Filmmaking
Horror Movies — When’s the Last Time You’ve Really Been Afraid?
Since the dawn of time, humans have been telling each other stories of all kinds. By passing down fables, tragedies, comedies, and legends, we would entertain ourselves and each other. From these great stories eventually rose the concept of horror. From skin-walkers and zombies to ghosts and demons, mankind’s history is full of frightening tales involving these creatures across all cultures. But what makes the concept of horror so fascinating to us?
Horror allows us to explore the darkest parts of our natures, and because we live in relatively safer times, we can do so without the fear of our own mortalities. We tell our children stories about boogeymen that’ll drag them into the dark for misbehaving, we watch movies about serial killers, and we even imagine ourselves in those same life or death situations. Obviously, the chances of ending up in any of those scenarios is pretty low, but they serve as interesting behavioral tools and thought experiments nonetheless.
Horror evokes feelings of excitement, disgust, anticipation, and vulnerability, which are things we probably experience a little less intensely in our now civilized society. That said, because we’ve taken such significant steps to separate ourselves from our more animalistic tendencies, on a primal level, horror may even be somewhat therapeutic.
With that in mind, as a medium of darker expression, horror should be, well, horrifying. The problem as of lately, though, is that the emotional responses that horror used to elicit back in the day aren’t the same as what we see now. What happened?
Old Horror Versus New Horror
When we look at older horror films produced by the likes of George Romero, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Rob Zombie, and John Carpenter, there’s a certain eeriness that’s almost ever-present. These writers gave life to films such as Dawn of the Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, House of 1000 Corpses, and Halloween.
While these films aren’t as visually spectacular as what we see today, that lack of reliance on special effects and CGI is part of what made them so memorable. Instead of constant jump scares and internal organs spilling out all over the place, writers actually had to make people afraid of the concepts in their movies.
Let’s take Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street. I don’t care what generation you’re from, there’s not a single person on this planet who doesn’t know the name “Freddy Krueger.” The fedora, the burned face, the red-and-green striped sweater, and the bladed glove are all trademarks of the Springwood Slasher.
But what made Freddy Krueger truly terrifying, aside from his grotesque physical features, was the fact that he could invade your dreams and kill you there. We’re supposed to be at our safest when we’re at rest, but Wes Craven had managed to completely throw that assumption into doubt. Knowing that you weren’t safe in your own bed was more than enough to keep people awake at night.
And therein lies the problem.
The newer generation of horror films don’t introduce ideas that make people afraid of living anymore. They don’t rattle long-held beliefs that make people feel secure at all times, even when they should be looking over their shoulders. If something hasn’t made you hesitate to do something as natural as breathing, then are you really afraid? This isn’t to say that there haven’t been some amazing gems in recent times, like It Follows, Us, Train to Busan, The Conjuring, and Insidious, but they’re far and few.
Remakes, Reboots, and a Declining Hollywood
The entertainment industry has had a significant impact on the horror genre over the last decade, and not for the better. Instead of creating new ideas for people to enjoy, we’ve seen Hollywood push out remakes and reboots of classic films from the late 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Just to list a few, Hellraiser, Friday the 13th, Cabin Fever, Black Christmas, and Child’s Play have all been refitted in an attempt to appeal to today’s generation.
Not only does this highlight an issue of originality within the industry, but it also gives the impression that nothing will ever top the glory of the past. What makes the ideas of remakes and reboots even worse is that they almost always fail to capture the essence of the original films. Trust me, it’s very easy to tell the difference between a passionate director and one who’s looking to make a quick buck off nostalgia.
Speaking of nostalgia, does anybody remember the Scary Movie series starring Anna Faris and Regina Hall? They were parody films that would incorporate popular horror movies into their plots for spoofs. Notable mentions include The Ring, The Grudge, Scream, and Saw, but every entry was always an unforgettable one. You’d be laughing throughout the entire film, and even now, that series is still referenced in pop culture as one of the best productions of all time.
That said, parodies are practically non-existent at this point, and it’s not hard to imagine why. Referring back to the decline of creativity in Hollywood, there’s nothing to make a spoof of anymore. While they may not have been actual horror films, the Scary Movie series served as a good indicator of what was popular in that genre. Now, though, could you honestly tell me five horror movies from the last decade, which aren’t remakes or reboots, that would make for well-known pop culture references? Probably not.
The Quality of Horror and Its Quantity
Another element that I blame for the decline of horror films is streaming. Even though platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and others have given us more accessibility to certain titles, they’ve also watered down the quality. One of the major selling points of video-on-demand streaming services is that they can market a library numbering in the thousands. They don’t have to capture your attention with the contents of the library, just the padded number count.
As a result, you eventually find yourself scrolling through low-budget movies made by newly-emerging filmmakers. The issue compounds itself when you realize that horror films are the easiest to make, especially if you’re just looking for mindless stimulation. Cheap gore effects, stereotypical characters, simple scripts, jump scares, and unrelated nudity are practically the hallmarks of a film school graduate’s first horror film.
Unfortunately for the subscribers, this relationship is mutually beneficial for everyone else involved. The streaming platforms get to boost their numbers while the cast and crew members of those films get some exposure. It’s a very low-risk high-reward situation that has no reason to stop any time soon. What’s more, with each new generation of horror becoming less thought out, paired with the low barrier for entry, the genre may look completely unrecognizable within the next few years.
Conclusion
The horror genre is in desperate need of a revamp. It’s been way too long since we’ve seen a new generation of truly talented filmmakers, and now it’s starting to become painfully obvious. I’d even go as far as saying that we’ve reached a point where real life is way more frightening than the knife-wielding killers and ghouls on screen.
Having said all that, how do you all feel about the state of horror films today? Have you seen any movies recently that have left a lasting impression? Are there any movies that you consider to be your favorites? Do you think that we’ll ever see filmmakers on the same levels as Wes Craven and George Romero again?
If you‘d like to keep the conversation going, comment on this article and click that ‘Follow’ button! Also, if you enjoy any of my content related to Gaming, Tech, the DCU, or Entertainment, consider showing me some support over at Ko-Fi!
