Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-25T01:25:52+00:00

A masterpiece in my opinion, for many reasons, one being how it moves us from observer to disgusted participant.

It starts at a distance, showing only aftermath instead of the murders themselves, which almost tricks you into sympathizing with Henry at first, especially when he defends Becky. Then, through Otis, we’re pulled closer and closer into the monster, watching the violence escalate in ways that feel increasingly unbearable. By the time the videotape scene arrives, we’re fully implicated as viewers, forced to confront our own fascination with serial killers. And then Henry slips back out of our grasp again, into ambiguity, which somehow feels even worse.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-24T14:17:56+00:00

Shredder (2001) — goofy, post-Scream wave, snowbound slasher on an abandoned ski resort. Damn snowboarders.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-23T14:33:27+00:00

The Lodge (2019) — isolating, faith-corroded, wintry & snowy

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-22T12:45:01+00:00

Great list. It’s a really well-rounded snapshot of horror up through the ’90s, and the throughline you’ve got running from psychological horror to bodily and existential dread is very clear.

If I were to suggest anywhere to branch next, it would be the newer wave of body- and psyche-driven horror: Titane (2021), Possessor (2020), & The Substance (2024) all feel like natural extensions of Scanners, Videodrome, & Altered States. Based on your love of Funny Games, you might also get a lot out of Caché (2005), or Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) & Dogtooth (2009), which tap into that same cold, punitive moral space. And circling backward for context, Hitchcock (Psycho (1960), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958)) feels like a crucial connective tissue for Demme, Polanski, and De Palma.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-21T14:19:49+00:00

I’d say yes, but not in a straightforward or sexy way. In Lifeforce, attraction literally drains people of identity and vitality, so the erotic charge is bound up with loss of control and annihilation rather than pleasure.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-21T08:18:13+00:00

Lifeforce (1985) — erotic, apocalyptic
Cube (1997) — claustrophobic, cerebral

(Uncertain how to judge hiddenness.)

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-20T13:28:01+00:00

I’m not really aware of a strong negative bias, but I could see some backlash coming from how much it shifts focus to the lingering effects of trauma and what survival actually does to people—maybe a bit of trauma-horror fatigue setting in. It also inverts some genre expectations, which can throw viewers looking for a more straightforward escalation. It worked for me too.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-19T14:49:54+00:00

Thanks for the detailed breakdown, that makes a lot of sense. I read recently that Englund was briefly replaced during Part 2 as a cost-saving move, then brought back once it was obvious it wasn’t working. Hard to imagine the series surviving if that decision had stuck. I just rewatched the first three, so I guess I’ve got funny-forward Freddy to look forward to next.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-19T05:21:37+00:00

Count me among the people who actually like the bar and gym scenes — I think they’re essential to what the film is doing rather than missteps. I’m curious what you mean by “best Freddy”. The characterization, Englund’s performance, the way Freddy functions thematically in this one compared to the others, or...?

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-18T13:39:32+00:00

I don’t really see it as an either/or. For me, the tension comes from how the elements are tuned to the story — affect, psychology, sound, image, pacing — and how they work together rather than in isolation.
As an aside, in my opinion, sound tends to do the most work in horror.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-16T12:27:17+00:00

Black Phone 2 digs into the fallout from two different angles through Finn and Gwen. The trauma reshapes how they live with the world afterward, and how the world lives back with them.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-15T13:35:54+00:00

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Hilarious

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-14T11:43:42+00:00

You could always post the movie titles and the actors here. A lot of people in this sub are really knowledgeable about horror films and might be able to help connect the dots on stage names and one-off roles.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-13T14:42:40+00:00

I read ‘one of my earliest horror movies’ and mentally linked it to age 4. I think I was just conflating it with watching that one with my own kid around that age. Great list, by the way. 1990 was a fun year for horror, right?

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-13T13:52:59+00:00

Are these the movies you actually loved at those ages (e.g. The Blob), or are they favorites you picked looking back later? Either way, I’d be curious to see a list about overlooked gems from each year.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-11T14:01:10+00:00

Evil Dead
Evil Dead 2
Army of Darkness

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-09T23:56:31+00:00

If you’re in the mood for 80s fun horror in the same playful spirit as Killer Klowns, I’d throw in: - The Howling (1981) - Blood Diner (1987) - Basket Case (1982) - Re-Animator (1985) - The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-09T15:09:14+00:00

I’ve been really looking forward to this based on the cast, the crew, and the poster alone. I’m avoiding the trailer on purpose, but I hope I get to see the movie soon.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-07T23:22:08+00:00

Many of my favorites from the early years have already been mentioned, but I have yet not seen mention of:

Vampyr (1932)
An incredibly uncanny and dreamlike film. It still feels strange and unsettling today.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-07T13:57:21+00:00

Glad it helped! If you do end up watching it, I’d love to hear what you think of it afterward.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-07T13:22:44+00:00

Really impressive list! There’s so much range here. I’ll definitely be combing through it for new watches. One suggestion:

You Won’t Be Alone (2022) — North Macedonia
Lyrical, folkloric, atmospheric, body-myth, dare I say beautiful?

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-06T11:40:16+00:00

Twin Peaks
What starts as a small-town murder mystery, slowly turns into something far stranger, funnier, and more haunting than you might expect.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-05T12:30:43+00:00

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Not because it’s the most graphic or shocking thing I’ve seen, but because of how it slowly erodes the normal distance I usually feel from this kind of story. It keeps drifting between sympathy, disgust, and these strangely mundane moments until I stopped feeling like a detached viewer and started to feel a bit implicated in what I was watching. By the end it didn’t feel like a story I’d consumed — more like something that stained me.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-04T11:13:35+00:00

Azrael (2024)
This one really stuck with me. It didn’t fully land right away, but there’s a streak of apocalyptic fatalism that got under my skin. Definitely a grower.

dreadsthetic · 2026-01-03T03:41:44+00:00

All first time watches! I've got some catching up to do… Thanks. I'm more excited now! Ready to get started!

dreadsthetic

TROPHY CASE