If 'Uncut Gems' Stressed You Out, Here's 4 More Anxiety-Inducing Films

Directed by The Safdie Brothers, Uncut Gems (2019) is one rollercoaster of an experience. If you enjoy pulling your hair out, here are four more films that should do the job. Spoiler free.

1. Under the Skin (2013)

Under the Skin, directed by Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast), is an incredibly unique concept, following an extraterrestrial who takes the form of a human woman, luring men into her van and essentially turning them into meat.

Starring Scarlett Johansson in a risky career choice, Under the Skin pays off, becoming a critically acclaimed indie-hit. It takes the familiarity of men being sexually attracted to women and willing to drop everything for a chance to be with them, but adds an interesting twist when the alien (Johansson) leads them to her lair, which is disguised as a modest house. Upon entering the house, they sink into a black pit of despair, left to reflect on their desire as the fall deeper into the alien’s trap.

If Under the Skin were a piece of art (which it is), it’d be an Edvard Munch painting from his darkest hours.

Available to rent and stream on YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Google Play.

2. mother! (2017)

Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) delivers this beautifully tragic tale of a poet and his wife who lead a tranquil existence in a burnt-out house. However, when uninvited guests come barging in, the couple’s life turns chaotic and shocking events unfold.

Starring Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) and Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) who manage to dominate the screen at every moment, mother! is a film that requires you to sit down and evaluate what exactly you just saw. With an uncomfortably long sequence in the final act and a horrifying scene which left viewers in shock, this masterpiece is one of Aronofsky’s finest work. From the second other characters begin to enter Veronica (Lawrence) and Him’s (Bardem) life, we barely get a moment to breathe before the carnage evolves.

Veronica’s husband, Him, has no name, which is reference to his strange authority. If you’re in the mood to watch a well-thought-out story, while having to take a long shower afterwards, then mother! is the film for you.

Available to rent and stream on YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Google Play.

3. Funny Games (1997)

Michael Haneke’s Funny Games (1997) is so good that he had to make it twice. In 2007, he directed a shot-for-shot remake of the original, to bring the film to an American market. This spectacularly alarming story follows a happy family visiting their vacation home, however, when two deeply disturbed young men forcefully join them, they’re held hostage and are made to play sadistic games with their captors.

Funny Games is a force to be reckoned with, bringing the audience into the experience by occasionally speaking directly to them, making them feel like they’re a part of the unspeakable events that are taking place. As comedic as the film can be, it’s uncomfortably violent and leaves a lingering feeling of unease when the carnage is over. It doesn’t let us off lightly and refuses to pity us with a happy ending. The long, never-ending takes are unbearable to watch, as this poor family suffers an unimaginable fate.

The 2007 American version is equally as terrifying, yet this Austrian thriller is worth watching first.

Available to rent and stream on YouTube and Google Play.

4. Nightcrawler (2014)

Nightcrawler, directed by Dan Gilroy (Velvet Buzzsaw), follows a petty thief who realises that he can make money by selling tragic incident coverage to news stations. As he starts earning more money, his desire reaches new boundaries, spiraling him into a psychotic urge for success.

Lou Bloom, played by the breathtaking Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko), appears to be a likeable character at first; however, as time goes on we begin to realise that he would stop at nothing to get what he wants. This somewhat-realistic story shines a light on the relentless world of journalism and is essentially a character study on a psychopath. What’s worse, is that the line between him being a sociopath and psychopath is so thinly veiled, it’s hard to decide if he is actually insane or not. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of to get ahead, yet Lou Bloom takes the meaning of dirty work to the next level.

In a scene where Bloom comes across a murder-robbery in progress, we’re thrown right into the field of action, seeing everything from his perspective. At this point of the film, you’re fully invested, whether you agree with what’s happening or not.

Available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Netflix. Rent on YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Google Play.