Having just passed the “spooky” month, where horror movies are an almost nightly occurrence, it seems like a good time to talk about horror movies and how they are impactful on our society.
People seem to enjoy horror movies for a variety of reasons. It could be that it provides a safe adrenaline rush, because you aren’t putting yourself in any actual danger but you still feel as though you are being chased. It could be the incredible cinematography and visuals that are often put into these movies. Or, in my opinion, it is heavily due to the fact that we can connect deeply with them, even when they are so far removed from our lives.
Horror movies are an incredible way to talk about the things that are hard to put into words, like grief, addiction, abuse, and so many more things.
A great example in my opinion is Talk to Me, which is a great story of a girl turning to addiction due to the grief of losing her mother. It tells her tragic story and shows how harmful it can be to allow someone access to something that can harm them with no repercussions.
Another great example of horror movies having hidden deep messages is The Black Phone, it is the story of a young boy who is kidnapped by a serial killer and kept in his basement. He uses the advice from “The Grabber’s” past victims. This movie is a great representation of sexual assault and how it can happen to anyone. It also talks about parental abuse and how that can impact siblings’ relationships, as seen through the main character and his younger sister.
The sequel The Black Phone 2 is a beautiful conclusion to the original’s story of grief and how people deal with traumatic events. Even years after the original event occurred.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a really great commentary on regret and power structures. The story follows teenagers who lie about something very big and how it impacted their lives in the following years. Their actions were covered up due to their relationships with powerful people in the town, allowing them to escape the consequences of their actions physically, but they were unable to escape mentally. Their actions still take a toll on them.
Finally The Shining is a classic example of horror movies showcasing repressed or shameful emotions. The entire plot centers around a man who is slowly going insane, he refuses to seek help and continues to isolate himself from those around him, which causes him to spiral into insanity faster and faster. It shows how mental issues can affect both the person with the issues and those around them (as he attempts to kill both his wife and son). It also shows how our failure to speak about our issues doesn’t just make them go away. It can actually make it worse.
Overall, horror movies can show, through blood, gore, and jumpscares, deep human truths that are difficult to talk about. They allow people to express their darkest fears in a safe way. This makes those difficult topics so much easier to speak about. People love horror movies because they are easy to connect with, we are able to put ourselves in the arcs that the characters go through and it makes us feel comfortable.
