Modern Horror is Far Too Serious for its Own Good

Something has always felt amiss from my horror-watching experiences and I’ve felt this is especially the case from Hollywood’s more recent scare-tastic offerings. I was able to put my ever-quiet yearning into words after seeing Hellraiser, the original 1987 cult-classic horror and gore fest, in its 4K remastered glory. 

Whatever happened to the campy, slightly-serious but – crucially – semi-self-aware horror movies of yore? Where fantastical ideas are explored in all their blood-splattering glory, all with the delicacy, grace, and meekness of a reversing dump-truck with no tyres on? Where bones crunch, practical effects roam free (released from the shackles of barely rendered CGI gore), and Doug Bradley gets to dress up as the infamous Pinhead and threaten his victims with an eternity of BDSM-infused torture, all with a delightful wink and nod at the audience over the objective silliness of the whole affair?

Unique horror experiences are currently missing from modern day Hollywood productions, creating productions that are all the worse for it. Back in the 80s and 90s, where my recent watch Hellraiser sits proudly, you could almost always be guaranteed that your purchase of a ticket to see a horror film would at the very least entertain you, whether or not the film was scary. This was because most of these films didn’t tire themselves out so much by taking things way too seriously; they recognised the silliness of their own plots, and ran with it. Hellraiser, a film about sexually deviant interdimensional creatures who punish thrill seekers with an eternity of torture and practical effects? A true cult classic. Scream, a horror film directly taking on the politics of the entire genre, all whilst providing thrilling suspense and comedy intermixed? Considered one of the best horror movies of all time.

Horror, in its sheer hyperbole and campiness, can both shock and entertain viewers in equal measure. Sure, neither Scream or Hellraiser may not be perfect bastions of technical filmmaking. But at the very least, your money was not wasted upon purchasing a ticket to see either film. Indeed, the primary intentions of most films within horror is to entertain above all else. Whether this means scaring you behind a pillow, grossing you out so profoundly that you have to stop eating for the rest of the day, or simply making you laugh at the silliness of the whole thing, the entertainment factor of a good horror should be, above all else, the primary concern of any filmmaker. 

While some recent productions like the Chucky-inspired M3GAN or the social-media-cum-Scream-inspired Bodies Bodies Bodies do spell out some light at the end of the tunnel for campy-horror fans, films like Sinister, Insidious, Paranormal Activity and nearly all of Blumhouse’s less-than-critically-acclaimed productions let the entertainment factor fall to the wayside. Instead, they choose to take themselves unfalteringly seriously and rely on cheap jumpscares to give their audiences occasional, short-lived thrills throughout their two-hour plus runtimes.

Things do seem much more boring than they used to be. Let’s hope that with re-releases like Hellraiser and The Thing, which remind us of a time when horror took itself less seriously, that Hollywood will likewise be inspired to abandon its oh-so-unselfaware attempts at horror and will instead inject some much-needed fun into proceedings. Five Nights at Freddy’s? You better be the Matthew Lillard camp horror revival we all know you can be…!

Equally important, however, is the realisation that certain films within the horror genre truly benefit from a more serious tone – most of them, on the other hand, could certainly do with a bit of light-hearted self-awareness. Some serious horror films of recent years have been spectacular; a particular highlight being Ari Aster’s Midsommar (perhaps the only truly terrifying horror movie set almost entirely in the bright sunshine of the Swedish countryside). Blending suspense, gore, and its underlying cultish motifs all with a masterful flair, the film is truly outstanding in both its ability to frighten the audience, as well as present a truly compassionate look into the decline of mental health and sanity in the wake of overwhelming tragedy.  Indeed, another such serious modern take on the horror genre, which equally manages to, is Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin– a film which follows alien seductress Scarlett Johansson around the dimly lit streets of Glasgow as she attempts to lure in unsuspecting men for her nefarious purposes. This a film that, conversely, uses gore rather sparingly – saving it only for the most intense scenes of suspense and claustrophobia. Crucially, both Midsommar and Under the Skin remain completely serious throughout. It’s a choice which, within the context of each director’s style of filmmaking and within the context of the individual plotlines depicted, only aids the final messaging given to the audience. 

What is the biggest sin that a horror movie can commit, you may ask? Being boring. It’s the greatest sin any film can commit.  A boring film is simply a waste of what little time each of us have left on this spinning rock hurtling through space. This being said, most of the output of modern horror, in all its blandness, is a grievous insult to your time and money.