In the spirit of Halloween, I’d like to take a moment to speak about a genre near and dear to my heart – a genre so intrinsic and influential to me as to be an unquestionable part of my being. To the surprise of none who know me, I’m talking about the genre of Horror.
Of course, while there are a great deal of horror fans across the globe, and it is a reliable box office draw (particularly as of late), horror has long gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to critical recognition and reception. Rarely are horror films – even genre defining ones – up for awards and, when they are, they are typically billed as “thrillers” instead. This cultural distaste for an entire swath of artistic expression is both confounding and very much against the very nature of what it means to create and celebrate art. In this article I hope to explore a bit (whole books could, and have, been written on the issue) as to why this attitude exists and why, particularly in critical circles, it should be tossed aside.
That said, there is so much to say on this topic that I feel it only prudent to cover it in two parts. In the first (this one), we will talk about the history of horror up to the modern age, while the second will cover what why horror is special, where it excels, and what so many people have against it. So, without further ado, let’s jump in!
In the Beginning…
While sometimes the above phrase can be used as a simple intro to a topic or discussion, in this case I feel it is very much appropriate. While the notion of human artistic expression dates back millennia, I believe that there is a strong case to be made that the genre of horror dates back almost just as far. From the first cave paintings displaying ferocious beasts with jagged teeth, to the tales of caution and woe passed down from elders to children, artistic works about that which scares us have always been a part of our cultural DNA. Perhaps they were used as a way of warning others not to make particular mistakes, or perhaps they were merely vessels for the expression of our own fears – whatever the case, enthralling and entertaining our fellow humans with tales and artistic representations about the things that go bump in the night has always served a purpose.
Moving quickly through the ages, tales of demons and hellfire, of werewolves and vampires, of all that is evil in our world or the next, have always pervaded our lives. Even stories which are not within the genre dabbed their toes into the water for certain sequences – The Odyssey told tale of sirens on the rocks driving men to their deaths, Macbeth had lives and houses haunted by the past, and even the great Sherlock Holmes had to struggle with the notion of the supernatural in The Hound of the Baskervilles. The basic elements of horror, of facing our greatest fears, are central to stories told across time. Even when horror is not the focus of a story, the possibility for it always exists – just as it does in our daily lives.
Universal Monsters – Cinematic Dread
Some of the earliest and most notable horror films were built upon the tales and monsters that had terrified us for generations. Still beloved to this day, the Universal Monsters films were cultural touchstones that laid the groundwork for how modern audiences could be scared by moving images. They brought to life the dusty pages and vibrant artwork of these legends and allowed them to walk into our (then) current society. It showed audiences a glimpse of a world not unlike their own, where mysterious corners of the globe were as-of-yet fully explored – where monsters could enter our reality through the cultural mists. They also served as allegories for many real world issues too contentious to tackle head-on.
Dracula told tale of the titular vampire, leaving his home country to find new prey in a distant land. He was a monster unlike any before him – he could blend effortlessly into our society and ensnare his prey with a gaze of his eyes. His shapeshifting qualities and keen intelligence gave him an operational edge over all who would attempt to stop him. (Immigration) This was soon followed by the likes of Frankenstein, a film about the dangers of meddling with the natural order, of attempting to play god in roles of life and death. In this case, the true monster of the movie is not the creature but the scientist. The creature, while well-meaning, is unsuited for the world in which he was born – despised for his appearance and circumstances of birth. (The dangers of science and society’s fear of the other.) The Wolf Man was a story about a well-to-do man who becomes afflicted with curse of the lycanthrope – every night with a full moon he is destined to transform into a wolf-like monster and take the lives of others, particularly those he loves. (The duality of man and fear of disease.) The Mummy showed a world where, as a result of his disturbed tomb, a long-dead Egyptian returns from the afterlife to revive his one-true love. (The fear of desecrating a grave and meddling with cultures we don’t understand.) The Invisible Man shows us what might happen to the psyche of human stripped of his ability to be seen by himself or others. We watch as he descends further and further into murderous madness. (Oh god, so many – the dangers of someone not feeling ‘seen’ by society, the dangers of viewing oneself as above those around them, the fear of those things which you cannot see, the fear of man’s capability once unhindered by the rule of law.) The list could go on (The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Phantom of the Opera, the numerous sequels), but you get the idea.
