If you’re a fan of David Cronenberg’s surreal, psychedelic 1983 cult classic Videodrome, then you know it’s a film that gets under your skin and stays there. Blending elements of body horror, science fiction, media satire, and psychological thriller, Videodrome is a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience that explores the dark intersection of technology, perception, and the human mind.
After watching Videodrome, you may find yourself craving more bizarre, mind-bending films that push the boundaries of the horror and sci-fi genres. Well, you’re in luck – we’ve compiled a list of 15 movies like Videodrome that are sure to satisfy your appetite for the weird and unsettling. From Japanese cyberpunk to Lovecraftian madness to twisted takes on the human body, these films share Videodrome‘s fascination with the strange, disturbing corners of the psyche.
So strap in, grab some popcorn (or maybe some Pepto-Bismol), and get ready for a wild ride through the most surreal and mind-melting movies this side of the New Flesh. Long live the new flesh, indeed.
1. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
If you thought Videodrome‘s bodily transformations were intense, wait until you get a load of Tetsuo: The Iron Man. This experimental Japanese cyberpunk film follows a man who, after a hit-and-run accident, finds his body slowly fusing with metal and machinery. Shot in gritty black-and-white and featuring almost no dialogue, Tetsuo is a nightmarish vision of man merging with technology in the most visceral way possible. Its surreal imagery and industrial soundtrack make it a must-watch for fans of Videodrome‘s brand of techno-body horror.
2. The Brood (1979)
Before Videodrome, Cronenberg explored the horrors of the body and mind in The Brood. When a man’s wife begins undergoing an unconventional form of psychotherapy, a series of brutal murders are carried out by strange mutant children. As the husband investigates, he uncovers the disturbing truth behind the killer kids. The Brood showcases Cronenberg’s early mastery of using body horror to explore mental illness and trauma, paving the way for Videodrome‘s mind-bending approach a few years later.
3. The Fly (1986)
Cronenberg’s remake of the 1950s sci-fi classic is peak body horror, as scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) finds himself transforming into a grotesque human-fly hybrid after an experiment goes wrong. The Fly takes the concept of metamorphosis to squirm-inducing extremes, turning Brundle inside-out as his physical and mental state deteriorates. Like Videodrome, it’s a tragic tale of a man consumed and destroyed by his own ambition and the unintended consequences of pushing the boundaries of science and technology.
4. eXistenZ (1999)
In the late 90s, Cronenberg returned to the virtual reality well with eXistenZ, a sci-fi mind-bender about a game designer on the run from assassins in a world where the lines between reality and the game are increasingly blurred. Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law, eXistenZ feels like a spiritual sequel to Videodrome, further exploring the dangers and pleasures of immersive media while introducing Cronenberg’s signature brand of organic, flesh-like technology. It’s a trippy, unsettling film that questions the nature of reality itself.
5. Naked Lunch (1991)
Based on William S. Burroughs’ infamous novel, Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch is a hallucinatory journey through the mind of an exterminator who becomes addicted to the bug powder he uses, causing him to imagine himself as a secret agent mixed up in a surreal plot involving giant talking insects and living typewriters. With its non-linear, dream-like structure and bizarre imagery, Naked Lunch is the closest Cronenberg has come to making a pure head trip of a movie. Videodrome fans will appreciate its satirical jabs at bureaucracy and its depiction of altered mental states.
6. Scanners (1981)
In Scanners, Cronenberg envisions a world where certain individuals are born with powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities, making them the target of a nefarious weapons corporation. When one scanner goes rogue, a rival scanner must stop him before he can carry out his plan for world domination. With its iconic head-explosion scene and tense psychic showdowns, Scanners mixes Cronenberg’s body horror sensibilities with superhero-esque tropes, resulting in a gory and suspenseful sci-fi thriller that paved the way for Videodrome‘s mind-control paranoia.
7. Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
A trippy love letter to retro sci-fi and horror, Beyond the Black Rainbow takes place in an alternate 1983 where a young woman with psychic powers is held captive in a mysterious research facility. As she plots her escape, the story descends into a psychedelic nightmare of flashing lights, droning synths, and surreal visuals. Clearly influenced by Cronenberg’s early work, Beyond the Black Rainbow is a slow-burn mind-bender that will appeal to fans of Videodrome‘s hypnotic, unsettling atmosphere.
