Combining grotesque body horror with gruesome psychological anguish, the films of David Cronenberg can sometimes be difficult to stomach, but they are among the best movies of the past half century. Since the early 1980s, the Canadian director has perfected his signature use of the modern macabre, showing us skin-crawling metamorphoses, incestual twin dynamics, and even a sexual desire for cars (as per Indiewire). During his long career, Cronenberg has managed to go from independent, genre-focused director to become a highly respected auteur whose audacious and idiosyncratic movies cannot be confused with that of any other filmmaker. So, let's attempt to do the impossible by listing and ranking Cronenberg’s twelve best films.
Updated: November 2022: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Dylan Reber.
12 Scanners (1981)
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A fan-favorite released in 1981, Scanners displays Cronenberg's brilliant knack for body horror by blowing the minds of his characters (literally) and his viewers. The film tells the story of a group of telepaths who work for a private security company hoping to exploit their power for their fight against another group of gifted scanners. Described by the director as the movie "about heads,” Scanners was one of the first Cronenberg films to receive international attention and critical acclaim. Scanners also stands out in his filmography for being one of his most conspiratorial and political films, working as a critique of the military-industrial complex and the harmful potential uses of technology. The film shows us that beneath Cronenbergian horror there is usually a deeper message waiting to be delivered, perhaps even telepathically.
11 Stereo (1969)
David Cronenberg's directorial debut Stereo exhibits the marks of a master in the making. Wildly underrated due to its low-budget and somewhat inaccessible plot, Stereo deals with the mysteries of sexuality and science in an almost satirical fashion. The film is set in the future, and it shows a group of young people who are undergoing sinister experiments by a mad scientist, the parapsychologist and leader of the "academy," Luther Stringfellow. Set in cold yet stylish brutalist buildings, the medical surgeries lead to sexual depravity, drugs, and death. Stereo might not be technically perfect, but it is a wonderfully unique film that proves how Cronenberg is not just a genre director, but is also able to create funny, experimental, and forward-thinking films that deal with the depths of the human psyche.
10 eXistenZ (1999)
eXistenZ is much more than just an interesting title. It's a film that explores a troubling vision of the future, one in which video games are played by surgically attaching your spine to a "game pod." Led by Jude Law and Jennifer Leigh, it's a creative, prophetic warning about virtual reality, and an exciting thriller to boot. It can be thought of as Cronenberg's The Matrix, as it was released in the same year and deals with many of the same themes. But eXistenZ is a more frightening, body-horror-themed approach to science fiction, brought to life with unsettling practical effects.
9 Eastern Promises (2007)
Most famous for its grueling and unforgettable (although we wish we could forget some details) bathhouse fight scene, Eastern Promises is one of the best crime films Cronenberg has made. Written by Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight, the film tells the story of a Russian midwife, Anna (played by Naomi Watts), who is looking in London for the family of a baby whose mother died in childbirth. She has the help of a driver for the Russian mob, Nikolai, who was played in an Academy Award-nominated performance by Viggo Mortensen, and the two propel this dark, melancholic drama forward.
8 Crimes of the Future (2022)
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Cronenberg surprised fans when it was announced that he was working on a film titled Crimes of the Future, which shares its name with a film he made in 1970. There is, however, no relation, as this is an all-new story with fresh horrors in store. Crimes of the Future represents a return to form for its director, and audiences responded positively to its shocking body-horror aesthetics. It tells the story of Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) and Caprice (Léa Seydoux), who perform live surgical experiments before stunned audiences. Tenser suffers (and benefits) from what's called "Accelerated Evolution Syndrome," a condition that continuously grows new organs within his body. The removal of these organs thus becomes the centerpiece of Tenser and Caprice's act. The film is often gross and sometimes confusing, but it nevertheless received a six-minute standing ovation at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Here's hoping Cronenberg has more movies like this one up his sleeve.
7 The Brood (1979)
One of Cronenberg's most personal stories, The Brood is a tale of divorce, trauma, and the physical and psychological toll of being a parent. Art Hindle plays the role of Frank Carvethis, a doctor in the middle of a bitter custody battle with his wife Nola (Samantha Eggar), who is under the care of a suspicious psychotherapist who specializes in experimental and "psychoplasmic" therapy. Nola ends up producing a brood of “psychoplasmic” children who avenge her wrongs. Released in the spring of 1979, The Brood grossed over $5 million at the time, making it one of Cronenberg's first commercial successes. It also became the first of his many cult classics, becoming a favorite of critics and academics and leading to its Criterion restoration in 2013.
