You might know Oliver Stone from his politically-driven films (Platoon, Nixon), or from his over-the-top stylistic extravaganzas (Natural Born Killers, U-turn). But before he became one of the world's most well-known and respected filmmakers, he cut his teeth on spooky thrillers.

 

The Hand (1981) - about a comic-book artist who loses his right hand in a terrible accident, and then begins to slowly realize that his severed hand has taken a life of its own and is carrying out his darkest thoughts; Or is it? -  is the second horror/thriller Stone made after Seizure in 1974, and it was mostly ignored by critics and audiences alike.

 

But it deserves a second chance. It is driven by a fine central performance by Michael Caine, and has mood and style aplenty, with Stone being more interested in the unraveling psyche of his main character than cheap scares. And come to think of it, this is more of a Lewton-esque psychological thriller than a horror movie, and on that level, it works in spades.