The 2010 psychological tour de force Black Swan is an award-winning ballet movie with a dark twist. The female-led film weaves themes of mental illness and obsession through the intense and competitive world of professional ballet. Viewers who were bewitched by the beautiful but unsettling vibes of Black Swan will be happy to know there are plenty of other cinematic experiences that provide the same highs. Read on for the top 10 best movies like Black Swan.
The Red Shoes (1948)
The Red Shoes follows protagonist Victoria, a talented ballet dancer, as she explores her struggle to choose between her love for ballet and her love for a man.
This classic movie isn’t just any romance, however, as it brings in fantastical visuals and metaphors throughout. The film explores the mental state of the dancer as she endeavors to balance her art and her personal life. Victoria must decide whether she will let her passion for art consume her while those all around try to claim her as their own.
It can be argued that without The Red Shoes, there would be no Black Swan. There are themes of obsession and possessiveness weaved throughout both movies, mirrored by hallucinogenic visuals. Both Black Swan and The Red Shoes include exquisite dance sequences that leave the viewer breathless, and then quickly send them reeling in horror.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Ginger Snaps is a blood-soaked, bone-cracking coming of age story starring Emily Perkins as Brigitte and Katharine Isabelle as Ginger.
Brigitte and Ginger are two strangely dark teenage sisters whose lives begin to spiral out of control one fateful night. When Ginger starts her period for the first time, it triggers a series of horrific events that tears the sisters, and their community, apart both literally and figuratively.
Similar to Black Swan, Ginger Snaps is a female-led thrilling ride. The teen body horror takes the viewers on a bloody rollercoaster ride of emotion and drama. Both movies contain themes of metamorphosis too, as well as the struggle that comes with it. They are driven by a female-centered experience shown through a horror lens, with a darkly cinematic atmosphere. This one in particular is highly recommended for those with a strong stomach and a love for biting humor.
Chloe (2009)
Chloe is a call girl hired to honey trap someone’s husband but it doesn’t go exactly to plan in this erotic drama. Amanda Seyfried plays the titular character, with Julianne Moore as the suspecting wife, Catherine. Both women work together to attempt to test the fidelity of Catherine’s husband played by Liam Neeson. As a love triangle begins to reveal itself, the women clearly have some choices to make.
Just like Black Swan, Chloe is a sexy, sapphic thriller combined with a psychological drama. The movie is centered around the women of the story who are dealing with jealousy, lust, and secret desires. Much like the relationship between Lily and Nina, the tension between Chloe and Catherine is a heady mix of attraction and rivalry.
Chloe is likewise a movie that brings notable moments of intrigue and drama to keep the audience engaged, so you can rest assured you won’t be wanting for enthralling storytelling.
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Looking for a film that incorporates the unique psychological horror themes found in Korean cinema? We’ve got just the thing for you.
Korean psychological horror A Tale of Two Sisters is about the haunting of a newly-released mental patient. When Su-mi returns home, she begins having horrific nightmares that quickly turn into reality. The movie explores a dark and disturbing past and the awful, inexplicable things families do to each other. A classically South Korean horror in style and execution, A Tale of Two Sisters is a perfectly creepy movie just oozing charisma.
If you loved Black Swan’s unnerving vibe but wished it had more jump scare moments, then this movie is for you. A Tale of Two Sisters brings a similar stylish darkness, but hits harder with the psychological horror. This story is one that will certainly haunt you for a long time.
The Neon Demon (2016)
The Neon Demon is a psychological horror following a precocious sixteen-year-old aspiring model who enters a disturbing world she is unprepared for.
Elle Fanning plays Jesse, a small town girl who moves to Los Angeles with big dreams. Unfortunately for Jesse, the dreams spiral out of control and her life becomes a grim nightmare. What follows is a bold and gut-churning movie, complete with some of the most surreal body horror scenes one could hope to find.
This is also another movie bringing women to the center of horror, and doing it with disgusting delight. The more disturbing moments of The Neon Demon are ten times as gory as Black Swan, but with a similar psych-thriller viewpoint. If you loved the darker aspects of Black Swan, but wished it leaned more into pure horror, then Neon Demon is a perfect option.
The Perfection (2018)
The Perfection is a psychological thriller following Charlotte, a talented female cellist, who is forced to leave her dream position at a top music school to care for her dying mother. Ten years later, when her mother has passed away, Charlotte eventually reaches out to the head of the school again in an attempt to reconnect. The former prodigy seeks out the school’s new star cellist, Elizabeth, but it soon becomes clear she sees the young woman as a rival and a threat to her own ambitions.
The Perfection gives viewers the same intriguing themes of obsession, rivalry, and shattered dreams as Black Swan. The two movies both cleverly depict a quietly unhinged woman’s need to be the perfect version of herself in every way. Charlotte, like Nina in Black Swan, wants nothing more than to be seen as the perfect daughter and the best at her craft, and this obsessive desire draws Charlotte and Lizzie together with devastating consequences.
US (2019)
Us is director Jordan Peele’s psych-horror masterpiece about a family confronted by their own doppelgängers while on vacation. Protagonist Adelaide desperately tries to protect her family, but the creepy group mimicking them won’t rest until they get what they want. Who this group is, and whether Adelaide’s family can find a way to protect themselves before it is too late, keep the tension high throughout this griping thriller’s run-time.
Led by an epic performance by Lupita Nyong’o, Us is also a mind-bending journey of horror and intrigue. Like Black Swan, it can make most any viewer deeply unsettled with its dark study of humanity and leaves you with more questions than answers.
Annihilation (2018)
Based on a book of the same name, Annihilation follows an unfortunate biologist embarking on a mysterious expedition with some terrifying implications for her identity.
The film stars Black Swan lead Natalie Portman as Lena, who signs up to explore an environmental disaster zone named ‘The Shimmer’. The four-month long expedition is more than any of the team are ready for, and far beyond human comprehension. This beautiful but mutated land soon threatens not only their lives, but everything they believe in; right down to who and what they are.
Portman’s stunning performance in Black Swan will no doubt lead movie fans to seek out more by the actress, and Annihilation is a great place to start. The mind-bending sci-fi mystery is thrilling and, more often than not, unnerving in the best ways possible. It’ll keep you guessing throughout too, with narrative bread crumbs interspersed between moments of trippy horror.
Another big plus is that, like Black Swan, this is a largely female cast who present the characters brilliantly. Definitely give it a look if you’re in the mood for a cinematic experience with top of the line performances.
Luckiest Girl Alive (2022)
Luckiest Girl Alive is about a slick New York City writer who must deal with her trauma head-on thanks to the release of a true crime documentary.
Mila Kunis stars as Tiffani, a woman who upturns her life as she delves into her past. Kunis gives a great performance as the survivor of sexual assault who, try as she might, cannot ignore her inner turmoil forever.
Fans of Black Swan who particularly loved Mila Kunis in the role of Lily should seek out Luckiest Girl Alive. Kunis is great as a glamorous magazine writer living in New York, and nails the vibe of someone who presents like they must be carrying crushing baggage from their past. Just as we see in Black Swan, secrets cannot be be kept forever, and suppressed trauma soon rears its ugly head.
