By Eric Myford
Naturally one always attributes body horror to David Cronenberg, and rightfully so. He may not have been the first but he sure did set the standard. But lately, over the last five years in particular, there has been quite the explosion of more female oriented body horror. And many really pushed the envelope. Something I can appreciate. So let's take a look at eight notable features.
In My Skin (2002)
Director – Marina de Van
I want to talk about this movie because while it is a little bit older than the current era it is also an absolute trendsetter and really paved the way for what would come later. Self mutilation is the name of the game here, very graphic, and even a little autocannibalism thrown in for good measure. Bit of a slow burn, but highly rewarding, check it out.
Contracted (2013)
Director – Eric England
Naturally I have to talk about this movie because I have disgusted so many women after having them watch it. They asked for it, believe me. So it's really notable for downright horrifying the ladies because here what the woman experiences is living rot after being raped at a party. And her transformation is a graphic one, mixing subtlety and downright gruesome changes in her. I love this one, just fantastic stuff and a must see if you're not squeamish.
Starry Eyes (2014)
Director – Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer
This is probably my absolute favorite on the list. This one concerns an aspiring actress looking for her big break but the role she's seeking ends up changing her. I love everything about this movie and the affliction here is actually one of the odder ones. She starts off sick but then her physical appearance starts to change more and more drastically and her mental state follows suit. Fascinating film and I am convinced this is actually how acting in Hollywood goes. Not really, but kind of...
Bite (2015)
Director – Chad Archibald
Heard a lot of mixed things about this movie but I actually quite enjoyed it. This concerns a straight up transformation after a woman is bitten by a strange insect. This one is very heavy on being ooey gooey, much to the film's credit because the overall FX work and visuals are the best part. This is a more fantastical take on body horror rather than a more “natural” occurrence, and that demands its inclusion here.
Antibirth (2016)
Director – Danny Perez
So here we have a woman wake up after a drug fueled night only to find herself with a rapidly growing pregnancy. Ah, pregnancy, the ultimate in body horror as is. But to not know how it happened and the fact that the baby is already imminent, pretty damn horrific. This one comes in just shy of greatness for me but still a damn fine watch. The third act is what really sells the movie though, so stick with this one.
Thanatomorphose (2012)
Director – Éric Falardeau
This one gets compared to Contracted a lot because the theme in both is rot, but fortunately the stories are very different. So if you've seen the much more popular Contracted, you owe it to yourself to see this gem as well. This one is especially horrific in its body horror elements and also very claustrophobic, which adds to the tension of watching a woman decay while she's still alive, and how incredibly painful and maddening she makes it seem.
Eat (2014)
Director – Jimmy Weber
Here an aspiring actress develops a taste for autocannibalism. Those actresses, we need to start checking in on them, seriously. I love this indie feature because it truly is horrific to watch a woman straight up eat herself. I mean, In My Skin was like that but not on this scale. Got to love the FX and overall gore in this one.
Raw (2016)
Director – Julia Ducournau
Here a vegan suddenly starts craving human flesh while attending veterinary school. Now this one is kind of a mindfuck because it deals with two ends on the diet spectrum. No meat at all to cannibalism. What a cool concept. And it may not seem outwardly like body horror, but believe me, it is. Just remarkable in every regard, I honestly have to say this movie is near perfect.
Comforting Skin (2011)
Director – Derek Franson
Here a woman leads a very lonely, solitary life and suddenly her tattoo becomes sentient and begins a very destructive relationship with her. Weird, right? But really awesome. This oddity is really unlike any of the others and honestly a damn good watch. The solitude really comes through and makes for a very bleak and strange movie. Recommended.
In closing, of course there are many more films and way more before these, but I just wanted to take note of their popularity in recent years and the great variety that comes along with it. I enjoyed every one of these to one degree or another and I'm always down to watch more.
Have you listened to our HORROR Podcast? This week on Beyond The Void Horror Podcast. We got to see the 3rd House of 1000 Corpses sequel 3 From Hell (2019). Was it everything we hoped for from Rob Zombie and The Firefly family? Find out by listening now! Check it out! Listen on iTunes Here or on Spotify here!