MUM & DAD
This British sickie very much fits the definition of what has come to be termed “Torture Porn”
BRIMSTONE AND TREACLE (1976)
This is the Holy Grail for Dennis Potter fans, the original television version of BRIMSTONE AND TREACLE that was banned for years by the BBC
THE STONE TAPE
A signature work from the British writer Nigel Kneale, one of the genre’s true masters. Rigorously constructed, thought provoking and deeply disturbing, this was made for the BBC in 1972, and may just be the finest TV horror movie ever made
SISTER MY SISTER
A terrific British film about the notorious Papin sisters, French maids who in 1933 murdered their female employer and her daughter while carrying on a torrid incestuous relationship
THE SHOUT
Although it’s fallen into obscurity in recent years, this 1978 film marked something of a milestone in British horror with its unique narrative and unprecedented (for the time) use of sound
THE SERVANT
A justified classic, and the very definition of a psychological thriller. THE SERVANT boasts great direction, writing and acting, succeeding as both a brainy thriller and an intriguing psychological case study
ASYLUM (2005)
This British production seems destined to be remembered best for its troubled production history. It’s a solid work, though, a compelling romantic chiller with a first-rate performance by the late Natasha Richardson
AFRAID OF THE DARK
A psychological thriller centered on a young boy and his disturbed psycho-sexual fantasies, AFRAID OF THE DARK is a strange little film that’s admirably thoughtful and subdued in its approach
PUFFBALL
This highly eccentric supernatural drama from 2007 was the first feature directed by the great Nicolas Roeg in over a decade, and so for that reason alone deserves a watch
PEEPING TOM
This is the notorious 1960 British sickie that ruined the career of the great Michael Powell. However, it happens to be one of the all-time great psycho thrillers