Tusk is a dark comedy horror film released in 2014. Directed by Kevin Smith, the film takes an unconventional approach to horror, blending humor and unsettling elements. The story revolves around a podcaster who travels to Canada to interview an eccentric old man. As the plot unfolds, the podcaster becomes entangled in a twisted and disturbing sequence of events that challenge the boundaries of body horror and psychological tension.
The cast includes Justin Long and Michael Parks in the lead. Tusk offers an unconventional cinematic experience that is sure to leave audiences both intrigued and unnerved. If you loved Tusk and are looking for more unique horror films, we’ve got you covered.
8 Must Watch Horror Movies Like Tusk
8. Antiviral (2012)
In Brandon Cronenberg’s 2012 science fiction horror film Antiviral, a dystopian future is explored in which celebrity obsession has reached a new level. Syd March, an employee at a clinic, sells illnesses from famous people to avid followers. After being infected with a virus from the renowned Hannah Geist, he is forced to work swiftly to discover a conspiracy. And in the process, he discovers some harrowing truths that make the boundary between attraction and perils hard to discern.
7. Dead Snow (2009)
Tommy Wirkola’s directorial Dead Snow is a Norwegian horror-comedy movie. It follows a group of students struggling to stay alive while contending with a zombie Nazi invasion in Norway’s mountainous landscape. Taking from Norse mythology, the movie captures the idea of the draugr—an undead being fiercely safeguarding its stolen wealth.
Similar to Tusk, Dead Snow also combines dark humor with horror, but the latter centers around college students battling zombie Nazis while the former explores an appalling transformation, testing the limits of combining multiple genres.
6. Possessor (2020)
Brandon Cronenberg directed and wrote Possessor, a science fiction psychological horror movie. The story centers around Tasya Vos, a skilled assassin, who makes use of advanced technology to take over other people’s bodies to complete her assignments. However, as she works on her newest mission, she’s caught up in a dangerous struggle to obtain power over her host’s body and mind, making it hard to differentiate between her identity and her target’s.
5. Swiss Army Man (2016)
The debut feature film of directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, Swiss Army Man, is a surrealist comedy-drama starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe. Hank, a man who has been left alone on an uninhabited island, forms an unlikely bond with Manny, a corpse that appears to be lifeless, apart from the fact that it is highly gaseous.
Hank’s exploration of the body’s capabilities – from producing water to supplying companionship – leads to an exploration of personal identity and acceptance. Their friendship is an amalgamation of reality and imagination, similar to the boundary-breaking narratives of Swiss Army Man and Tusk, which blend the strange and surreal with human connections.
4. Excision (2012)
Richard Bates, Jr. wrote and directed the psychological horror movie Excision, which is a feature-length version of the 2008 short film of the same name. The movie follows Pauline, a socially-awkward high schooler who desires to be a surgeon, and her increasingly disturbing journey into body modifications. The ending of Excision is shocking and confuses the distinction between what is real and what is imagined. Similarly to Tusk, this movie explores the dark themes of the human body and physical changes.
3. The Greasy Strangles (2016)
Jim Hosking and Toby Harvard team up to create the horror-comedy The Greasy Strangler, which follows the weird and troubling connection between Big Ronnie and his shy son Brayden, who operate a disco-themed walking tour business. After some strange murders occur in the area, Big Ronnie is suspected of being the eponymous grease-covered slayer, setting off a surreal and hilarious venture into madness and lunacy.
2. Rubber (2010)
The French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux wrote and directed the horror-comedy movie Rubber. It features a seemingly mundane tire that mysteriously obtains sentience and telekinetic powers, resulting in it going on a killing rampage in a desert town. As a baffled audience gathers to observe the bizarre occurrences, the movie plays with the boundaries between fiction and reality, while also delving into the topics of perception and movie absurdity.
1. Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
Tom Six wrote and directed The Human Centipede (First Sequence), a Dutch body horror movie. This film follows a mad doctor who kidnaps three people, attaching them together in a gruesome way to form a human centipede. The movie takes a look at body horror and mental anguish as the victims suffer through the ordeal.
Similar to Tusk, The Human Centipede (First Sequence) pushes the boundaries of horror by exploring extreme body modification and disturbing visuals, giving viewers a disturbing and profound experience.