6 Naked Lunch (1991)
Set in 1953 New York City, Naked Lunch follows the life of exterminator William Lee (played masterfully by Peter Weller) who becomes addicted to his pest-control powder and develops surreal hallucinations, such as a typewriter-insect hybrid creature that gives him orders. This outlandish tale is based on the great William Burroughs' infamous novel, which had been considered unadaptable for decades; that is, until Cronenberg came along and wrote an equally unconventional script that mixed the book's plot with other fiction by Burroughs, and even autobiographical accounts of the author's life (including the time he 'accidentally' shot and killed his wife). Filled with odd creatures and grotesqueries like reptilian "Mugwumps," Naked Lunch is an incredibly unique, darkly comic, and risky film unlike any other. This is probably why Little White Lies recently called it the "weirdest studio film ever made."
5 A History of Violence (2005)
Usually ahead of his time, Cronenberg actually received immense critical praise upon the 2005 release of A History of Violence. The action thriller is an adaptation of a graphic novel, and it stars Viggo Mortensen as the owner of a small-town diner who becomes famous after confronting two robbers in self-defense. A History of Violence is not only one of the best crime movies of its decade; it is also Cronenberg's most poignant examination of the violence that lurks beneath normal American life. The film dissects the idea of the American Dream and reminds us that reinvention comes at a cost. It is one of few Cronenberg films to receive any praise from the Academy, as it was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (William Hurt) and Best Adapted Screenplay. And according to The Hollywood Reporter Viggo Mortensen claimed it is "one of the best movies [he's] ever been in, if not the best," which means a lot coming from the guy who starred in The Lord of the Rings.
4 Crash (1996)
Inspiring contemporary award-winning films like Titane, Cronenberg's adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel Crash is one of the most influential psychological thrillers of the 90s. The film was written, produced, and directed by Cronenberg himself, and it stars big names like James Spader, Holly Hunter, and Rosanna Arquette. Absolutely not to be confused with the 2004 film of the same title, Crash tells the story of a film producer who becomes entangled with a strange group of people who are sexually aroused by car crashes. As such, it's the most extreme and interesting of Cronenberg's studies on sexuality, audaciously examining the implications of the novel's bizarre premise. The film was initially met with some controversy and only has 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Crash has stood the test of time, with The Village Voice listing it as the 35th Best Film of the 1990s, while director Martin Scorsese ranked it as the eighth-best film of the decade.
3 The Fly (1986)
A modern classic, Cronenberg's The Fly both defined and defied the conventions of body horror. No other film, Cronenbergian or otherwise, can make one's skin crawl as intensely as this film about an eccentric scientist (played by Jeff Goldblum) who transforms into a fly-hybrid creature. While The Fly is a remake of a campy 1958 film, Cronenberg infuses this story with a perfect blend of monstrosity, body transformation, and romantic drama, all of which are enhanced by the stellar performances from Goldblum and Geena Davis, who plays his love interest. The Fly was released in 1986 to massive box office success, becoming the most profitable film of Cronenberg's career. Criminally, it is also the only film by the Canadian director to win an Oscar, with Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis winning the Academy Award for Best Makeup. Director J.D. Dillard expects to remake this one soon.
2 Dead Ringers (1988)
Considered one of the best Canadian films of all time, Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers is an amazing psychological thriller that perfectly captures the paranoia of modern urban life and the erosion of individuality which comes from interpersonal relationships. The film is (loosely) based on a real-life story about twin gynecologists who took advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart in order to have sexual relations with their patients, until one day everything goes horribly wrong. In Dead Ringers, Cronenberg uses his experience with horror to create a highly stylized and horrific universe with macabre surgical instruments, coupling it with one of his most complex depictions of psychosis. Jeremy Irons stars as both the dominant Elliot and the submissive Beverly, in a doubly skillful performance. Dead Ringers is a demanding but groundbreaking film that explores the conceptual limits of the self like no other. It is the ultimate expression of the dramatic and more subtly macabre elements that permeate Cronenberg's filmography.
1 Videodrome (1983)
The most quintessentially 'Cronenbergian' film, Videodrome is what usually comes to mind when his name is mentioned – and for good reason. Videodrome is a visually ingenious and conceptually provocative exploration of society’s relationship with entertainment and technology. Starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and Debbie Harry (from the band Blondie), the film follows the executive of a television station who stumbles upon a show featuring extreme violence and torture, so he decides to produce something similar. The plot can hardly explain the immersive experience of watching this body horror classic, which features a surreal and futuristic landscape with mutant hands and seductive television sets (and a scene that turns a man's stomach into a VHS tape deck). The film is a hazy depiction of conspiracy, mind-control, and the ways in which media can make us lose hold of reality. It's seen as one of the weirdest films ever made, but is also Cronenberg's best film.