In Defense of Horror

Mia Farrow in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby

Oftentimes I find that the horror genre is greatly misunderstood by those who know little about it outside of its gorier and less meaningful films (of which there are many, unfortunately). So often is the genre deemed disgusting and trashy, dismissed as snuff or even referred to with such vulgar phrases as torture porn, a phrase which is offensive in the fact that it connotes a sort of sick and sadistic pleasure the viewer must receive from watching a film such as Saw. Horror is a genre which I hold near and dear to my heart in all its forms, and it is because of this fact that I humbly offer a defense of the genre.

Horror is a poignant and moving medium of film in the way that it communicates one of humanity's most primal emotions: fear. Not only that, but many horror films are layered in the way that they demonstrate the true deepest fears of the audience as being something tangible, typically a monster or enemy of some sort. For example, Rosemary's Baby is a classic horror film which vividly depicts common fears revolving around pregnancy and childbirth by amplifying them, then running wild with the concept by saying "now, imagine that the baby which is making you sick and giving you such strange cravings was actually Satan!" It's farfetched, but effective in its simplicity (and endearing in its ridiculousness). Or there's Carrie, which depicts most girls' fears of womanhood through the protagonist developing terrifying psychic powers and fighting off her internal struggle with guilt due to her newfound desires for independence. Then, there are films which tackle more complex subject matter, such as the underlying themes of spousal and child abuse in Stanley Kubrick's Shining, which upon further examination and multiple viewings may even be deep enough to be interpreted as portraying the abuse groups such as Native Americans and Jews suffered from their oppressors throughout history (note the frequent Native American imagery scattered throughout the film, or the fact that Jack's typewriter is constantly changing between scenes but always a German brand).

Of course, the examples I've provided are considered classics, so you may still find yourself wondering how I can defend modern horror despite all its ugly and disgusting imagery. The answer is simple, horror is still as deep and complex as it was in the past. It Follows for example, presents a deep and haunting message regarding today's current panic regarding sexually transmitted diseases. The Babadook is a film which is actually touching and beautiful in the way it presents how people struggle through the seemingly never-ending cycle of grief. Witch, a movie which terrified me so deeply upon its first viewing I found myself questioning how I could make it to the end credits, is a perfect depiction of how even the smallest societies are likely to fall into the trap of scapegoating their own members just as easily as entire countries have scapegoated specific groups of people throughout history.

Even the infamous Saw franchise is redeeming in the stylized editing, clever storytelling, and deeply intricate web of mysteries surrounding who the true killer is (admittedly, after the first three films the series did devolve into something which prided itself more on being gory and brutal than it did deep and thought provoking, but the message still stands for the first three in the series).

So, I beg of you, please do not view the complex genre of horror based on its weakest links. Do not avoid clever and deep recent releases such as Green Room and 10 Cloverfield Lane because of another installment in the terrible Paranormal Activity series or The Purge: Election Year. Instead, treat horror as you would any other genre, and understand that it seeks to challenge and question our darkest fears as it guides us to learn more about ourselves.

For all the terrible Human Centipede movies, I promise you that there's an Exorcist or Shining that has been in theaters to make up for it.

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