The films of the Universal Monsters were able to take preexisting stories and creatures and not only bring them to life, but infuse them with a cultural relevance that stretches far beyond what is simply seen on screen (by using them to communicate ideas about societal topics relevant at the time – a theme we will see again and again). And, just as these classics of the screen did in their time, a whole new slew of horror monsters were ready to take the stage in the next era.
Giant Monsters – Larger than Life Fears
After World War II, the world had truly entered the atomic age. The fears of the general public were on a grander scale than ever before. As such, to help address and explore these tensions, the genre of horror shifted to focus on giant monsters capable of leveling cities. While some of these creatures came from outer space or underground, most of them found their origins in the testing and use of the atomic weapons they themselves were metaphors for. In films like Them! and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, audiences were terrified as gigantic creatures created by or released from the use of nuclear power did their best to punish humanity for its hubris. While many of these films kept much of their meaning under the surface, some fought to be more overt in their messaging. Nowhere is this more apparent, or impactful, than in 1954’s Gojira (Godzilla).
Not even a decade after the end of the war, and having been the only country on earth to have had to endure, first-hand, the devastation of atomic destruction (not once, but twice), Japanese cinema gave birth to a monolith of cultural identity – Gojira. This film told the tale of destruction and horror felt by the Japanese people in these tragedies by way of an attack on their homeland by the now-iconic Godzilla. The weight and impact given to the scenes of carnage, and more importantly the aftermath, allowed this story to resonate with audiences in a way that mirrored their own experiences. The conflict of morality on display as Dr. Serizawa wrestles over whether unleashing an even greater weapon of war on the world (the oxygen destroyer) is worth it to destroy the beast serves as a not-so-subtle commentary on the United States’ decision to use nuclear weapons on civilian populations in order to win the war. This masterpiece of cinema not only moved and horrified the audience of its day, but began a franchise that has only continued and shows no signs of stopping.
Slashers – The 80’s Boom
If giant monsters were about the impersonal devastation wrought by weapons of war, then slashers were about making horror personal again. While many can and do debate what constitutes the first true slasher film (Psycho, Black Christmas, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), there is no debate as to when these films leapt into prominence – the 1979 release of Halloween. This film, along with the equally influential (and equally great – fight me) Friday the 13th, ushered in a boom and renaissance of horror unlike any other. Cinemas were filled with original concepts (My Bloody Valentine, The Evil Dead), sequels (pretty much all of them), and novel ideas (Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser). Horror was no longer about the devastation of entire cities but about what can befall the individual. Families, lovers, groups of friends – none were safe from the bloody havoc wrought by the slasher craze.
Slashers managed to find ways to take the mundane and ordinary and reveal the potential darkness around every corner. Whether it was babysitting for a neighbor, camping in the woods, or even sleeping in your own bed, this new era of horror showed that nowhere is safe. Coupled with the advances in special effects and loosening standards as to what could be shown on screen (though still tame by today’s metrics), everyone wanted to go the movies to be scared. Even children weren’t safe as living dolls (Child’s Play) and creepy cults (Children of the Corn) allowed us to fear the trappings of youth itself. Icons of cinema that persist to this day were all born in this era – Jason, Michael, and Freddy to name but a few.
While often viewed by critics of time as nothing but an excuse to watch people die, these films often mirrored the anxieties of their audiences. Being bullied and forced to deny one’s own sexual identity are key themes of both Sleepaway Camp and A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (though in very different ways), while worries about the dangers of sexual proclivity and drug use are explored in many Friday the 13th sequels (not via their real-world repercussions of course, but via death by psycho). These films were aimed at teens and young adults scared and stressed out by the very act of growing up. By living vicariously through these films, they not only learned to face their fears but felt better about the (usually less life and death) concerns in their own lives.
‘Torture Porn’ – Fear of the Real World
After a bit of a… sidestep… in the 90’s (horror went very Meta and self-referential – though it did give us the Scream franchise, so that’s awesome), the early-to-mid 2000’s saw the resurgence of the genre with what was (not so) affectionately called “torture porn.” This sub-category of horror was defined by its focus on both gore and the suffering (physical and psychological) of the victims. It is no coincidence that the popularity of these films rose to prominence in the years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Those years saw greater paranoia and a news cycle filled with stories of beheadings by extremist organizations and of so-called ‘advanced interrogation’ techniques in use by the United States’ government under the banner of its War on Terror. Horror was no longer brought upon by external forces or psychos in a mask – we, humans and our ability to inflict suffering on one another, were the source of our greatest fears.
