Horror in itself is rooted in religion. The seven deadly sins being the base for societies fears, as well as the obvious affiliations such as demons, life after death and punishment.
Last night I was in the Kingdom of Shadows. If you only knew how strange it is to be there. It is a world without sound, without colour. Everything there — the earth, the trees, the people, the water and the air — is dipped in monotonous grey. Grey rays of the sun across the grey sky, grey eyes in grey faces, and the leaves of the trees are ashen grey. It is not life but its shadow, it is not motion but its soundless spectre. Here I shall try to explain myself, lest I be suspected of madness or indulgence in symbolism. I was at Aumont’s and saw Lumière’s cinematograph — moving photography. -Gorky’s review of the Lumière program at the Nizhni-Novgorod Fair
In the begging, people didn’t need to do much to scare an audience, the simplicity of cinema was enough to unsettle people. Recordings of people, doing normal activities were strange enough that they were inherently frightful. The shadows that the cameras would capture, and the playback of these people scared viewers. The natural, inbuilt, fear of the dark was brought to life by these videos. People could finally see what lives in the shadows.
It is terrifying to see but it is the movement of shadows, only of shadows. Curses and ghosts, the evil spirits that have cast entire cities come to mind… -Ibid
The first pieces of recoded film were very simple, sequences of dancing skeletons and various creatures appearing magically in puffs of smoke, in a haunted castle. These simple, short recoding’s struck fear into many, and set the first footprints for horror movies centuries later.
1920s horror films express the aftershocks of these cataclysmic war years and reflect the nightmares of the men who lived when so many died. These haunting silent movies were, in many cases, made by veterans who had crawled out of the stinking mud of No Man’s Land and were forever transformed.
By the end of 1916, every boy I had ever danced with was dead. -Diana Manners
1920s horror movies could no longer rely on old fashioned theatrics to elicit a thrill. The Great War reinvented the visual language of horror for a newly traumatized world. Gone were the cute dancing skeletons and actors who vanished in puffs of smoke. Instead, horror filmmakers had to reach for more immediately resonant terrors.
A century later, 1920s horror movies still offer us a haunting glimpse of what it must have been like to be alive at this time, simultaneously saved and damned. The Roaring Twenties are often – erroneously – exalted as a period when people had a good time all the time. Quite the opposite is true: the Bright Young Things danced on the precipice of a dark and hopeless abyss.
Vampires signify a collective of metaphors and represent an array societal fears throughout the ages, most of these fears dating back to the Victorian era and before. A lot of these theories contradict each other.
The most obvious metaphor, being the fear of STDs being transmitted, like syphilis and chlamydia, this is presented through vampires biting into the victims neck and blood coming into contact between victim and vampire.
A less commonly know meaning of the vampire, is that they are a metaphor for capitalism. However, a counter argument to this theory is that they represent the opposite, being communist spies. With Dracula himself being an immigrant, and vampires already being metaphors for spies (dark figures lurking in the shadows, watching us, lurking, without us ever knowing, until it’s too late) it seems inevitable that people would eventually associate them with red scares.
Marx used the vampire metaphor in relation to the workings of capitalism: ‘Capital is dead Labour which, vampire life, lives only by sucking living labour, and lives the more, the more labour it sucks’.
Relating back to Dracula being an immigrant, there are also strong ties to vampires representing, and confronting, colonisation.
According to Shapovalov vampires are a metaphor for a variety of political and social concepts including imperialism, colonialism, gender and sexuality. –David Rozul
In addition, vampires are closely tied to sex, lust and seduction. This comes back to the Victorian era and the taboo of sex, along with the previously mentioned topics, the boldness of the fine line between vampires and sex, simply struck fear into people as all vampires are inherently sexual and sensual beings.
Going back to basics, Dracula is just another form of manifestations of war and the great depression, personified. Even though Dracula was originally written in 1897, the message and symbolism of the horrors of post WWI, in the 1931 on-screen adaptation, remains prevalent, and shows these monsters run a lot deeper than simple, old-fashioned scares- and proves these stories and characters can be adapted to any era, generation and modern event, to present a modern perspective on these traditional characters to allow us to process and reflect on the events of the previous years.
In the 1930s sound was added to cinema, as well as sound effects, forever changing cinema. This revelation brought horror to life, adding a new level of terror to the genre.
