Hot Takes on Horror - What is Horror?
by Elizabeth Trail
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Introduction
Horror is one of my favourite genres, and I believe that it can tell stories and convey themes like few others can. Films like Pearl, Eyes Without a Face, Infested, and countless others are simultaneously terrifying and full of deep themes and engaging storytelling, which rely on horror to be properly conveyed. Some horror is definitely focused on being disturbing for the sake of it, like the first Terrifier and the Hostel series, but too many use those to dismiss the entire horror genre as nothing but gore and exploitation. This brings me to my main point: What even is horror? Is it just films full of gore, or is it just a method of engaging and entertaining an audience?
Definitions I Disagree With
A genre of media primarily intended to scare and disturb the audience
I disagree with this since a lot of horror movies aren't primarily intended to be scary, only a fun romp with creepy elements (like the later Friday, The 13th films, and a lot of the universal monster movies)
Works full of nothing but misery and violence, lacking of any substance
I disagree with this since it is reductive and little more than an insult, and many iconic horror pieces wouldn't meet this standard (Halloween, Infested)
Works designed to instill a hatred and fear of the other, whether that be women, queer people, racialized people, aliens, or opposing ideologies
I disagree with this since horror has the potential to do more, and films like Birth of a Nation would be considered horror based on this metric
My Definition
Horror is both a literary tool and a genre of media.
The tool of horror is using elements of suspense, surprise, and fear to engage the audience in a story.
The genre includes art that attempts to use the tool of horror as a central element, whether successful or not.
This definition is very effective since it applies to a variety of movies, can coexist with other genres, and can include films with a younger audience, like what are often called Gateway Horror movies (Beetlejuice, Jurassic Park, etc), but also includes films aimed at older audiences (X, Audition, etc).
Why I Love Horror
Horror can be one of the most effective ways to send a message, since it is expected to tackle taboo and horrifying subjects, and use those to engage the audience. Horror as a tool can drive home messages and make it hard for viewers to look away from the screen. Films like Possum use horror to engage the audience in watching the film's mystery and themes slowly unravel, while most of what they see is a guy walking around with a puppet hidden in a bag. Horror engages audiences like little else can, which has caused so many to be fascinated by it.
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