Psychological Horror and Modern-Day Realism: The Impact of Jordan Peele and Ari Aster

collage by Grace Kwon

As storytelling has differing ways of manifesting itself, it is essential to stress how impactful sound, symbolism, and societal commentaries are when it comes to filmmakers using their platform to share their perspectives with the audience. What many tend not to emphasize about films released in 2019 is the fact there is a common theme of the complexities of life, specifically through the lens of familial or personal dysfunction and crisis. In the case of Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us)  and Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar) their usage of psychological horror demonstrates how much society and trauma aid in isolation and the eerie nature of history repeating itself. When we think of psychological horror, what comes to mind is how influential self, societal, and interpersonal conflict is, especially when all of those aspects are intersectional. Furthermore, for audience members the terror lies in how realistic these narratives are, especially when it comes to commentaries about white supremacy in Get Out and Us, or examining trauma in both Hereditary and Midsommar. What these directors share is their ability to stun, shake, and move the audience to reflect on those traumas and dysfunctions while also having the tone of their films be subtle and silent. The point of the tonal silence is to allow the audience to think for themselves, to draft up their own ideas of what the film is communicating, while recognizing their own fears in regard to how much they can relate to the plights each character faces within the onscreen narrative. What makes these filmmakers distinctive is being unapologetic about the subjects which are front-and-center in their work, while simultaneously challenging the audience to dig deeper and consider the ways those narratives are what is being avoided in daily life through both action and conversation. 

In 2017, I remember watching Get Out for the first time; resonating with every aspect of how much white folks loved to pride themselves on doing the bare minimum and believing they’re not racist because they voted for Barack Obama. This detail, mentioned at the beginning of the film, is a blunt criticism and open mockery of white liberal folks who are convinced that they are not complicit with the ways in which systemic, structural, and institutional racism continues to persist. The concept of white neoliberalism (examined in this film) directly relies on masks: facades worn in order to avoid criticism and cover-ups and used to present a “progressive” outlook, when in actuality, these people can be just as complicit and willing to harm Black folks as others. Through the character of Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a Black man and photographer, the audience sees how his character is not only objectified, but also subjected to torture and hypersexualization. While the film may appear to some as not that realistic, what is apparent is how much Black folks have to endure when they are in public spaces. 

For example, as Chris and his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) attend a small reception at her family’s desolate Southern home, there is a montage of white, elite, upper class folks asking questions ranging from what sexual pleasure Chris provides Rose to his athletic abilities. Both those aspects are deeply rooted in anti-Blackness, hypersexualization, and the demonization of dark-skinned Black men. Get Out touches upon these moments and the impact they have on Chris. In juxtaposition, Us calls into question the power of self. What influences us? Who is the Big Brother watching our every move? How do you feel when society specifically uses its oppressive tools in order to gaslight you into thinking that the biggest enemy is yourself? How do you process this in conjunction with surviving day-to-day life? Us demonstrates how capitalism and societal influence perpetuate the systemic issues we face, while also pointing out the ways in which Black folks are used for co-opting and commodification in order to push a particular agenda. When examining the duality of Red (Lupita Nyong’o), part of the horror stems from how identity (specifically Black identity) is persistently policed and sought after when it comes to appropriation and the violent stripping away of autonomy. In the film, the government plays a role in the division of the outside and enclosed worlds, while also having the doppelgängers from around the world being used to promote a sense of unification and self-destruction. The film provides a commentary on how Black people are persistently watched and policed by white supremacist systems through tokenization, eugenics, and varying additional processes of dehumanization. Us specifies that society does not value us but rather wants to use Black folks as their own rabbits in order to keep the locomotion going. Considering the impact of both of Peele’s films, it is essential to add that there is comedy embedded within these works, as well. As many directors yearn to profit off of and repeatedly make work about Black trauma, what Peele does well is centered on his tenacity as he achieves a balance between realistic horror and comedic bluntness. Peele does not seek to educate white audiences. His work is not founded on the basis of spelling out every trope and theme to clueless white folks seeking to be “woke.” His films focus on the relatability and a sense of community when it concerns differing aspects of the Black experience, which is something we can only attest to. What is incredible about Peele’s work is his disinterest in pandering and the commitment of having these dialogues, while providing balance at the same time. 

