This Disturbing True Crime Horror Left Me Too Traumatized For a Second Watch
Viewer discretion is advised. No, seriously, you might need therapy after this one. And maybe a hug. Or ten.
Horror films come in all shapes and sizes. Haunted houses, killer clowns, supernatural forces–the genre has given us countless sleepless nights and reasons to keep the lights on. And yes, jump scares and entities can make us scared, but it's the raw psychological horror that truly haunts us long after the movie ends.
Most horrors give us that comfortable fiction. We can lean back, relax and enjoy. We all understand that it's just a movie when Freddy Krueger invades dreams or when zombies take over the world. But what happens when that barrier disappears?
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986): The Film That Haunts Us 39 Years Later
When Entertainment Weekly included this 1986 film as one of the scariest movies of all time, they weren't lying.
Loosely based on the real-life confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, this film crosses the line between fiction and reality. Michael Rooker's portrayal of Henry is so unnervingly authentic that you'll find yourself absolutely terrified.
The movie follows Henry when he arrives in Chicago and moves in with his former prison mate Otis. We get an unflinching look into the mind of a killer.
The film is so grimy and realistic that it feels less like watching a movie and more like being an unwilling witness to actual crimes. Speaking of crimes, the 4 murders that were shown in the movie are based on real-life cases that Henry Lee Lucas committed. That alone is chilling.
Henry Will Haunt Your Nightmares (No Supernatural Elements Required)
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There are no convenient movie monsters here, no demons to exorcise, no vampires to stake. Just pure, unadulterated human evil presented with brutal realism.
The infamous home invasion scene (which I’m still trying to unsee, by the way) is the kind of scene that makes you want to take a shower and apologize to humanity.
As Redditor heavenlydeath wrote:
“[I’ve] only seen this once and it felt like watching a documentary. It's very gritty and realistic in depicting the psyche of a killer.”
That's putting it mildly. We aren’t brave enough either to give this one a rewatch.
But if you're brave enough to venture into this psychological nightmare, you can find it streaming for free on Plex. But don't say I didn't warn you.