8. Altered States (1980)
Directed by Ken Russell, Altered States stars William Hurt as a scientist who becomes obsessed with unlocking the secrets of the human mind through sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic drugs. His experiments cause him to regress genetically, transforming him into a primitive, ape-like creature. With its psychedelic imagery and themes of mental and physical transformation, Altered States feels like a trippier, more action-packed cousin to Videodrome. It’s a wild, unhinged film that takes the concept of “mind-expanding” to literal extremes.
9. Possession (1981)
Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession is a surreal, unclassifiable film that blends elements of horror, drama, and spy thriller. When a woman (Isabelle Adjani) leaves her husband (Sam Neill) for a bizarre, tentacled creature, their marriage and sanity unravel in spectacular fashion. Featuring intense, go-for-broke performances and some truly unforgettable imagery (including Adjani’s now-infamous subway freakout), Possession is a one-of-a-kind experience that channels the same kind of unhinged energy and bodily grotesquerie as Videodrome.
10. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
John Carpenter’s Lovecraftian horror film follows an insurance investigator (Sam Neill) who is tasked with tracking down a missing horror novelist whose books are causing readers to go insane. As he delves deeper into the case, he finds himself slipping into a world where fiction and reality have merged, and ancient, otherworldly horrors threaten to break through. With its meta commentary on the power of media to shape reality and its depiction of a protagonist losing his grip on sanity, In the Mouth of Madness feels like a spiritual successor to Videodrome.
11. Eraserhead (1977)
David Lynch’s surreal, nightmarish debut feature follows a man living in a bleak industrial landscape who is left to care for his deformed, mewling baby while navigating a series of bizarre encounters and hallucinations. Shot in eerie black-and-white and featuring a haunting soundscape of industrial drones and hisses, Eraserhead is a disturbing, unforgettable film that burrows deep into your subconscious. Like Videodrome, it uses surreal, often grotesque imagery to explore themes of anxiety, alienation, and the dark underbelly of modern life.
12. Annihilation (2018)
Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel, Alex Garland’s Annihilation follows a group of scientists who venture into a mysterious, ever-expanding zone where the laws of nature have been twisted and mutated. As they journey deeper, they find themselves undergoing strange physical and mental transformations. With its mind-bending visuals, unsettling body horror, and heady themes of self-destruction and transformation, Annihilation feels like a modern-day Videodrome, using sci-fi tropes to explore the dark depths of the human psyche.
13. Akira (1988)
Set in a dystopian future Neo-Tokyo, Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark anime Akira follows a teenage biker gang member who gains powerful telekinetic abilities after a run-in with a secret government project. As he struggles to control his new powers, the city descends into chaos and destruction. With its cyberpunk aesthetic, mind-blowing action sequences, and themes of power, corruption, and rebellion, Akira shares Videodrome‘s fascination with the intersection of technology, politics, and the human body.
14. Paprika (2006)
Satoshi Kon’s Paprika takes place in a near-future where a device allows therapists to enter their patients’ dreams. When the device is stolen, a brilliant researcher must navigate the blurred lines between dreams and reality to retrieve it before it falls into the wrong hands. With its dizzying, surreal visuals and exploration of the power of dreams and the subconscious mind, Paprika feels like a more whimsical, anime-inflected take on Videodrome‘s virtual reality-induced madness.
15. Mandy (2018)
Panos Cosmatos’ psychedelic revenge thriller stars Nicolas Cage as a man seeking bloody vengeance against the cult that brutally murdered his girlfriend. Drenched in neon colors and pulsing with a hypnotic synth score, Mandy is a surreal, hallucinatory film that descends into a hellish nightmare of gore, madness, and heavy metal imagery. Like Videodrome, it’s a film that assaults the senses and leaves you reeling, questioning the line between reality and fever dream.
So there you have it – 15 mind-melting movies to watch after Videodrome. From body horror to cyberpunk to Lovecraftian madness, these films prove that there’s no shortage of weird, unsettling, and utterly singular visions in the world of cinema. They may not be for everyone, but for those who like their movies with a heavy dose of the bizarre and the brain-bending, they’re essential viewing.
Whether you’re a die-hard Cronenberg fan or just someone who appreciates a good mind-bender, these films are sure to leave an impression. They may not always be easy to watch, but they’re impossible to forget. They burrow into your brain like a Videodrome signal, leaving you questioning the nature of reality, technology, and the human mind itself.
So dim the lights, fire up the VCR (or streaming service of your choice), and get ready to have your mind blown. Long live the new flesh, baby. Long live the new flesh.
