As we arrive at the halfway point of the , it’s clear that this decade is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating in cinema history. Writers’ strikes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ever-increasing presence of streaming and on-demand media have had an enormous impact on the industry. Amidst all this change, one genre has proven surprisingly resilient — and in many ways, more alive than ever: body .

The 2020s have delivered a fresh wave of grotesque transformations, innovative practical effects, and bold storytelling. Whether tapping into our fears of the rapidly evolving world of technology, the fragility of the human form, or simply unleashing chaos for pure entertainment, the genre continues to evolve while honoring its B-movie roots. We’ve seen a return to form from genre icon David Cronenberg and two acclaimed movies from his son, Brandon. Elsewhere, The Substance received multiple Oscar nominations, and indie darlings like Ugly Stepsister and Hatching received widespread critical acclaim.

These are the best body horror movies of the 2020s — so far.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, follows an ensemble cast of holidaymakers who find themselves rapidly aging on a remote beach. As children grow into adults and adults quickly approach death, panic sets in as the vacationers struggle to unravel the beach’s mystery and figure out how to escape it.

At the turn of the century, M. Night Shyamalan was one of the most critically acclaimed directors of his time, following a string of back-to-back hits including The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. His winning streak with critics shifted, though, following the release of The Village, which was highly praised by some and lambasted by others, landing a score of 44% on Rotten Tomatoes.

What followed was a string of megaflops — The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth. Since then, most of his movies have split critical opinion, and Old is no exception. With a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it divided critics right down the middle, receiving praise for its beautiful cinematography and intriguing premise, but criticism for its uneven execution and confusing plot. While far from perfect, fans of body horror will no doubt be enthralled by the way it turns rapid aging into a grotesque, nightmarish descent into physical decay.

This British surrealist folk-horror follows a widow who travels on holiday to the countryside but becomes disturbed and tormented by a plethora of strange men in the village (all played by Rory Kinnear). Leaning heavily into the realms of surrealism, is, at its core, a symbolic exploration of toxic masculinity, with Kinnear embodying different facets of male oppression. More of an arthouse project than your typical big-screen body horror, it focuses on mood and atmosphere over conventional scares and entertainment.

Men is slow-burning, atmospheric, and often unsettling — designed to provoke thought and emotional response rather than provide typical thrills or clear plot resolutions. However, the movie’s shocking crescendo certainly packs one heck of a punch. In it, we see a man grotesquely giving birth to another man, who gives birth to another man, who gives birth to another — and so forth — symbolizing the endless, horrifying cycle of toxic masculinity.

Admittedly, the movie’s symbolism and feminist message can feel heavy-handed, but this bluntness makes it all the more impactful and impossible to ignore. And while some critics felt it was not quite as profound as it seemed to think, the stellar performances of its lead cast and unforgettable finale make it well worth a watch for fans of psychological horror and twisted arthouse cinema.

Set in a world that closely resembles our own but features significant technological advancements, tells the story of an assassin who performs her assignments by possessing the bodies of other individuals. However, things get complicated when she finds herself fighting to control the body of her current host. The film received universal acclaim, with particular praise directed toward its unique premise and the strong performances of its cast, which includes Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Possessor is directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of renowned director David Cronenberg, who is best known for boundary-pushing films like The Fly, Scanners, and Videodrome. Like his father, Brandon has the ability to make an audience squirm through his dark exploration of the human mind and body, combining vomit-inducing practical effects with psychological dissection. Possessor confirms that Brandon shares his father’s talent for crafting cerebral and visceral sci-fi horror experiences, and sees him continuing that legacy while carving out a voice that is undeniably his own.

Set in a bleak British rural village, follows a young woman who returns to her childhood home to live with her mother following a near-fatal overdose. As she attempts to rebuild her relationship with her estranged mother, she begins experiencing disturbing changes in her body and noticing peculiar goings-on in the village. In her pursuit of the truth, she uncovers the village’s twisted rituals and comes to realize her return was no accident — and that something monstrous is waiting to be born.

Blending grounded human drama with dark supernatural elements, Matriarch’s eerie, creeping atmosphere is filled with dread and a sense that everything is just a little off. The film gradually builds to a shocking crescendo that delivers a tour de force of gross-out body horror and visceral terror. While the movie may not have made the same cultural impact as others on this list, it still stands as a solid addition to the genre — evidenced by its impressive 85% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Loosely based on the Cinderella fairytale, shifts the focus toward the eponymous stepsister and her bloody battle for beauty to win the heart of the Prince. Taking a satirical look at the lengths humans will go to achieve physical ‘perfection’, Ugly Stepsister is often an uncomfortable watch as she swallows tapeworms, stitches in eyelashes, and severs her feet — all in the name of beauty.