The ‘torture porn’ craze began, by most estimations, with the release of Saw in 2004. Interestingly, despite being the progenitor of the space, and having many bloody sequels of its own, the film showed very little of the carnage. Most of the horror was psychological (What would you do to survive?) or took place off screen (like the use of the titular saw to cut off a foot). Despite this, the lesson learned was that audiences needed a way to vicariously experience the horrors that could befall their physical beings. Gallons of blood and an ever-increasing war of practical effects led to some of the most realistic and gruesome gore in cinema history. For the viewers, as much as it reviled them, it invigorated them – it allowed them access to some of the darkest corners of the world (Hostel) from the safety of a theater.
This focus on seeing as much as possible even spilled over into other horror films, including those franchises that long predated the craze – Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and its prequel, and the My Bloody Valentine remake – just to name a few. Not that any of these were bloodless franchises (not by far), but the level of influence that the ‘torture porn’ sub-category held over the genre was undeniable in its impact over these productions. Kills were more gruesome and agony was the order of the day. Just as the soldiers suffered on the real-life battlefield, so too would the characters on our screen.
Supernatural – Fear of the Other and Symbolism
Sharing some overlap with the previous era, the cultural obsession with spirits, ghosts, ghouls, demons, and curses still dominates to this day. Don’t get me wrong – horror has long dealt with these themes (The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen). That said, while they were certainly part of the horror genre, they were never the near-explicit focus they have become. While there is no clear-cut beginning to this trend, the two films most likely at the center of it all were The Ring and The Blair Witch Project. Both of these were large commercial success stories predicated on an otherworldly foe who was most often interacted with via technology – cameras and televisions, respectively. This likely had its roots in the recent technological boom that accompanied the beginning of the new millennium and would further be capitalized on in the Paranormal Activity franchise.
These supernatural horror films worked on a few levels – from an audience perspective, a great many people believe in some form of afterlife. As such, these beliefs are usually tied with the existence of certain supernatural forces, making all of the unbelievable things that take place in the films seem grounded in reality. It also tied into people’s inherent fears of the other – of anything outside their own narrow field of experience. Ghosts and demons are invading forces, coming into their lives and throwing them into chaos, acting as metaphors for motherhood (The Babadook) or STDs (It Follows). The intangible nature of these concepts makes them the perfect vessels for embodying complex ideas or representing internal fears. From the studio perspective, making the primary antagonists of the film be mostly unseen entities allows them to keep budgets low – always a key to profitability, particularly in the horror genre – and focus more on mood, tone, and jump scares. While it may have started with a slow rise in the early 2000’s, this particular form of horror storytelling is still alive and well in the modern era. That said, its success is not unique.
Horror’s recent revival
Over the past decade, but especially within the last five years, the horror genre has had a resurgence of public interest and support. That is not to say that there was a dearth of horror content for those looking for it before, but rather that mainstream audiences once again began supporting horror films to large box office results. Between the critical success of Jordan Peele with both Get Out and Us, the stunning opening weekends of IT and IT Chapter 2, the 3rd reboot of the Halloween franchise, the Insidious franchise, the ever-growing Conjuring franchise (and spinoffs), Happy Death Day, and The Purge Franchise, there is a real hunger for new horror content. From slasher to high concept, demons to dolls, people are voting with their wallets – horror is in.
Not only does such success lead to a greater quantity of horror films, it leads to more and bigger names being attached. Just recently, for example, production wrapped on a new installment of the Saw franchise – one who’s story was partially developed by actor/comedian Chris Rock. Not only that, Rock is also starring in the film. We are finally at a point where non-horror ‘name’ actors are starting to realize the potential of the genre – and that can only be a good thing. As horror continues this upward swing, it seems likely that we will see more original concepts, more sequels to dormant franchises, and more reboots of classics. While there is no way of knowing just how long or high this revival can go (Could we be on the precipice of another 1980’s-style deluge?), there is one thing for certain: much like the killer in any given franchise, horror just keeps coming back.
To Be Continued… (Dun Dun Dun)
Now that we’re up to date with highlights of horror’s history, the second part of this article will finally start delving into just what makes horror as a genre special. What does it do that no other genre can? What horror films have shaped cinema history? Why does the genre work at all? And most importantly: Why is horror treated as a second-class genre and what can we do to rectify it?
If all that seems up your ally (and if you’ve read this far it probably is), make sure to keep an eye out for the second – and final – part of this series. Until then, have a killer good time!
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