The 1960s horror movies often served as cautionary tale to scare people into following traditional values. This era was marked with rapid societal change as traditional views were challenged. Violence and conflict began to emerge more commonly, and society seemed to be falling into confusion and fear once again. People were facing more uncertainty than ever as issue after issue emerged, such as the Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam, the cold war, political assassinations, and more. All while revolutionary milestones were being reached, for example, the sexual revolution, traditional ideas of fashion and makeup started to become challenged as people explored them as an art form, music was being forever redefined, and homosexuality was starting to become a more discussed topic. Not to mention the hays code being lifted in 1968.
Officially named the Motion Picture Production Code, these were a set of moral guidelines and rules that were meant to make Hollywood pictures “presentable” and “safe” for the public at large, which meant not covering or featuring certain controversial topics, themes, or actions.
1970s – Slasher movies begin to rise mirroring real life serial killers. Lot’s of family related horror/the monsters being those closest to you. Roe v Wade, contraceptive pill fully integrated, divorce becomes easier and women get more roles than just house wife’s. Halloween, Michael takes his mask off and looks like a normal guy (not a scary, unexplainable monster or creature from hell, he’s an ordinary man you could encounter and not even realise, he’s completely normal. He also doesn’t even look like someone who could physically defend himself, or strike a threat), representative of the fear surrounding serial killers such as Ted Bundy. Jaws. the first final girls emerged. Religious horror (Carrie, the exorcist, the omen, etc). One side of horror being incredibly culturally significant and genre-defining, the other playing on their new capability of shock and terror, being filed with gore, slightly plotless, meant to shake people even when they think about it long after they watched it.
These films aren’t in the same category. These films hate women, and, unfortunately, the audiences that go to them don’t seem to like women much either… To sit there [in the theatre] surrounded by people who are identifying, not with the victim but with the attacker, the killer – cheering these killers on, it’s a very scary experience. -VHS Revival
1980s– Special effects catch up to audiences viewing desires, nothing left to the imagination, body horror (Hellraiser, Re-animator) more slashers emerge and take over, movies aren’t afraid to harm children (elm street, Halloween 3) satanic panic + dark supernatural horror (poltergeist, the fog, candyman). Slashers and final girls take over.
1990s– People craved thought provoking, complex plots and interesting, unique characters they could become attached/relate to (silence of the lambs, se7en) Gore calms down, mystery returns. Smart serial killers, supernatural returns, plot twists and complex thriller mysteries, self-aware, satirical self-parodies filled with exaggerated stereotypes and clichés mixed with heavy 70s nostalgia, armageddon/apocalypse scenarios, stemming from the fear of y2k, (1999, The Matrix). Even scream had a plot twist, behind all the self-deprecation, it was an incredibly significant movie in the genre, propelling it even further (first murder mystery to have two killers + the movie was a fan of it’s own genre whilst making fun of itself, the genre and it’s fans)
While the movie failed to make any serious commercial waves, it restored the integrity of one of horror’s most indomitable icons and sowed the seeds for the late-90s horror revival.
2000s– 9/11 had a huge impact on films, with horror/thriller struggling the most as nobody wanted disaster movies filled with loss and suffering, after the events. However, in 2004 Saw released, giving the genre the revival it craved (even though it’s just se7en rewritten). This period showed people choosing to cope with the societal depression and economical recession, through viewing supernatural and gore-filled movies together, as a form of escapism. During this decade there was a lot of influence taken from East Asian horror and folklore. The angle of these movies focus more on the supernatural aspect, whereas the western horrors focus more on unexpected twists, evil murderers and psychopaths, gore, and the material world. Western supernatural horror=dark, evil satanic forces that can’t be stopped with any amount of mercy. Asian supernatural horror=ghosts coming back for revenge, bringing people to reckoning and a state of reflection, curses, and settling unfinished business. They’re provoked, angry, and have purpose. (This comes back to the religion, and fear of the unknown, and staying in line, or facing the consequences).
They have a job to do: murders must be avenged, suicides explained (or, again, avenged), false accusations disproved, curses lifted and remains properly laid to rest. Their hunger for justice or retribution makes them mean — and scary. -Karina Wilson
This could be due to the fact that the traditional religions of these countries are open to the idea of consciousness, and existence, after death, whereas in the west, these ideas are more commonly thought of to be more absurd and childish. These ideas likely stem from Christianity, the wests main religion, as the Bible denies the idea of life after death, in the form of ghosts.
As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore. (Job 7:9-10)
Although horror movies have always targeted teens, 2000s horror movies heavily catered towards that teen audience using the genre to present metaphors for high school struggles and the new-found hardships of growing up surrounded by the internet, while also using tropes such as the mean/popular girl the unpopular nerd (Jennifer’s Body, Donnie Darko).
