Horror can appear in a variety of ways, it doesn’t matter what form, as long as it can accomplish one goal: “Scare the shit out of your soul.” Of course, every viewer has their own unique tastes, not every person is going to like the same doughnut you buy from the convenience store down the street from that creepy house you swear is haunted by a dead family. Every audience member is searching for that specific fear that will have them dreading nightfall, while searching for the monster under their bed that they thought only existed in their nightmares as children. However, there are some audiences that are searching for that ambiguous mystery, one that they want to be able to dissect to reveal every single layer, like a body getting ready to be autopsied. They seek to have every detail laid out in front of them, because for some, it’s all about the mystery, the unknown of what is standing behind you every time you are not looking.
Analog horror is that type of horror. It is defined as a media, online platforms that content creators use to convey their imagination or ideas to put together a video depicting eerie images and strange videos that are utterly terrifying to watch. YouTube is mostly the online platform used to promote their stories to their future audience that will eventually become their subscribers if they dig the story that is being presented to them.
Every analog horror I have discovered are their own creative storylines, that delves into the darkest reaches of horror, a place where fans eagerly wait to jump into that darkness, like swimming into the deepest depths of the ocean, to allow themselves to be consumed within the distressing mystery of the story that is taking place. Analog horror can be the supernatural, a terrible disease that kills anyone who comes into contact with the sickness, sick serial killers who want to pick their victims apart like a puzzle piece, or even aliens from outer space that want to annihilate the human race. These topics may seem hard to pull off with just random YouTube videos you find on the Internet, but what makes it so effective is what is shown to you, providing you with only a visual format.
Now, what makes Analog horror scary exactly? Picture this. Imagine you are on vacation with your family, recording and taking pictures with your phone, having a good time. Once vacation is over, you go home, back to reality of boring everyday life. You decide to scroll through your photos and videos you took, either to cherish the memory or post on social media. You come across a black figure in literally every photo or video, the face resembling that of something non — human, a smile plastered onto its face, standing directly behind you in each frame and video. You begin to feel sweat break out on your forehead, dripping down as your heart begins to race like someone is hammering a nail straight into your chest, no words being able to comprehend how afraid you feel, because you know if you look back, that thing with that same smile will be right there, ready for you to lock eyes with it, the figure content you will finally meet it face to face.
That is the fear Analog horror brings to the table. It is an unsettling horror that stays with the viewer, it preys on your darkest fears, bringing your worst nightmares to life. If you ever sit down to watch an analog horror video on your own in the house in the dark, and if you triple check to see if all your doors and windows are locked, praying that no one is watching you from your windows, then that video accomplished that one goal: “Scaring the shit out of you.”
Thank you for reading my article. Here are some analog horror recommendations I think all horror fans should watch: Mandela Catalogue, Greylock, The Smile Tapes, The Painter (viewer discretion strongly advised, would not recommend for everyone), and the Suitmation Trials.
See you next week! :D
