Dedication to a craft comes hand in hand with a bit of obsession. Or a lot of obsession. In the case of Black Swan (2011)’s Nina, her obsession with ballet and earning the spot of Odette in a production of Swan Lake results in her having a psychotic break. The psychological horror aspect of the movie may not be a realistic portrayal of obsession with art, but it definitely captures the feeling of it.
A psychotic level of obsession with art is a relatively rare theme for movies though, and there aren’t a lot of films that are exactly like it. That said, we picked out a selection of movies that share themes with Black Swan.
1. Perfect Blue (1997)
The 1997 animated film Perfect Blue bears so many striking similarities to Aronofsky’s Black Swan that many viewers have pointed out how much the ballet film, and another of Aronofsky’s work, lifts from Satoshi Kon’s psychological horror movie, despite the director denying any influence from it. So if you’re looking for a film that’s just like Black Swan, Perfect Blue is as close as it gets.
Perfect Blue follows Mima Kirigoe as she tries to start a career in acting after leaving the idol group CHAM! At the same time, she has to cope with being stalked by a fan who begins spying on her and reporting on everything she does in a website called “Mima’s Room”. The stress starts to get to Mima and after filming a traumatic rape scene for the show Double Bind, Mima becomes unable to distinguish herself from the idol persona she created for CHAM!
2. Whiplash (2014)
While not a psychological horror film, Whiplash (2014)is a psychological drama about a drummer named Andrew Neiman as he studies his craft under Terence Fletcher, the conductor of the Shaffer Conservatory Studio Band. Fletcher pushes Andrew to practice until his hands bleed, all while emotionally abusing the rest of his students. In his single-mindedness to please Fletcher, Andrew sabotages a fellow student and starts cutting off his family and girlfriend.
3. Suspiria (2018)
Suspiria (2018) fully leans into its horror aspect by having a supernatural element at the heart of the Markos Dance Company. Susie Bannion auditions to join the prestigious Berlin ballet school and later earns the attention of Madame Blanc, the director of the school. Everything seems relatively normal for a time until Olga, one of the students, accuses the school’s matrons of being involved with the disappearance of Patricia who vanished just before Susie arrived at the school.
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The is a little gorier than Black Swan as it features themes of body horror and sacrificial rituals.
4. The Perfection (2018)
The Perfection (2018) is centered on the rivalry between Charlotte Willmore and Elizabeth Wells, two cellists vying for a spot of honor in Bachoff, a prestigious music school. The movie unfolds through layers of deception after Charlotte manipulates Lizzie into never performing again. If you’re looking for a movie with a mindfuck plot, this is the one you should watch first on this list.
5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) is a film inspired by a Greek tragedy written by the playwright Euripides. Heart surgeon Steven Murphy meets up with a teenage boy, Martin, whose dad died recently. Murphy brings Martin home with him and introduces him to his family. As Martin worms his way into the family’s life, Steven’s children and wife begin to fall ill, later forcing him to make a drastic choice in order to save the rest of his family.
6. Last Night in Soho (2021)
Last Night in Soho (2021) follows Ellie, an aspiring fashion designer, as she tries to adapt to life in London and the fashion college she was admitted to. Her peculiar love of the 1960s and her reserved country girl demeanor make her a target for bullies at the school. After overhearing her roommate’s disparaging comments about her, she decides to move into an apartment owned by Ms. Collins, an elderly woman.
Ellie begins to have strange visions at the apartment, often dreaming of a young woman named Sandy who worked at a nightclub in Soho during the ‘60s. After seeing a violent incident involving Sandy, Ellie becomes convinced that she needs to solve Sandy’s murder, but it turns out things are not as they seem.
7. Swallow (2019)
Swallow (2019) centers on the unhappy married life of Hunter who recently married a wealthy businessman. While her change in financial circumstances is much better than her life before her husband, Hunter realizes that having money doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll have a happy marriage. She feels increasingly stifled in the role she has to play as his housewife and is hurt by her husband’s emotional callousness towards her. Her boredom and depression lead her to develop pica, a condition that makes her eat inedible objects.
8. The Machinist (2004)
As you can guess from the title, The Machinist (2004) is a film about a machinist named Trevor who develops insomnia for apparently no reason. The lack of sleep causes him to deteriorate mentally and physically, making him painfully thin and increasingly paranoid. After a workplace accident results in a co-worker losing his left arm, Trevor’s co-workers become increasingly hostile toward him which just makes Trevor more paranoid. As the movie goes on, he discovers that certain details about his life up to the point of him developing insomnia don’t add up, leaving him to investigate what’s really happening to him.
9. The Novice (2021)
The Novice (2021)’s protagonist is an obsessive rower determined to be the best in her rowing team and beat the existing high record that the team keeps from among its members. Alex initially starts out hopeful but is soon disillusioned after Jamie, a more talented and socially gifted rower joins the team.
Alex starts to feel like the entire team is ganging up on her and her fears are confirmed when the rowers on her boat throw a match, resulting in her not getting a coveted spot on the 1V boat and losing it to Jaime. Alex’s obsession grows to the point that she trains until she’s physically injured all while her mental state continues to deteriorate.
10. Nightcrawler (2014)
Nightcrawler (2014) follows former thief Louis Bloom as he transitions from a life of crime to being a stringer, a freelance photojournalist who sells images and videos they take to local news stations. Louis learns that the news station he works with likes to get dramatic footage of violent crime scenes so he begins to alter crime scenes to make them look more impressive on camera. Beguiled by the money that the station offers, Lou concocts dramatic mistruths that will get more interest in his stories to the point that he’s willing to create a crime just to film it.
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