Welcome back! It seems like the horror genre is becoming really popular in film, literature, streaming shows, video games, and other mediums. Many subgenres of horror are hitting mainstream media and it’s a great opportunity for my writing. Here’s an overview of several popular horror subgenres.
Backwoods Horror All manner of horror happens when people get lost in the woods. Serial killers are common villains in this setting, but some characters encounter monsters, cults, angry spirits, witches, and other malevolent forces. The woods can be a disorienting place and the characters may feel like they can’t escape. Backwoods settings are prime locations for murderers to hide nearby and stalk their prey. It’s also hard to tell who’s on your side in backwoods horror. After all, the friendly forest ranger might be the main antagonist. Examples: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Apostle, YellowBrickRoad, The Ritual, Wrong Turn, Cabin Fever, Animal Body Horror This genre might be a little more obscure, but it made a huge impact in horror cinema. Body horror features grotesque mutations and unnatural manipulations of the body. This subgenre is remarkably gruesome and often memorable for bizarre creature effects or bodily transformations. It tends to cross over with the science fiction genre regarding aliens, parasites, and unethical experiments. Examples: The Fly, The Thing, Leviathan, Malignant, Possessor, Videodrome, Splinter Comedic Horror Some horror movies are also very funny. It doesn’t have to be hardcore scares all the time. This subgenre is often a parody and a breath of fresh air among more serious, dower, and depressing projects. Comedic horror often includes the same elements from other subgenres, such as monsters, the supernatural, and elaborate death scenes. Granted, everything is much sillier. Examples: Zombieland, Gremlins, Warm Bodies, Tremors, Abigail, Lisa Frankenstein, Dark Shadows, Slotherhouse, The Cabin in the Woods, Army of Darkness, Werewolves Within, Happy Death Day Cosmic Horror The work of H.P. Lovecraft created an entire subgenre of horror with ancient Gods, alternate dimensions, and strange monsters from the abyss. Cthulhu and other eldritch abominations are usually present in these horror stories. These monsters hibernate for long periods of time, but something wakes them up, such as occult rituals, inter-dimensional traveling, or underwater exploration. Such encounters don’t usually bode well for the characters or mankind in general. Examples: The Void, The Mist, Color Out of Space, Annihilation, In the Mouth of Madness, Glorious Creature Features This category is very broad with a lot of variety. It might feature werewolves, creatures hiding in the shadows, or monsters stalking through the woods. Regardless, the monster is going to be frightening and nearly indestructible. Most likely, it will also be quite hungry for human flesh. In a worst case scenario, the creature might even turn you into a member of its species. Examples: The Wolf Man, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, The Boogeyman, The Descent, Imaginary, The Hallow, Late Phases, An American Werewolf in London, They, Come Play Deep Space Horror Nobody is going to save you if something horrific occurs in outer space. Explorers, scientists, or prisoners wind up stranded with a hostile extraterrestrial on a space station or mysterious planet. This subgenre leaves the characters alone, helpless, and the perfect bait for alien creatures. It takes a lot of clever improvisation and skills to survive deep space horror. Examples: Alien(s), Pitch Black, Life, Event Horizon, Pandorum, Doom, Prometheus, Screamers Demonic Possession Most of these movies have the same theme. Someone becomes possessed by a demonic entity and an exorcism or another event of survival takes place. Despite this lack of variety, the subgenre remains prevalent today. On the plus side, recent media about demonic possessions can be less predictable with different outcomes. Examples: The Exorcist, Evil Dead, Insidious, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, Deliver Us from Evil, The Nun, Night of the Demons, Prince of Darkness Folk Horror At first glance, folk horror may seem almost identical to its backwoods counterpart. Folk horror may take place in rural locations, but it primarily focuses on cults, ritualistic sacrifices, folk tales, and urban legends. You might want to stay away from the locals in these stories. They’ll probably lure you in a death trap. Examples: Children of the Corn, Pumpkinhead, The Legend of Sleep Hollow, Midsommar, Men, Heriditary, Candyman, Antlers, Pyewacket, Lord of Misrule, Dark Harvest Found Footage This subgenre features a unique perspective through camcorders, cell phones, and other visual mediums. It gives audiences an impression that the characters are filming