Not a new genre of Horror
Tragically, this article is not about a new genre of horror that takes place in renaissance fairs. If that becomes a real thing, then I take full credit, and I do take Venmo. What I’m here to talk about is yet another huge boom in the popularity and evolution of horror. Horror has always been popular, something that I hadn’t really realized until a few years ago when I became immersed in the genre, but it feels even more so as of late. What I’m trying to get at is: horror fans are eating.
Now more than ever, the horror genre is the most plentiful and accessible that it’s ever been. With the rise of streaming services, including Shudder—an entire streaming service purely for horror content—the volume of high-quality horror content is at an absolute peak. This includes literature, with a demand for horror books being at an all-time high. Nearly every week I find a new piece of horror content that conveys something entirely new. At the helm of all these new horror movies is a studio called A24.
What even is an A24
It is impossible to deny that A24 has become an absolute juggernaut within horror production. It feels as if they have their dirty little hands in every pie these days, branching out further and putting their logo into the title card of every film I see. While not explicitly a horror producer, their horror films such as Hereditary and Midsommar really put them at the forefront of the genre. For a studio founded a mere thirteen years ago, they’ve really figured out the sauce of success—and spookiness.
Horror has always had an accessibility to creating it. Bare-bones, low-budget movies can see absolutely massive returns in a monetary sense. There’s money to be made when your production line is dirt cheap; a lot of the genre takes place in a single house or location, use practical effects more effectively than CGI, and work effectively even with amateur actors. Barring professional production, horror can be made by anyone with the power of the internet. Internet horror is what introduced me to the greater genre. A lot of it, well most of it, is extremely niche. However, there are titans of internet horror that are about to accomplish mainstream success.
Is this heading Liminal Horror?
The Backrooms, The Mandela Catalogue, LOCAL58TV, GREYLOCK; if you’re chronically online (me) or into internet horror, then you may have heard these names. A number of these have been dubbed “analog horror” (though The Backrooms is technically digital horror), which is one of my favorite little subgenres. Even if you haven’t heard of these, you may be more familiar with the genre than you think. The Blair Witch Project is a “found-footage” horror film that shocked the world when it hit theaters. Where is this footage found? Well, on an analog VHS tape, of course. These genres rely on intentionally poor-quality video footage and the nostalgia that such videos evoke to masterfully unnerve you. More often than not, the monster that you can barely see (or not see at all) is all the more terrifying than the one that reveals itself in full.
So I’ve spent a bit of time talking about how popular horror is and how there’s so much to see, but I haven’t mentioned many titles! So let’s fix that. Here’s a small list of absolute banger horror content, released in the past five years, that I think is worth checking out. This list is in no particular order, and if something you love isn’t on it, then I probably just haven’t seen it yet. If you have suggestions, then let me know! I’m always on the hunt for horror.
Horror I Recommend
Movies!
His House (2020): You could call this a haunted house movie, but the story is deep and the acting is phenomenal. I can’t say much without giving things away, but don’t write this one off as “just another haunted house movie.”
The Sadness (2021): Other countries’ horror movies really hit different, and Taiwan is no exception. This is the most brutal, gory, and all-around horrific zombie-not-zombie movie you’ll ever watch. Much like When Evil Lurks, I do not recommend this for the faint of heart. There is violence, some of it sexual, and it does not pull a single punch.
Smile (2022): This movie evokes the unnerving quality of a malicious smile. The setup, the malevolent monster, and the climax will leave you with a strange (but warranted) phobia of fake smiles. There’s also a great sequel if you like it!
Nope (2022): It’s a Jordan Peele film, and if you don’t know what that means, then you need to also watch Get Out immediately. Stop reading this and go now. Featuring my favorite zombie slayer: Steven Yeun. Nope has no zombies for him to fight, which is not good for him. You’ll never be as frightened in the middle of a sunny day as you will be after watching this one.
Barbarian (2022): Enough twists to make your Shyamalan dizzy, but done right. Prepare to be unsettled, subverted, and all-around horrified.