What do you think of when you watch an Ari Aster film? Some aspects which may come to mind include tongue-clicking, a bear carcass, and a cult-like symbol being used as a sign for toxic family cultures to continue. What is powerful about Hereditary is the film’s heavy reliance on silence. While Colin Stetson’s score is haunting, rapid, and eerie, there are moments within the film where the audience has to be utterly shocked about where the direction of the film heads next. Through Australian actor Toni Collette’s powerful performance as Amy we see the grief of a mother having lost both her mother and child within a short span of time. In addition to its dark color palette, the film also includes colors such as yellow, baby blue, and green in order to set the stage for a grim fraction of storytelling. The burdens that Amy is subjected to carry also consists of the trauma that everyone around her ultimately fails to consider. A parallel can also be drawn to Aster’s 2019 film, Midsommar, where Dani (Florence Pugh) also deals with the trauma of losing her parents and sister after being exposed to carbon monoxide. What both films share is the exploration of how familial trauma is heavy and deadly. Not only do these characters face persisting challenges, throughout the films no one is listening. Imagine being in those circumstances and those around you fail to be present or recognize the gravitas of your trauma, while you are left to pick up the pieces. From Amy’s strained relationship with her son, Peter (Alex Wolff) to Dani’s empty relationship with her boyfriend, Aster relies on the themes of familial dysfunctions and the concept of familial trauma in order to illustrate the impact that those experiences have on one person. There is also something to be said about Midsommar's color palette consisting of more light colors, such as sky blue, yellow (as in Hereditary), and white (just to name a few). This aspect aids in Midsommar being more horrifying as the majority of the film takes place during the daytime. Horror films are stereotypically known for having the bad and murderous moments take place at night, but this film further pushes audiences out of their comfort zone. Through Dani, we also see folks who are experiencing trauma are subjected to peer pressure and the expectation they must somehow find a way to “bounce back” after being left out to dry. Both films show, whether through the director’s intent or not, that there is no support for women in these circumstances, while also emphasizing how toxic family cycles will continue if those behaviors and familial systems are not abolished. We see the trauma and cure passed down from Amy to Peter as we see the trauma carry down from Dani’s sister to her. Aster, as a director, shows the toxicity of cycles and how characters will have an untimely fate due to those patterns and the actions of their loved ones. 

What both Peele and Aster share is how as directors they provide commentary on history repeating itself. Either through the lens of white supremacy and capitalism or familial dysfunction and trauma, there is a recognition about how society deeply influences us and our relationships. Peele is bluntly honest about the ways in which Black people and their bodies are constantly policed as society is built in order to hypersexualize, profit off of, and co-opt Black experiences and lives, while also making it known that history is repeating itself because such was never over. What is evident in his films are systems which are still persisting now. The horror within the films mentioned derives from the string remnants and tropes which are still present today, while being something that Black folks can relate to. While our experiences are not monolithic, there is a collective understanding and relation about our experiences when it comes to white folks and the very systems which violate and dehumanize us. Peele persistently acknowledges how dehumanization is perpetuated by those individuals and systems, while also giving complexities to Black characters in order to avoid the stereotypical depiction of Black folks being the “first” one to go. Aster, on the other hand, provides cautionary tales about burdens, the weight they have, and how toxic familial structures not only cause dysfunction but immeasurable chaos. The usage of sound within his films also rely on the audience having the ability to decipher what is being communicated and what power is being emphasized within that moment. As there is an abundance of horror films being made, these filmmakers have been able to challenge and shake-up the landscape by being unapologetic and bold with their creative choices, while connecting to the older interpretations of horror which focus on that relatability and having faith and discernment with the audience to identify what they resonate with and what their films are attempting to communicate. They leave it up to our discretion while also centering the narratives about humanity continuing to be degraded through irredeemable cycles and capitalistic systems which seek to strip away oneself and promote a toxic hegemony.