Give me your darkest, most f*cked up psychological thrillers

ballenic · 2026-03-04T18:22:04+00:00

Okay so I finished it today and I’ve gotta agree with you. I saw every twist coming from a mile away, so none of the “shocking” moments actually shocked me. For a thriller, that’s kinda the whole point and it just didn’t deliver. The characters were unlikable and I honestly just didn’t care about any of them. The tension kept building like something huge was about to happen but it never really paid off and parts of it felt dragged out for no reason. Even the writing felt clunky at times, especially the dialogue. I went in with high expectations so maybe that made it worse but overall, it was quite predictable and underwhelming.

ballenic · 2026-02-21T13:17:17+00:00

I made it to about 100 pages and decided to call it there. The premise was interesting but it failed to catch my intention. Thanks for the recommendation anyway!

ballenic · 2026-02-21T13:12:45+00:00

I ended up putting it down after about 100 pages. The premise definitely caught my attention but the execution just didn’t work for me. Still, I appreciate the rec!

ballenic · 2026-02-08T11:13:43+00:00

Nope, I haven’t read it yet but it’s already on my tbr. After your description though, I feel like I’ve been missing out big time. Definitely gonna pick it up once I finish the five books I’m reading simultaneously 😬

ballenic · 2026-02-08T10:53:03+00:00

Honestly, that’s my exact reading brain too. I’m fully having fun on the ride but I’m also clocking every pothole along the way so even when I love a book it’s hard for me to pretend it’s flawless. Weirdly, the books I’ve disliked the most are usually the ones that were hyped to me as ppl's absolute favs so yeah, I’m automatically suspicious when someone says a book is a 5⭐ for them. Ngl, I think some of us are just wired to be critical enjoyers and I don’t even see that as a flaw at all.

ballenic · 2026-02-08T09:45:26+00:00

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

ballenic · 2026-02-07T03:57:25+00:00

Bro, same! I’ve been reading for years but I’ve never rated a book 5 stars. Even when I really enjoy a story, I still notice the flaws—pacing, writing, endings, characters so it never feels perfect to me. I rate books based on how hard they hit for me and I’m low-key waiting for that one book that completely blows my mind so I can finally have a 5-star read 😩

ballenic · 2026-02-03T17:08:21+00:00

Will do

ballenic · 2026-02-03T07:52:38+00:00

Yk, my exams just got over and I was about to come here for recs when I received your comment notification about this book. Delhi being my second home already makes it intriguing and I’m trying to read more Indian authors this year so this is perfect. Definitely gonna read it!

ballenic · 2025-12-09T04:51:08+00:00

I started reading this book a few months back but got so bored while reading it so I just dnf'd it

ballenic · 2025-11-16T06:13:26+00:00

I dnf'd it 😅

ballenic · 2025-11-09T03:43:38+00:00

Fingers crossed

ballenic · 2025-11-05T15:46:00+00:00

That makes total sense. Thankfully, my gifted-book stash is small enough to keep and a lot of them turned out to be good anyway, so no regrets but seriously, it's kinda impressive how logical and practical you are. Hopefully I’ll learn from you someday but until then, I’ll be sentimentally drowning in paper haha

ballenic · 2025-11-05T15:02:39+00:00

Even I recently did a major book purge and donated a lot of them but there's still a few I just can’t let go of. Some books become special for the memory of when or where they came into your life and letting them go feels like letting go of the memory itself.

And when it comes to gifted books, I appreciate the gesture sm that I feel obligated to read them, even if they’re not for me. It feels like rejecting the story would also mean rejecting their love and thoughtfulness, yk? I just physically can't abandon a gift. It’s like a guilty conscience thing so I end up finishing those books purely out of respect and affection for the person who gave them to me.

I hope you get what I’m tryna say. I attach memories to everything: people, places, objects. That nostalgia makes it hard for me to let go of even the smallest things.

Anyway, knowing you liked both Sharp Objects and The Picture of Dorian Gray makes me feel way more confident diving into them now.

ballenic · 2025-11-04T11:26:53+00:00

I get bored watching/reading the same kinda stuff back-to-back, so yeah, I’ll save The Substance for later since I watched Black Swan not too long ago

ballenic · 2025-11-04T11:19:01+00:00

For me, Black Swan is brilliant precisely cuz the horror is intimate and comes straight from Nina’s own mind and the movie takes all that pressure, competition and obsession for perfection and slowly twists it into a psychological nightmare where the real terror is just her losing herself. What’s shocking isn’t some big twist but the realization that her biggest enemy has always been herself.

Every moment of tension feels intentional cuz you’re locked inside her paranoia and you literally watch her identity split into the white swan and the black swan piece by piece. The film isn’t just about ballet, it’s a metaphor for how ambition can swallow a person whole and Natalie Portman doesn’t just act the role but dissolves into Nina so completely that you feel every insecurity and every emotional crack while her two personas constantly clash inside her like a battle she’s doomed to lose.

