Possession and 4 Other Classic Horror Movies That Were Ahead of Their Time

Elevated horror did not appear yesterday, but since the term was coined only in the last decade, it is considered an invention of our time.

However, virtuoso directing, serious acting, the absence of jump scares, beautiful metaphors, and social statements could also be found in horror films of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

1. Eraserhead, 1977

Henry lives in a gritty industrial city. One day he finds out that his girlfriend, whom he hasn't seen in a long time, is pregnant. So Henry becomes a father.

But their child looks strange and even scary. The situation gets even worse when the mother leaves and the father has to take care of the child alone.

David Lynch is not considered a horror director, although he is very good at scaring the viewers. And his Eraserhead successfully combines surrealism with body horror.

2. The Hunger, 1983

Once upon a time, the vampire Miriam bit her lover John and promised him eternal life, love and youth. But years later, it turns out that the latter was a deception.

John begins to age rapidly and searches for ways to preserve his body. He suspects that Miriam is looking for a new lover and turns to gerontologist Sarah for a solution to the problem.

Director Tony Scott has made movies in a variety of genres. His The Hunger looks like a traditional vampire movie with a romantic subtext. But in fact, the film explores the complex relationships between long-lived creatures, the fear of aging, betrayal, and many other topics.

3. Don't Look Now, 1973

John and Laura Baxter have lost their daughter, and to recover from their grief, they move to Venice, where the husband works as a restorer.

However, a madman is active in the city and the bodies of his victims remind the couple of the tragedy. Soon they meet strange sisters, one of whom claims to be a medium.

Director Nicolas Roeg added a more disturbing atmosphere to Daphne du Maurier's book through sharp editing and unusual visual insertions. Thus, the psychological thriller became almost a horror movie, although the plot is based on the realistic tragedy of a couple who lost a child.

4. Possession, 1981

Mark is forced to travel on a regular basis, leaving his wife Anna alone with their child. When he returns, he notices that his wife is behaving very strangely, often leaving their son unattended. Mark suspects infidelity, but something more sinister is going on.

AAndrzej Żuławski's movie is a real post-horror that was released in the early 1980s. The director put his personal experiences into this story and showed the trauma of separation in the form of horror.

5. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, 1962

As a child, Jane was a popular vaudeville performer, and her sister Blanche was always in the shadows. Over the years, things have changed.

Now Blanche shines in Hollywood, and Jane is prone to alcoholism. But a car accident leaves the star bedridden. Then the embittered Jane, whom everyone has forgotten, begins to take revenge on her sister.

This movie gave birth to a whole new subgenre of horror called psycho-biddy. These are stories about once-popular aging stars who go mad.