The Evolution of the Horror Genre

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Horror has long been a popular genre amongst film audiences of all ages because of its ability to scare us, puzzle us, and generally add excitement and thrill to our lives - which can be very mundane at times. As a film genre, horror has been around since the inception of cinema. Trends in horror movies are largely responsive to the socio-political context of the period in which they are produced, with many themes reflecting the real-life anxieties of audiences. Every decade, there are certain themes and subgenres that are more prominent in horror movies, enabling horror to evolve over the years into the adaptive genre it is today.

Early horror films were inspired by horror-themed and Gothic literature, which was popular in the centuries before Hollywood was officially established. Many works of literature in the horror genre later laid the foundations for film adaptations. In the mid-1890s, after the first filmmakers emerged, French illusionist and film director George Mellies created what is now considered the first horror movie in 1898. His film featured elements of horror that audiences are still familiar with today: cauldrons, animated skeletons, ghosts, bats and even an incarnation of the devil. During the silent era, horror movies still managed to frighten audiences - even without sound. Iconic titles such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu were released during this period. The 1920s was also when American audiences were first introduced to the genre. One decade later, Universal Pictures took the helm to produce the majority of horror movies, most of which became monster classics such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolfman and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Furthermore, from the 1910s to 1930s, the fear of death was a common theme in horror movies, aligning with society’s fear of premature death at a time when modern western medicine did not yet exist.

In the following decades, the horror genre was particularly shaped by socio-political factors. With the Second World War enduring, film studios cheapened production and released spinoffs and sequels – the horrors of war were enough to scare the public. After the war, antagonists in films tended to be less supernatural in nature, reflecting the feelings and anxieties of the general public, who, after the violence of the conflict, were increasingly frightened by enemies of the same species, and the capabilities of humans. Consequently, the long-lasting fear of nuclear power, radioactive mutation and fears of invasion emerged as popular themes in horror films, such as Godzilla and When Worlds Collide. With the end of the war came less stress in audiences’ lives, which brought about a new hunger for something exciting and terrifying. This shift manifested in horror movies like The Fly, The Blob, and The Haunting. At this time, social issues were inciting protests around the US, and this was reflected in films, such as the theme of racism in Night of the Living Dead and abortion rights in Rosemary’s Baby. The 1960s is also when independent filmmakers were on the rise, and experimented with new ways to scare audiences. The Exorcist was monumental in going beyond a simple ghost story and featuring scarier twists. 

From the late 1960s onwards, slasher films became incredibly popular. Events like the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Watergate scandal, as well as the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, instigated American audiences to become more fearful of society. Slasher films have particularly terrifying effects because they feature a ruthless and relentless antagonist brutally murdering kids and/or teenagers by the masses, usually in increasingly innovative ways. They were disturbing to audiences because slasher films usually took place in suburban neighborhoods, which had historically been promoted as being a safe haven for families to peacefully live. Not only was the family unit compromised in this way – many horror films also depicted children as having evil sides and being capable of the worst actions, evident by the popularity of the occult genre. Slasher and occult films remained popular in the next few decades, with films like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and Child’s Play garnering attention across the country. 

As a result of technological advancements, filmmakers have been able to fruitfully experiment with horror techniques. No clear trend defines the past two decades, but several subgenres of horror have emerged. Highbrow horror is highly artistic and creative, blending different genres together to unsettle audiences, with films such as Mother and It Follows. The zombie subgenre has also proved to be entertaining, as it invites audiences to imagine themselves in apocalyptic situations. Torture porn is another subgenre mainly centered around gore, testing audiences’ limits at how much gruesomeness they can tolerate before looking away from the screen – think of the Saw and Hostel franchises. Many horror movies nowadays also explore social and psychological issues.

The horror genre has come a long way, from scaring audiences with monsters to psychopathic killers to zombies. While horror has been influenced by socio-political issues of their time throughout the twentieth century, the genre now offers a multitude of subgenres and themes found in films that still have that same ability to terrify audiences. Only time will tell where horror will take us and what will be used to scare us next.

Sources: 

https://medium.com/22westmag/the-evolution-of-the-horror-genre-ab6741dc2a0d

https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-horror-movies-have-changed-since-their-beginning/

https://www.lightsfilmschool.com/blog/history-horror-movies-genre-agf