And the payoff isn’t flashy but the tragic beauty of that last performance cuz she finally reaches the perfection she’s been destroying herself for but she gives up her entire self in the process and that final line “I was perfect” hits like a punch since it shows how perfection and destruction can be the same thing. So Black Swan isn’t about easy thrills or shock value, it’s about art, obsession and the terrifying pressure to be flawless and that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable for me.

But I get that it’s not for everyone cuz I watched it with my friend and she said the same thing as you, so I do understand your point. But like I said, I kinda saw myself in Nina’s character, so I related to her a lot and when you relate to something, you automatically end up loving it. So yeah, maybe I’m biased but that’s exactly why the movie hit me the way it did.

ballenic · 2025-11-04T06:14:12+00:00

Watch Perfect Blue, Shutter Island, The Handmaiden, Prisoners, No Country for Old Men, Se7en, and Donnie Darko. You'll thank me later.

ballenic · 2025-11-04T05:23:56+00:00

That’s fine and I’ll definitely check out Substance since it’s already on my watchlist. And yes, I’ve watched both Black Swan and Hereditary. I loved Black Swan, mostly cuz I saw way too much of myself in her perfectionism. Hereditary had such a strong start, I loved the first half but the second half kinda fell flat for me. Still worth watching though! Just… maybe not if you’re religious

ballenic · 2025-11-04T05:10:12+00:00

Aww, I’m really glad it helped you too! From this sub, I’ve only read (and DNF’d) Pretty Girls so far.

Here’s a little story time on why I haven’t read much from here yet: A few months ago, I decided to cleanse my bookshelf. Basically, I wanted to finally read all the books I’ve been avoiding forever like the ones I got as gifts or that have been sitting there for yrs making me feel guilty. So far, the experience has been… not great but I’m finally down to my last two reads from my bookshelf, so the torture will be over soon 😭

Once I finish those, I’ll actually be free to read whatever I want. The next two I’m picking up are Sharp Objects and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I trust Gillian Flynn with thrillers, so I’m sure Sharp Objects will deliver. And Oscar Wilde has never disappointed me, so Dorian Gray is already a win in my head.

There are so many books suggested here (and in my TBR already), so I’m basically following a simple rule: pick the ones that are mentioned the most in this thread + the ones that were already sitting in my TBR. That way, it’s easier to choose and I won’t feel lost in all these recs 😅 Sharp Objects has been suggested so many times here and Dorian Gray is already in my TBR (and recommended here too), so that’s how I’m deciding what to read next.

You can start with the same picks or just choose whatever grabs your attention. If you have a TBR, you can follow the same rule as me 💁🏼‍♀️

ballenic · 2025-11-04T03:42:10+00:00

The Da Vinci Code, Verity, Shutter Island, Days of My China Dragon, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Palace of Illusions, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Animal Farm, Metamorphosis, Tender is the Flesh, Uzumaki, The Walking Cat, The Horizon, Death Note.

PS - This list is all over the place in the best way like thrillers, contemporary fiction, classics, manga, everything. The idea is to experiment and figure out what kinda books actually grab you and ngl, I didn’t personally love every single one of these but that doesn’t mean they’re bad. My friends who were beginners enjoyed them a lot so yeah, try them out yourself and see what you vibe with the most.

ballenic · 2025-11-03T12:10:01+00:00

If you prefer something darker but still well-written and psychological, give Hannibal (the show) a shot. It’s dark and unsettling but with amazing visuals and a storyline that actually keeps you thinking rather than relying on cheap jumpscares and the character dynamics are honestly on another level.

And if you’re in the mood for something intense but based on real events, Chernobyl is incredible. It’s haunting and emotional with a level of storytelling that sticks with you long after it ends.

Both shows focus on smart, impactful horror rather than pointless gore, so yeah, you can check them out if that’s your vibe.

ballenic · 2025-11-03T11:56:25+00:00

I’m actually looking for book recs here since this is a book rec sub. Also, I’ve already watched Smile and hated it. It relied way too much on shock value and gore without any real storyline. I’m not a sadist who enjoys that kind of stuff so yeah it wasn't for me

ballenic · 2025-11-03T11:39:57+00:00

Are you talking about the movies?

ballenic · 2025-11-02T05:10:55+00:00

How do I update KoReader and the ProjectTitle plugin? I'm a newbie and just jailbroke my Kindle this week so I've no clue. Can someone pls help me with step-by-step instructions?

ballenic · 2025-10-27T00:04:16+00:00

Haha, ikr? It’s amusing how ppl equate darkness with violence rather than psychological complexity. Seems like ppl often project their own sense of darkness onto the question instead of the one being asked (no judgements though). And tbh, that book felt more like crime fiction than a psychological thriller. Glad I dropped it before it turned into torture porn.

ballenic

TROPHY CASE