The 9 Best David Cronenberg Movies, Ranked

More so than most popular directors out there, it takes something of a strong constitution to be able to sit through a David Cronenberg movie in its entirety.

As the famed pioneer of the body horror subgenre, Cronenberg has long since introduced a far more visceral edge to mainstream horror, turning audiences stomach from one decade to the next. 

While most people tend to remember Cronenberg for his eclectic work in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the cult film director has remained incredibly active in the contemporary film community, as seen through such recent films as A History of Violence, Crimes of the Future, and the recent supernatural horror movie, The Shrouds. Forever finding new ways to unnerve viewers, Cronenberg continues to make headlines every time a new, equally terrifying movie arrives in theaters, be it a gory revenge thriller or a period study of Sigmund Freud.

9. Crimes of the Future (2022)

After almost two decades spent exploring more grounded genres, Cronenberg eventually returned to his signature genre with 2022’s body horror film, Crimes of the Future. A tense and hypnotic horror film bolstered by an all-star cast, Crimes of the Future finds Cronenberg showing off his telltale flair for nauseating subject matter, likening itself to the quintessential horror films of his past.

8. Naked Lunch (1991)

A longtime passion project of Cronenberg’s, Naked Lunch sees the director tasked with the seemingly impossible duty of adapting William S. Burrough’s unfilmable postmodern novel for the big screen. Rather than opting for an outright take on its underlying source material, however, Cronenberg draws on a creatively energetic approach to Naked Lunch’s main premise, cobbling together a script filled with drug addicted-exterminators, talking insects, and hilariously demented scientists. 

7. Crash (1996)

No, we’re not talking about the controversial film of the same name that took home the 2004 Oscar for Best Picture. Instead, we’re discussing the underrated 1996 erotic thriller from Cronenberg. Based on the polarizing novel by J.G. Ballard, Crash doubles down on all the aspects that made its source material so fascinating to begin with, including a careful examination of sexuality, identity, and technological innovation’s impact on human relationships.

6. Eastern Promises (2007)

One of several critically acclaimed collaborations with Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises transports viewers to the seediest corners of London’s criminal underworld. A satisfying follow-up to the duo’s earlier partnership on A History of Violence, Eastern Promises once again spells out a hair-raising crime story unlike any other in the genre, filled with all kinds of unsettling subjects viewers aren’t likely to soon forget.

5. Videodrome (1983)

Over the course of his career, Cronenberg has routinely looked to more explicit subject matter like one’s sexuality in some of his most innovative films. Between its painstaking look at desire and sexuality and audiences’ burgeoning addiction to television violence, Videodrome imparts a lasting message around the various issues affecting modern viewers, forcing us each to confront some hard truths about ourselves.

4. The Dead Zone (1983)

Are you capable of committing an unimaginable crime if it meant saving millions of lives? This simple but profound question forms the backbone of 1983’s cult classic Stephen King adaptation, The Dead Zone. Led by a dazzling Christopher Walken as an ordinary teacher afflicted with the ability to see the future, The Dead Zone serves as a harrowing story of fate, destiny, and personal sacrifice, paving the way to one of the greatest horror movies of the 1980s.

3. A History of Violence (2005)

A return to form of sorts for Cronenberg, A History of Violence also marked a profound turning point in the filmmaker’s career. Distancing himself from the special effects-laden horror films of his younger years, A History of Violence instead finds Cronenberg looking to a suitably pulpy crime story rooted around identity, redemption, and the pains that come with confronting one’s past.

2. Dead Ringers (1988)

Like the medical professionals at the heart of the film, Dead Ringers operates with almost surgical procession, consistently finding a way to slip beneath viewers’ skin and tug away at their deepest, darkest fears. Characterized by Jeremy Irons’ impressive split performance as a pair of twin gynecologists, Dead Ringers offers up a labyrinthine portrayal of identity, desire, and individuality, eloquently blending visceral horror with far more disquieting philosophical themes. 

1. The Fly (1986)

The Fly is hardly Cronenberg’s first body horror film, the director toiling away within the gruesome horror subgenre for nearly two decades prior to The Fly’s 1986 release. But to this day, The Fly remains without a doubt his most popular movie, as well as the film most people tend to think of when they hear the words “David Cronenberg” or “body horror.” A Kafkaesque sci-fi parable about the dangers of scientific innovation, The Fly is more than a simple B horror movie – it’s an existential study of nature, genius, talent, and the thin line separating man from animal.