘Melancholia’ (2011)
Lars von Trier‘s devastating Melancholia kicks off with a terrifying premise: a planet threatens Earth on an inevitable collision course. The film alternates between wedding celebration and mounting dread, with the main character (Kirsten Dunst in an incredible performance) discovering that her depression becomes an asset as extinction nears.
Melancholia is profoundly haunting in its approach to grief, annihilation, and nihilism — it’s slow, emotionally charged, and heavy. Much like other titles mentioned on the list, it haunts through its philosophical undertones rather than mere shock. What arguably sticks with viewers is the realization that some things cannot be overcome and that resistance is futile, whereas acceptance is sometimes the only honest response. Essentially, it externalizes existential despair as an inescapable event.
4
‘The Elephant Man’ (1980)
In David Lynch‘s gut-wrenching The Elephant Man, Anthony Hopkins‘ Dr. Frederick Treves rescues a severely deformed man (John Hurt) from exploitation as a sideshow figure, eventually protecting him in a hospital. At its heart, it’s a touching tale of kindness, intelligence, and sophistication with an incredible acting effort by Hurt at its core.
Much like Mulholland Drive or Eraserhead — two equally great works by Lynch — The Elephant Man leaves a haunting imprint behind, not through surface shocks but through an uncompromising portrait of dignity in the face of dehumanization. Anchored by Hurt’s extraordinary performance (though the casting of a non-disabled actor is a limitation by contemporary standards), The Elephant Man draws audiences from initial misunderstanding into profound empathy. Here, what haunts is the realization that society’s gaze — curious, oftentimes cruel — is the true source of horror.
3
‘Oldboy’ (2003)
In Park Chan-wook‘s viscerally disturbing Oldboy, Choi Min-sik plays a man kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years without explanation, then released with five days to find his captor. The investigation unfolds slowly and much like a traditional revenge narrative until the twist, which we will not be spoiling, arrives. Naturally, this sticks with audiences and fully redefines the moral architecture of the film.
Oldboy‘s shock lies in its revelation — Park Chan-wook perfectly weaponizes the twist with calculated precision. The result? Why, of course, a film that sears itself into one’s mind. Far from the catharsis of revenge finally achieved, Chan-wook’s genuinely haunting film baffles viewers with the realization that the protagonist has become an instrument of his own destruction. Expect no redemption or moral clarity, only the horror that Choi’s actions have been corrupted.
2
‘Requiem for a Dream’ (2000)
In Darren Aronofsky‘s gut-wrenching Requiem for a Dream, audiences are made voyeurs as four characters descend into addiction across New York’s Coney Island. Among them are a middle-aged mother, played by Ellen Burstyn, her son (Jared Leto), and his girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly), whose addictions spiral in increasingly destructive ways. There’s also the son’s best friend (Marlon Wayans), who leads a troubled life of his own.
Aronofsky’s groundbreaking movie devastates through its accumulated suffering, which is precisely why it remains such an affecting, almost unrewatchable picture (yes, the toll is so terrible that repeat viewings almost seem impossible). Among many adjectives to describe it, “achingly raw” does it justice, so it’s no wonder many have reported only watching this once. Overall, though, it’s a worthy pick if you’re on the lookout for a film that alters life decisions — it works as a cautionary tale of addiction’s terrifying consequences as well as a critique of the American Dream.
1
‘The Zone of Interest’ (2023)
Among the most poignant pictures in recent memory is The Zone of Interest, a harrowing examination of complicity and indifference during the Holocaust. The story follows a family living in a garden cottage adjacent to the concentration camp, socializing and raising children while industrial genocide unfolds on the other side of their garden wall. What makes it even more devastating is how Jonathan Glazer refuses to show violence. Instead, we hear it.
With a solid sound-design-as-horror approach, The Zone of Interest makes it impossible for viewers to unhear whatever terrible sounds they have heard. Additionally, instead of offering escapism through “proper” closure or catharsis, it delivers what it promises: day after day, the film documents both the machinery of evil and a family living beside it with casual indifference. Glazer forces audiences to do exactly as the family does: listen and do nothing. And in doing so, the movie becomes an unbearable mirror held to complicity.
The Zone of Interest
- Release Date
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December 15, 2023
- Runtime
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105 minutes
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Christian Friedel
Rudolf Höss
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Sandra Hüller
Hedwig Höss
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