It can’t be denied that throughout the last century, horror films have made a huge impact on the world of cinema. Outside the blood, guts and gore that people expect going into a horror film, many horrors have left their audience shaken; filled with questions about the human condition and how far the human mind really can go.
A great example of this would be Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960’s film, Psycho. Despite being made over half a century ago, the iconography and ideas are still impactful today, with the film being catalytic in the creation of the slasher genre, and the introduction of audiences to the idea that such cruelty could manifest itself into such mundane characters. In more recent years, directors such as Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope) and Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar) have continued this theme; combining psychological horror and social commentary alongside the gore typical of the genre. Horror as a genre will remain relevant as the films satisfy a certain aspect of psychological and emotional needs that won’t go away, such as catharsis and morbid curiosity.
Horror will never be “irrelevant” as it is such a staple in cinema, just like comedies or dramas, but instead will lose the features that make it stand out amongst other films. The constant repetition in the genre makes it harder and harder for unique concepts to break through in cinemas. This is further evident through the creation of unnecessary sequels and remakes of films that stand alone just fine by themselves. A great example of this is the Scream series: the original is iconic, and though the others have been successful, they haven’t had the same cultural impact as the first.
Horror as a genre may no longer be relevant not due to a lack of interest, but instead due to a lack of originality. The genre thrives on difference, and has skyrocketed in popularity in the 2020’s, however audiences may no longer view horror as an art form or a serious piece of media due to the overwhelming feeling that the interesting plot areas and stories are being sacrificed for cheap thrills, more blood and senseless violence with less development and depth. In my opinion, the independent horror circuit is where the genre thrives. Similarly to many other genres of film, the budget that a film has limits their options and creativity. Smaller budget films may have to be more creative in their story telling and scares in order to save money. This creates more opportunities for interesting and outstanding ideas to be portrayed.
In the case of horror films, it is not that they have become irrelevant, but audiences may have become fatigued by the constant roll out of films that recycle the same plot formula which provides no audience satisfaction due to the lack of attachment to characters and less of a desire to see conflict resolved.
Image Credits – The Movie DB
