7. Deliverance (1972)
CONTENT WARNING: MENTIONS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
Deliverance is perhaps a loose fit for this list simply because it largely defies genre. It does evoke a number of elements of horror/slasher movies, but primarily, it’s more of an action thriller. It’s the sort of film that really should come with content and trigger warnings for multiple aspects, which should explain fairly neatly how it fits into this list.
Often described as a “survival thriller”, Deliverance tells the story of four Atlanta businessmen who decide to head out on a canoe trip through the Georgia wilderness. They encounter an unpleasant group of local mountain men, and shortly after setting out on their trip, they’re accosted and sexually assaulted by the locals. What follows is a tale of bloody revenge and the group’s fight for survival as they navigate the unfamiliar wilderness.
Deliverance is well-known for its most shocking and graphic scene, but the story that follows is almost as unsettling. The looming threat of violence both physical and sexual as the men continue on their trip is something that hangs over Deliverance‘s story, building a deeply horrifying atmosphere of dread. What’s more, the nature of its most upsetting scene lingers long after the credits roll, making Deliverance a haunting film indeed.