Skinamarink (2022): The most “out there” of all the horror I have watched. If you are a product of the late 80s/early 90s and get freaked out by images that evoke an unnerving nostalgia, then this is for you. This will also be the only one on the list that I will spoil, because knowing what is going on only enhances the terror. A malicious entity makes the doors, windows, and eventually rooms of these two very young children disappear as it “plays” with them
Talk to Me (2023): The freshest take on a possession story you’ve ever seen. Everyone sees the danger, including the audience, but we never want the action to stop.
When Evil Lurks (2023): This is a rough one, not for the faint of heart. It gets weird fast, it is brutal, it’s in another language (ah, scary!), but it is worth watching. Another possession movie, but this movie makes The Exorcist look like The Barbie Movie. Okay, that’s a dramatic comparison, but it’s good—go watch it!
Alien: Romulus (2024): Yet another movie in the Alien franchise, but this one is great! It features many of the same beats as previous Alien movies, but it feels fresh. It’s a great start at the revitalization of a great franchise.
Series!
The Haunting Of… (2020): There are a few of these series: The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and they are all worth watching. They are, in the strictest sense, haunted house movies that are perfect representations of their genre. The acting is superb.
Midnight Mass (2021): With the horror renaissance comes a plethora of good series to watch. Midnight Mass is just one of many limited series that offer a short, punchy season of good TV instead of fifteen seasons of drama with a horror backdrop. Sometimes becoming a vampire is better than the life you have.
From (2022-Present): While I did just knock on multi-season drama horror, From is one of the good ones. From the producers of Lost, From is very similar in premise. Everybody is trapped in a mysterious location, there are monsters, and there is interpersonal drama. I call this genre “Rules Horror.” A set of rules are established, and breaking those rules often results in a gruesome supernatural demise.
Archive 81 (2022): I’m going to round this out with two analog horrors because I love the genre and you can’t stop me. This series on Netflix is a nice, recent example of analog horror in the mainstream. It is, quite literally, analog horror, as our protagonist spends his time listening to supernatural audio logs.
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023): Another banger of a limited series, focus on “limited.” This is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s works, and it feels like Succession if it was horror and three times as punchy.
Horror is, quite possibly, the most important genre in film.
I know. A bold statement. A matter of opinion (my wife would tell you that award goes to the RomCom-sorry I just puked a little).
But seriously, what really tests our boundaries as humans?
We try to surround ourselves with a ‘normal ‘ life. We like to think we are safe and secure in our well constructed bubbles.
Numb with our very own existence. Practically sleeping through life. Making the mundane our go to means of existence.
I believe this is why watching horror is SO important.
The genre takes us on this journey from an average, everyday couple seeking a break from their humdrum lives.
Perhaps an international vacation will spice things up.
Or maybe a weekend getaway to a cabin in the woods is just what the doctor ordered.
And shortly along the way something odd or suspicious will happen. Let’s just chalk that up to the veritable bump in the road.
After all, perfection only exists in our mind. Just push past it. Don’t allow a little oddity to ruin our special retreat.
Once arriving at said destination, something else will happen: maybe a dead rodent is stinking up the place. Perhaps the water comes out of the faucet all rusty and the pipes creek.
These are all just minor setbacks.
Once this latest annoyance is remedied, a thrilling roll in the hay will reinvigorate that lost passion that hasn’t been felt in a very long time.
Basking in the sweaty afterglow of post coitus retrospective insight and sharing a much deserved joint, hunger will call one to venture into the kitchen for a midnight sandwich and beer.
A sudden loud noise from outside the bedroom window will have her screaming.
Bursting out the front door with a flashlight and a fireplace poker, he will find no evidence of a prowler.
Only crickets and the ribbits of cavorting amphibians will lend to any outdoor activities.
At this point the audience will be on the edge of their seats. All senses are on high alert.
Never mind this is only a stupid movie. We are scared shitless.
This could easily happen to anyone of us.
Just one step beyond our safe, little lives.
There is a place where our own mortality is at the forefront.
This IS Horror.