the horror as it happens. Found footage isn’t a favorite subgenre of mine, but it’s definitely making a comeback. These movies can include any type of monster or phenomenon. Examples: The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, Grave Encounters, As Above So Below, Willow Creek, The Sacrament, Devil’s Pass Haunted Houses The horror genre is oversaturated with haunted house movies, shows, and video games. However, I continue to find interesting and unique content every year. It usually begins with the same premise, such as a family who moves into a house that’s inhabited by a vengeful spirit. Sometimes this subgenre has a strange twist that might surprise the audience, but I don’t want to give anything away. Examples: Oculus, The Amityville Horror, The Others, House on Haunted Hill, The Conjuring, Night Swim, The Haunting in Connecticut, The Grudge, The Messengers, Crimson Peak, Winchester Home Invasions Your house should be a safe haven for you. Unfortunately, many characters find themselves in perilous conditions when someone breaks into their house or vacation home. This subgenre tends to be unsettling, although less bloody than the typical slasher flick. The home invasion subgenre might remind you to lock every door and install an alarm system. Examples: When a Stranger Calls, Don’t Breathe, You’re Next, The Strangers, Vacancy, Knock Knock, Black Christmas Killer Animals Nature goes wild and vengeful in this subgenre. Animals may turn against mankind for any number of reasons, such as deforestation, genetic experiments, drugs, poaching, etc. Practically anything can send an animal on a killing spree in these horror movies. This subgenre should remind you to treat the outdoors and all living creatures with respect, regardless of their size. Examples: Jaws, Lake Placid, Anaconda, Deep Blue Sea, Crawl, Cocaine Bear, Arachnophobia, Willard, Beast, The Shallows, The Birds, 47 Meters Down Post-Apocalypse Some post-apocalyptic films are definitely part of the horror equation. The end of civilization is a terrifying thought and it can include zombies, plagues, natural disasters, and all kinds of mayhem. Blockbuster action movies can turn the apocalypse into a spectacle, but horror films remind us about the dread, fear, bloodshed, and despair associated with the fall of mankind. Examples: 28 Days Later, Knock at the Cabin, Dawn of the Dead, A Quiet Place, Awake, The Colony, It Comes at Night, Bird Box, The Crazies, I Am Legend, The Purge, Vanishing on 7th Street, The Blob Slasher Films These movies might lack refinement, although the slasher subgenre can be highly entertaining with elaborate death scenes. The horror genre is filled with supernatural phenomena and monsters, but humans can be more sadistic, violent, and terrifying in many ways. I recommend being nice to people, otherwise they might take revenge. Examples: Friday the 13th, Halloween, Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Thanksgiving, Haunt, Hell Fest, Urban Legend Underwater Horror According to the horror genre, you can’t go anywhere. That includes the ocean and beaches. Monsters and specters lurk in the water. They may attack boats or lakeside communities as well. It’s awfully difficult to kill sea creatures because the ocean is their natural environment and you probably have little more than a knife or harpoon. Good luck, sailor! Examples: Fea Fever, Underwater, Sweetheart, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Deep Star Six, Deep Rising, The Fog Vampire Fiction The undead can take various forms and vampires have been major figures in the horror genre for decades. Vampires are often susceptible to sunlight, wooden stakes, and holy water. However, they are immune to most weapons, wield superhuman strength, and can drain a person’s blood very quickly. I advise against becoming a vampire slayer because the odds are definitely against you. Examples: Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, 30 Days of Night, Let Me In, Daybreakers, The Lost Boys, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Fright Night, Vampires Witchcraft Never cross a witch. They have the ability to drive you mad, suffer from diseases, or go on a murderous rampage. Witches are rarely forgiving and they often need victims for ritualistic sacrifices. If you’re thinking about becoming a witch, that’s a bad idea too. Witches might carry great power, but it comes from dark forces. Examples: The Witch, The Craft, The Wretched, The Skeleton Key, Don’t Knock Twice, The Pale Door, Rosemary’s Baby, Mercy, Drag Me to Hell There you go! I could list other horror subgenres, but this collection is a good start. What are your favorite horror subgenres? Tell me all about it in the comment section. Thanks for visiting, be safe, and have a good week.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2019
Categories |