Dark, unsettling, and downright revolting, Ugly Stepsister certainly isn’t a Disney movie. But underneath the shock factor and gross-out effects lies a compelling story about the dangers of vanity, societal pressures, body dysmorphia, and self-destruction — all peppered with sprinkles of pitch-black humor. It was a huge hit with critics, earning a near-perfect 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is a great watch for those looking for less sugar coating on their fairytales.

Heavily pressured by her image-obsessed mother to become a renowned gymnast, 12-year-old Tanja one day finds a mysterious egg, which she chooses to bring home. Once it hatches, she names the grotesque birdlike creature "Alli," and cares for it as it grows into her doppelgänger that acts upon her repressed emotions. As expected – chaos ensues.

Leaning heavily into the realms of absurdism, this Finnish body horror combines elements of body horror with psychological terror and social satire and delivers a bizarre yet enthralling viewing experience. Perched between visceral terror and abstract beauty, was one of the most acclaimed horror movies of 2022 and currently holds an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alexander Skarsgård, Jalil Lespert, Mia Goth, and Cleopatra Coleman star in this taut sci-fi horror that follows two vacationing couples who discover their holiday destination’s dark secret — the local government allows wealthy tourists to commit crimes without consequences if they agree to be cloned and watch their duplicates executed in their place. Things go from bad to worse for one holidaymaker who finds himself caught up in the island’s deadly, hedonistic, and violent underworld.

Following Brandon Cronenberg’s directorial debut, Antiviral, in 2012, things went quiet for a while. But in 2020, he returned stronger than ever with Possessor — a brutal sci-fi horror that improved on Antiviral in every conceivable way, leaving audiences chomping at the bit for Cronenberg’s next feature. was released in 2023 to critical acclaim. It retains his now-trademark surreal, visceral style, yet feels more daring, emotionally charged, and thematically refined.

focuses on a woman who, after being injured in a car crash as a child, has a titanium plate fitted into her head. As she grows into adulthood, she finds herself developing an unquenchable thirst for murder and an oddly erotic fascination with cars — leading to a bizarre sexual encounter that sets off an increasingly outlandish series of events.

Combining the twisted eroticism of David Cronenberg’s Crash with the raw emotional intensity and grotesque body horror of director Julia Ducournau’s previous film, Raw, Titane is thrillingly provocative and original. While utterly outrageous, Ducournau doesn’t rely too heavily on shock tactics. Titane is a beautifully shot piece of art, steeped in emotional depth and driven by a hauntingly tender exploration of identity, connection, and transformation.

Not to be confused with the 1970 movie of the same name (also directed by David Cronenberg), 2022’s bears nothing in common with its namesake—except a title. It follows Saul, who lets his performance partner perform surgeries on him for audiences in a future where pain no longer exists. As a radical group pushes human evolution even further, Saul must decide whether to embrace or resist this new kind of humanity.

Known for using repulsive body horror to explore themes of identity, alienation, the human psyche, and the ethics of scientific experimentation and hubris, director David Cronenberg is an icon of the genre. He has crafted some of the most beloved movies in his field—including The Fly, Videodrome, and Scanners—but after 1999’s eXistenZ, he took a break from sci-fi and horror to direct crime thrillers like A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, as well as the black comedy Maps to the Stars.

Crimes of the Future marks his return to the body horror genre after nearly 25 years, with the director revisiting familiar themes in typically unsettling fashion. It was a hit with critics, many of whom consider it among his greatest body horror pictures.

throws viewers into the life of fading celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle, who is finding it increasingly difficult to get work due to her age and the fickle nature of the entertainment industry and its obsession with youth and beauty. Desperate, she manages to get her hands on a black-market drug that creates a younger, alternative version of herself named Sue. Unfortunately, the drug comes with horrific side effects that trigger a violent psychological battle over identity, beauty, and relevance.

Blending sharp social satire, dark humor, grotesque body horror, and psychological terror, The Substance is one of the most wildly original and thought-provoking works of horror in years. Demi Moore’s portrayal of Elisabeth is fearless, unglamorous, and deeply committed—earning widespread acclaim for its intensity, vulnerability, and emotional depth, with some calling it her best performance to date. So good was her performance, in fact, that many believe it should have won her the Oscar for Best Actress.