[Editorial] 9 Terrifying Cerebral Visions in Horror Movies

Being able to see into the future or back into the past is a superpower that a lot of us would like to have. And while it may seem cool, in horror movies it usually involves characters being sucked into terrifying situations as they try to save themselves or other people with the information they’ve gleaned in their visions.

Having these visions can also be incredibly isolating, as characters try to get others to believe them and help them act before it’s too late. 

There are so many amazing horror movies that involve visions, but let’s check out 9 of my favourites.

9. The Final Destination (2000) series

The Final Destination series always features a main character receiving a vision of their own grisly death in some over the top accident and trying to flee the scene while convincing as many people as possible to follow them. Inevitably, the vision comes to pass, and then Death decides to hunt down those who escaped their destined death.

We’ve had plane crashes, motorway pileups, and bridge collapses, followed by some of the most gruesome death scenes that have ever graced the genre. Even though those who get the visions think they’ve saved themselves from death, the truth is it will still come for them, and in a more violent fashion.

8. The Dead Zone (1983)

After surviving a car crash and being in a coma for five years, Johnny Smith discovers that he has developed the ability to get visions of people’s lives when he touches them. These visions may be of the past, present, or future, but Johnny tries to use his visions to help those around him.

Johnny uses his powers to catch a local serial killer, save a young boy from drowning, and to prevent an evil politician from becoming a president. But his powers have weakened him physically and led to him living an isolated life. Eventually, Johnny is willing to put his life on the line to save those around him.

7. The Green Mile (1999)

John Coffey finds himself in prison and sentenced to death after being falsely accused of the murder of two young girls. Prison officer Paul Edgecomb forms a bond with John and soon discovers that he possesses a number of incredible powers, including healing others and psychic visions. 

One night as John is walking past Wild Bill’s cell, the fellow inmate grabs him and John realises he is the real killer of the two children. Shortly before his death, John sends a vision to Paul to reveal the truth, even though he knows he will still end up in the electric chair. But the bond between the two men means it’s important that John is able to prove his innocence.

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6. The Eye (2008)

Sydney Wells is a blind violinist who decides to get a cornea transplant in order to restore her eyesight. The operation appears to be a success, but Sydney starts experiencing visions of people dying in a fire. She can also see people who have already died and wants to figure out what her visions mean.

Sydney tracks down the family of her cornea donor, and discovers that she had visions of an accident, which she was sadly unable to stop. As they head home and are caught in a traffic jam, Sydney recognises elements from her visions, and is able to save most of the fellow travellers on the road around her from a fiery death.

5. The Gift (2000)

Annie Wilson is a clairvoyant fortune teller who uses her powers to tell the fortunes of her neighbours and support her family. When a local woman, Jessica, goes missing, Annie has visions of her body in a local lake. 

Even though the police are sceptical of Annie’s powers, they agree to check it out and discover Jessica’s body. While Donnie, a local violent man, is charged with Jessica’s murder, Annie’s visions tell her the murderer is still loose. With no one wanting to believe her this time, Annie is left to investigate herself and find the real murderer.

4. Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005)

When Sam and her friends are kidnapped and left in an abandoned building by the high school football team, she finds herself psychically linked with the ghost of local urban legend Mary. Mary died 35 years prior after being murdered at her homecoming dance. Her body was hidden away in a trunk at the high school, but she was never found. 

Because of their linked circumstances, Mary sends visions to Sam in order to help her solve Mary’s murder and help Sam ensure that the toxic masculinity which has ruled this town for decades is finally wiped out.

3. From Hell (2001)

Based around the killings of Jack the Ripper, From Hell follows inspector Fredrick Abberline as he tries to solve the murders. Fredrick has visions of the victims and their deaths, and he uses these clues to help him in the investigation.

Unfortunately, Fredrick usually has to be high on opium in order to receive his visions, which can make him something of an unreliable policeman. It also means that his coworkers often need to venture into the opium den to drag Fredrick to a crime scene. 

2. Thirteen Ghosts (2001)

Dennis Rafkin is the psychic assistant of eccentric billionaire and ghost capturer Cryrus Kriticos, who is trying to capture thirteen ghosts in order to power his house/clockwork machine to make him the most powerful man in the world. 

Dennis ends up trapped in the house with Cryrus’ family and the aforementioned ghosts. Not only does Dennis have violent episodes when the ghosts are close to him, but any physical contact with people or certain environments causes him to have visions of their pasts. So not only is Dennis hunting deadly ghosts, he’s also having to witness all the violent acts they have committed.

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1. Malignant (2021)

Madison is a pregnant woman dealing with her abusive husband, Derek. After Derek attacks her one night, Madison falls and bangs her head which ends up bleeding. That night, Madison has visions of someone breaking into their house and killing Derek. And when she discovers Derek’s body and is attacked by the killer, she finds out her vision has come true. 

As more and more people wind up dead, Madison becomes terrified by her visions as she tries to figure out who the killer could be and what their connection is.

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