Horror History: The New Golden Age of Terror

Horror has entered a new age … and we love it! Welcome to WatchMojo’s series Horror History, where we look at how the genre went from being a bump in the night to shaking down the box office! As a genre, horror has always been transgressive, pushing boundaries and breaking new ground. However, for just that reason, it’s also remained somewhat niche and easy for critics to dismiss. Gradually though, that’s changed, thanks to standout films that made audiences and critics alike stand up and pay attention. Today, horror feels like it’s come of age, with more respect than ever before given to its creators and the stories they have to tell. This rise has been buoyed in recent years by a wave of films that have used horror to tell artful stories about deeper human experiences, or provide social commentary on the world we live in. It’s important to note, however, that they’re hardly the first to do so. Much has been said about how George A. Romero’s 1978 film “Dawn of the Dead” savagely satirized consumer culture with its setting of Monroeville Mall. Also from the late 70s, David Lynch’s movie “Eraserhead” delved into the director’s own anxieties about fatherhood. Then there’s David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of “The Fly”, with its gruesome body horror intended as a metaphor for aging. When it was released, many critics also saw in it an analogy for the AIDS crisis. Having said that, horror films today do seem more willing than ever before to put these deeper ideas at the centre of their narrative. Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 film “Black Swan” used horror to explore obsession and mental breakdown. In our previous episode, we talked about how “The Babadook” and “Hereditary” explore grief, and the way that “The Invisible Man” highlights gaslighting and domestic violence. Horror has had even more to say thanks to growing diversity within its ranks. 2014 brought us Ana Lily Amirpour's singular film "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night", a self-described “Iranian vampire Western”. Subverting many of the usual vampire movie tropes, it provided a fresh, feminist spin on the genre that celebrates classic horror while also creating something new. Meanwhile, Jordan Peele’s 2017 film “Get Out” dealt with racism, complicity, and ignorance, while still very much working within genre parameters. The film was a critical darling and received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; Peele became the first Black winner of Best Original Screenplay. The universal acclaim is indicative of where horror is at now – a place where some of the most in demand Hollywood talents are actively seeking the genre out, rather than keeping their distance. Mind you, “Get Out” wasn’t the first horror film nominated for Best Picture. That honor goes to 1973’s “The Exorcist”; hot on its heels two years later came “Jaws”. So far, the only horror film to actually take home the award was “The Silence of the Lambs”. In fact, it won FIVE Oscars in total, also picking up Best Actor, Actress, Director and Adapted Screenplay! There was much chatter however as to whether or not the label “horror” was actually warranted, with some preferring “psychological thriller” instead. This is one of the reasons why Peele's win for Original Screenplay was a big deal! There wasn't the same ambiguity with "Get Out" as there was with "The Silence of the Lambs." This was a capital H horror film, and "Get Out" was proud of that fact. Indeed, as a filmmaker, Jordan Peele seems not to want to break out of horror’s genre trappings, so much as use them to tell larger stories. He returned to horror again in his follow-up film “Us”, which took aim at classism and privilege. Peele is far from the only contemporary filmmaker revelling in classic horror tropes while bringing a unique vision to the genre. Ari Aster and Robert Eggers also deserve mentioning here, with the latter achieving his own moment of Oscar buzz when his 2019 film "The Lighthouse" was nominated for Best Cinematography. Both filmmakers work in a space where critics and fans alike seem to dig what they're doing, despite the fact that none of their films at this point could be described as softballs within the world of horror. Whether it's Aster playing with folk horror tropes a la "The Wicker Man" with his film "Midsommar", or Eggers challenging our ideas of the occult with his brilliantly moody masterpiece "The Witch", both names seem to be on the lips of every modern horror fan today. In the same breath, many of those same fans are raving about the distribution and production company A24 – for good reason! A24 and Blumhouse serve as two of the most popular, prolific and successful horror studios of the modern day, with contrasting production models that have nevertheless resonated with the movie going public. A24 tend to take more chances with progressive, forward thinking productions, while Blumhouse balance a roster of high profile fare, like David Gordon Green's "Halloween" with lower budgeted rolls of the dice, a la "Unfriended" and darkly comedic success stories, such as the "Happy Death Day" series. Indeed, it seems as if the R rating has made a return with a vengeance over the last few years, albeit with less of the exploitative sleaze that partially defined the genre in the 70s and 80s. Horror movies are being made for adults, and adults are watching horror movies; sometimes with their kids ... sometimes catching their kids. Filmmakers seem to be taking more chances by ignoring that dangling carrot that is the ever lucrative PG-13 rating. 2015’s R-Rated “It Follows” combined a parable about sexually transmitted infections with a harrowing John Carpenter-influenced synth soundtrack to create one of the most effective horror films of the decade. Gore Verbinski’s 2017 film "A Cure for Wellness" also embraced its R-rating, feeling like a wild-eyed throwback to the stylish (and occasionally nonsensical) giallo films from Italy. Released the same year, Andy Muschietti’s R-Rated Stephen King adaptation “It” became the highest grossing horror film of all time, garnering praise from fans and critics alike. One common theme throughout the history of horror is how each generation of storytellers builds on the legacies of past visionaries. What’s old becomes new, and often returns in waves. If horror is once again championing the past with regards to its soundtracks or visuals, it's also doing so with yet another all important throwback: practical effects. Maybe we can thank “The Walking Dead’s” special makeup effects creator Greg Nicotero for the assist. Or Shudder’s "Creepshow" series. The backlash against the cringe-worthy CGI that marred movies like "Piranha 3D" and 2011’s "The Thing” probably helped too. Either way, horror filmmakers seem to be going back to basics, combining their old school knowledge with new modern techniques. And that's why being a horror fan today is so exciting. The little genre that could has come a long way, and the future looks just as promising. Horror fans never forget their roots, and will always support honest filmmakers with unique visions, especially if their hearts are in the right place. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if you adore the drive in, stick with slashers, love those jump scares or wanna hug those big, furry monsters. Horror is a home for outcasts, a place where anything is possible, that unites fans under one glorious banner of shared truth: we love being scared!