The success of recent horror films has caused me to reflect on how the genre has impacted my own life. My earliest movie memories were watching 80s horror at my grandmother’s house when I was, admittedly, way too young – The Blob, Night of the Living Dead, Halloween. My older cousins and I would pile up in the living room and watch any and every horror film we could get our hands on. Along with being wholly unsupervised at my grandparents’ house, my mom and I have always bonded over our shared love of horror – I have her to thank for my obsession with all things 80s movies and music. Our Saturdays together when I was growing up consisted of browsing Blockbuster (R.I.P.) and coming home to laugh at cheesy slashers on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between us.
Being raised on horror, it’s always hard for me to grasp that not everyone naturally gravitates to the same movies I do. Whenever I ask someone, “Do you like horror movies?” I’m often met with “Not really” or “Not my thing” or, more often than not, “I hate scary stuff!” But when you find another person who says, “Yes!” it feels like you finally have someone else to bring into your exclusive little club of weirdos – because let’s face it, you have to be a little strange to love horror. I instantly just *click* with anyone who shares that love. One thing about horror fans: we will find each other. Just like any other marginalized (for lack of a better word) group that falls outside the mainstream, horror fans have created their own community, made up of the kindest, most accepting individuals I’ve ever met. Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending my fourth horror convention. I literally buzz with excitement for three days straight. One of the best parts of the weekend is seeing the creativity, passion, and dedication of the horror fans in attendance – hundreds of people in cosplays that I didn’t even know were possible. And the best part is, everyone there is just as excited as you. It’s a safe space to just geek out about what you’re most passionate about, no matter how niche.
I often think about what draws me to horror. It’s honestly hard to pin down. I’ve always been interested in morbid stories and the supernatural. I can’t even recall a movie actually scaring me when I was a child (can we count The Brave Little Toaster?) but the thrill of watching a really scary film just can’t be beat. I think horror gives us a safe space to just feel those emotions without consequence. I also distinctly remember being fascinated by practical gore effects at a young age (thank you, The Fly and The Thing) and watching numerous DVD behind-the-scenes special features both demystified the scares and gave me an appreciation of all the hard work that goes into making a film.
In a time when AI is continuously being shoved at us from all angles, seemingly permeating every creative space, it is genuinely more exciting than ever to be a horror fan supporting filmmakers that care about their craft. Just this past month, we were lucky enough to get Hokum, Obsession, and Backrooms. Not only were all three of these films wildly successful, they achieved their success on a shoestring budget. Low-budget doesn’t automatically equate to “bad;” quite the opposite in my opinion, and Curry Barker’s Obsession more than proves this. Some of the greatest films of all time (objectively, of course) are great because they are low-budget, e.g. The Evil Dead, Blair Witch, Saw. A filmmaker being able to do more with less is far more impressive to me than the other way around.
AMC Theaters reports that they saw their highest attendance in the month of May since 2019 – not because of big-budget franchise hits, but because of new, original, indie horror films. How can I not be giddy about that? I can’t be one of those people that say, “Horror’s back!” because horror never left, but I think it’s safe to say that the horror genre is saving cinema. What do you think?
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