Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
Quickly, if you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Super strength? Flight? The ability to invent any device your mind can conceive? That last one is my personal choice because Marvel’s Forge is low-key OP (the man is a sorcerer too!).
Another choice some people might make is psychic abilities, but when you add the supernatural to this particular power-up, things can get frightening real fast. Horror movies have been tapping into psychic phenomena for decades and there are more than a few memorable movies that have come from this. Here are a few of my favourites and you don’t have to be psychic to know, but SPOILERS AHEAD!
#5 The Fury
Probably the least known of the movies here, The Fury actually laid the groundwork for almost every psychic-based horror movie that came after it and for good reason, it’s that good!
Drawing from the paranoia surrounding real life government experiments that started happening both during and after the world wars, The Fury tells the story of two psychics whose abilities come from the experiments that were inflicted on their respective mothers. A covert government agency wants to create the perfect weapon, but Robin (Andrew Stevens) has grown uncontrollably violent as he uses his abilities to kill anyone who gets in his way. Gilian (Amy Irving), a high school student, discovers she has telekinetic and extra sensory perception powers, learns of Robin’s existence and their powers set them on a collision course of psychic proportions.
So many firsts are pulled off in this movie that are still being utilised to this day. This is where they came up with the “throbbing veins” in the head to signify characters using the powers and there’s this great (for its time) shot where Gillian touches a character’s hand, and they place a green screen behind the actress where a video of what Robin is doing miles away is showed. It was a really smart way to show how her powers work and many a movie after this would utilise these types of effects and stunts as a way to show psychic powers in action.
The ending of this movie is considered one for the ages by horror fans, so I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t seen The Fury. If you love yourself some psychic showdowns, this one is must-see.
#4 Scanners
No list of psychic horror would be complete without Scanners, the movie with an opening so shocking, most people couldn’t tell you what happened next.
Another body horror banger written and directed by David Cronenberg, Scanners stars the great Michael Ironside as Revok, a powerful psychic (who for some reason always made me think of Magneto), and the leader of a group of telepathic individuals who call themselves scanners. Revok is on a quest to kill all opposing scanners and it’s up to his long-lost brother Cameron Vale to stop him.
Cronenberg’s movies always have something to say about the human body. Whether is the frailty of our life cycles (The Fly) or the possible negative effects television and movies can have on viewers (Videodrome). I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure what Scanners’ message is because I was so gobsmacked by all the blood, gore, and psychic shenanigans before me, I never really paid much attention to the deeper meanings.
What I did get from it though was psychic powers are something I would NEVER want, even if it means I could blow up a dude’s head like a watermelon with a cherry bomb inside.
#3 The Gift
Recently The Gift popped up on my Netflix feed and having only seen it once (when it was released) I decided to check it out again.
Released in 2000, I think a lot of people overlooked this one on its initial release which is surprising considering the pedigree of talent involved in its making. Written by Billy Bob Thorton, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves (in possibly his scariest role) and Cate Blanchett as the lead character and resident psychic, you would think this one would’ve been an instant winner. But some movies are better the second time around and The Gift was definitely worth revisiting.
Blanchett plays widow Annie Wilson who’s clairvoyant. Living in a small backwoods town, Annie makes a bit of money by doing readings for the townsfolks, but she also genuinely wants to help others like the deeply troubled Buddy (played by another talented actor, Giovanni Ribisi). Annie’s life is turned inside out when she starts having visions of the brutal attack and murder of Jessica King (Katie Holmes) and with all fingers pointing towards the town bully Donnie (Keanu Reeves), Annie and her son’s lives are endangered as Donnie believes she’s evil and sets his sights on stopping her.
Raimi dials back his usual zany camera tricks to deliver a smartly paced and engaging tale of secrets, lies and the dangers of leaving trauma unchecked. Annie’s visions of supernatural horror are chilling while the real-life dangers that surround her mean you’re constantly bracing for the inevitable attack on her and her loved ones. The movie also delivers one of the few villainous performances of Keanu Reeves’ career, and for those wondering if he could pull off “bad guy”, the answer is a resounding “yes”.
A smartly written mystery, wrapped in the supernatural and elevated by solid performances, if you skipped it initially, I recommend checking out this one as this Gift is one that’s worth opening.
#2 The Dead Zone (1983 movie)
If I wanted to, I could’ve made this list up from just Stephen King stories only. The man loves using psychics in his narratives, usually as an analogy for empathetic or highly intelligent people. And this is a fitting description for schoolteacher Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken). He has a great life and a loving girlfriend, but all of that is ripped away from him when he has a car accident and ends up in a coma for five years. On awakening, Johnny discovers he has gained the psychic ability to see the future, which sounds cool until you remember this is a Stephen King story which means most of what he sees is not only horrific, but impossible to stop.
My personal favourite performance from Christopher Walken, his portrayal of Johnny as a loving, kind, selfless and deeply courageous man makes you wish you could steer this movie to the happy conclusion he most certainly deserves. Coupled with perfect pacing and the unflinching style director David Cronenberg is known for, The Dead Zone is tough to watch at times but the message at its core—evil only prevails if good men choose to do nothing—is just as relevant today as it was back then. And as King adaptations go, this is absolutely one of the best.
Honourable Mentions: Carrie and Firestarter
It’s always satisfying watching villains get theirs and both Carrie and Firestarter deliver psychic karma in spades.
#1 Doctor Sleep
Mike Flanagan stated he doesn’t consider his adaptation of Doctor Sleep to be a sequel, rather it’s the conclusion of a story that began in The Shining, and I’m totally down for it.
Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) is still traumatised by what his family went through at the Overlook Hotel. He spends his days drinking and fighting as a way to drown out his powerful psychic abilities (otherwise known as his “shine”) which allows him to see and speak to the dead.
His journey to sobriety leads him to cross paths with a young girl named Abra (Kyliegh Curran). More powerful than Danny, Abra becomes the target of a group of pseudo-immortals called The True Knot which feeds off of kids with the shine in order to lengthen their lifespans. Ultimately the battle ends where it began, at the Overlook, where Dan comes full circle as he not only battles True Knot leader Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) but the literal ghosts of his past as well.
Portraying psychic powers onscreen in a way that’s visually engaging (instead of mawkish) has evolved with time and Doctor Sleep has some of the most stunning and memorable scenes of the genre. But none of it would’ve worked if not for this smartly written screenplay. The idea of doing a “sequel” to one of the most iconic horror movies of all time, while ALSO being true to Stephen King’s original vision (King famously disliked the screenplay of Stanley Kubrick’s movie even though he did applaud the visuals) seems insane, but Flanagan makes the smart choice to blend both stories together, while giving King the ending he initially wanted.
Doctor Sleep is presented in a way that viewers can enjoy on either a surface level or a deeply emotional one. It’s a psychic battle of good versus evil but it’s also a story of one man’s battle with alcoholism, the dangers of untreated trauma and how not seeking help can destroy the people you love most. Unlike his father Jack, Dan’s recovery led to not only his salvation, but that of young Abra as well.
Creative and thrilling to watch, Doctor Sleep is the type of challenging adaptation only few directors could’ve pulled off. And as psychic horror movies go, I rank it up there with the likes of The Sixth Sense, The Conjuring movies and yes, The Shining. And whether you believe in psychics or not, you don’t have to be one to know when they pop up in a movie about the paranormal, you’re probably in for a good time.
So that’s my list. Any films you would add? And you can check out more great horror lists from Robot Mango Reviews below:
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More