In addition, this decade introduced us to the first glimpses of technological horror, something that would later become the basis of every horror movie in some degree. There was also a rise in the niche of supernatural war movies (The Objective, Deathwatch), straight to DVD horrors, and a new-found level of gore, so much so that another sub-genre emerged, that being torture porn, the new, much more brutal, graphic and dehumanizing, generation of gore. Comedy was no longer interspersed to lighten the mood, and remind the audience that was they were viewing wasn’t real, that the movie is simply a form of entertainment, and these characters and depictions are interpretations of the most heinous crimes imaginable. People were viewing raw, unfiltered gore, for an hour and a half. This new genre changed, and shaped, horrors and thrillers forever, every movie from then on having a more violent, dark and serious tone. All while modern technology gives us new ways to depict these graphic scenes audiences have become so fond of.
Zombie movies also reigned heavy, with 28 days later, being the most prominent. This could be due to it being released a year after the vents of 9/11, as viewers, particularly American, as the gloomy, empty and sense of general heaviness in the streets of the, once busy, London reflect the aftermath of the attacks, and the quietness in America the following weeks.
Many commentators have identified the true beginning of the 21st century as September 11th, 2001. The events of that day changed global understanding of what it is to be afraid, and set the cultural agenda for the following years. 2000s horror movies reflected the new cruelty. –Karina Wilson
2010s– Similar to y2k, the first notable events of the 2010s, had a fear of the apocalypse, even though this was a very small minority, there was still a market for movies about the next apocalypse, even though most were rooted in comedy and present as satirical. This resulted in people, once again, contemplating life after death and religion, the result of this being an influx of religous (Christian) horror (The Conjuring, Devil). This pattern of people expressing their fears (stemming from religion) of life after death and God’s punishment, and turning them into heart-racing supernatural thrillers, begs the question- do people fear God as much as they fear the Devil?
Female directors gained recognition, and a new perspective of horror was launched, from the struggles of being a single mother (The Babadook) to the experience of living in a man’s world, and the pressure of beauty standards and objectification (American Mary).
It Follows is also a good example of a societal commentary in horror, while the movie has a handful of meanings and metaphors, the most prominent is it’s representation of taboo of women being sexually active, and the normalization and culture of slut-shaming, and regulating, women, and their bodies. It can also reflect the fear of pregnancy (Tokophobia), and the stress of being a slave to your own anatomy. It can also be viewed as a metaphor for the shame and guilt that many women are forced into feeling, regarding sex, as well as the way women have to constantly be on guard and looking for potential threats everyday. This narrative is similar to that of the 60s horror movies, and how they were used as a means to scare people into traditional values (using and viewing sex as anything but a way to reproduce).
We also saw the rise of cyber horror, reflective of the newly found fear in technology and the internet and the incapability to truly protect ourselves, and children, from crime, now that criminals and oppressors have a private place to gather, plot, and attack (often without our knowledge).
In 2016 Trump was elected as president, which resulted in a rise of racism, homophobia and sexism, as Americans now had no reason to hide their right wing ideologies – as well as having a whole generation surrounded by, and being fed this hate, and observing it as normal. Once again, this led to horror movies holding up a mirror to viewers and letting, specifically white, viewers observe, and almost experience, this oppression, and it’s effects (Get Out, Us, Spiral). Horror-comedies also made a small comeback, attempting to relive some of the stress and seriousness of the past two decades (What we do in the shadows, Creep, Tusk). Child related horrors began to become popular once again, as well.
Further Reading:
Themes of wealth inequality, feminism, and environmentalism are just as prominent in 2010s horror as they were in the mid-twentieth century, but with a fresh, modern spin. New themes emerged from this decade as well, such as social media.
Current Horror Movies- high, low , children, technology, embracing irony and comedy, self-awareness, gore+jumpscares
At this point, horrors and thrillers feel like a tired genre, although much loved. Its hard to see the future of horror without imagining the same tales of ghosts and psychopathic murders, being retold and recycled, through a very, slightly different lens. All horrors and thrillers have been worn out, and at this point in time, people think the only way to produce a successful and interesting horror movies is to only rely on the overuse of jump-scares and gore (again with the same stories repeating themselves). Seemingly, people have forgotten all about the genres infamous predecessor’s.
However, there is still hope. As this current year we are in the cinema revival (all genres), after cinema hit one roadblock after another. Not only did the pandemic greatly impact film, but years prior it was already struggling, including the cinemas themselves.
Perhaps everyone needed this break from cinema. This year alone brought in multiple billions. Film makers have had four years to think of something new and original; and a lot of significant cultural and political events have happened this year alone.
So who knows what horrors are waiting for us in the next 7+ years.