Our intern Ellery is just starting to get acquainted with the horror genre, while Team Smarthouse’s Director of Marketing, Amie, is a longtime fan of horror films! Here are some thoughts from both of them on some contemporary selections.

An introduction by Ellery:
Some beliefs are so deep rooted that the origin is unclear. For some, they don’t like Brussels sprouts while others only sleep on the left side of the bed. For me, the understanding that I couldn’t handle watching horror movies was something I took for granted up until recently.

My transition to the horror enthusiast I currently am was a slow burn, similar to the best horror movies. Over time, a few horror films started to slip onto my watch list. It began with inconspicuous titles like Ghostbusters and then moved towards psychological thrillers like Get Out. While I didn’t realize it at the moment, I was slowly desensitizing myself to the horror genre. However, my interest in the genre remained nonexistent, only watching tame horror movies by chance and completely unaware they were categorized as “horror.”

My interest in horror was really only ignited this past semester when I wrote a paper for Urban Politics, a college class. The paper was about what horror films can illuminate about lived experiences and politics within suburbs and cities and why people moved between these two spaces in the 20th century. I sort of accidentally stumbled into the genre as I wanted to write about movies and horror seemed to be most aligned with my topic. At first, I was very hesitant to watch any of the films I was writing about. Rather, I would cite authors who wrote about the films and read summaries. My fear of horror persisted, however one day I just decided it was time to rip off the band-aid and watch one of the movies I was writing about. I eased in with a classic, The Shining (1980), Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Fully expecting to hate every moment, I was shocked when I found myself taking pictures of the shots because I found them so beautiful and ending the screening with the words, “That may be my favorite movie of all time.”

Giving the genre a real chance for once was the turning point in my “horror story”. I equate it to getting a shot: the anticipation is the worst part and you can be uncomfortable while it's happening, but then you are better off afterwards than before. With horror, like shots, if you can get past that initial fear -- it’s so worth it.

With each horror movie that I watch, the less afraid I am and the more intrigued I get by the genre and all there is to explore. It feels as if I have just discovered movies for the first time since I avoided horror for so long. Every classic cinematic masterpiece within the genre is waiting for me, unopened. For you, it may not be horror but rather comedies or biopics; but whatever that genre is that you may avoid, I encourage you to give it a chance. It may just be the best decision you make.

An introduction by Amie:
My own journey to horror film started at an early age. I spent a lot of my childhood time in front of the TV absorbing Vincent Price classics and Elvira-hosted B-movies. My family was an early adopter of cable, and when I was around 10 I became OBSESSED with the trailer advertising Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill, and begged my mom and dad to let me watch it, even though they insisted it would give me nightmares. Short story: they relented; I had nightmares — and I wasn’t allowed to see another R-rated movie until I was 13. Unfortunately for me, Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street was released before that, so I had to settle for tall tales on the bus about how gruesome it was instead of seeing it on the big screen myself.

My parents, who are the best, fixed this by renting Nightmare on VHS (hi, yes, I was a teen in the 80s) for me shortly after my thirteenth birthday, and let me invite my friends over to watch it. About 15 minutes into the film, my dad, the ultimate prankster, ran up the stairs in a dirty leather hat with an actual RUNNING CHAINSAW and laughed maniacally, scaring every single teen in the room for life! It was a long time before any of those friends agreed to hang out at my house.

You can imagine how much that fear surge elevated the rest of the film for me! From that moment on, I was hooked on splatter-y horror films. I dove into the local Blockbuster’s (R.I.P.) selection of Hammer Horror, discovered Romero’s Zombies, quickly fell for Clive Barker’s S&M aesthetic, rode Craven’s roller coaster of good & bad, and explored Argento, Bava, and Fulci. The long-haired vengeful ghosts of Asian-horror also got me good, and I’m still in awe of how the legend of Sadako has always remained terrifying no matter how many adaptations she’s appeared in. I love everything about horror, from the script to the F/X (mostly practical, please!) to the deep, dark, musical scores.

While I love horror from every single decade, the last five years have brought us amazing works by contemporary directors that I have absolutely, completely, fallen for. I shared a list of recommendations with Ellery, and here’s what we both thought of them:

Hereditary (2018), Directed by Ari Aster

Ellery: I really dove in quickly with Hereditary as one of the first movies on my list. The story had me hooked from the opening scene depicting a serene dollhouse turned to a scene in a real home. Though the movie was confusing at first, the cinematography, incredible performances and visuals kept drawing me deeper into the story. At the end, I was left thinking: what did I just watch? What just happened? Admittedly, I watched a few YouTube recaps that explained the ending after finishing the movie. The desire to keep contemplating a movie after it ends is in part why I have begun to love the horror genre. There is something so unique about horror which allows for metaphor and layers that I don’t believe is as easy to do with other genres.

Amie: Hereditary is a serious mindf*ck. I have never seen anything like it, and I spent the entire film in a captive state of uncomfortable dread. Everything about this film is pitch perfect, from the casting (TONI COLLETTE FOREVER) to the cinematography to the killer score. I loved, loved, loved how subtle clues kept dropping to move the story forward, and also how each scene contained so much more than what you see at first glance. As someone who consumes a ton of scary movies, it takes a lot to get to me. And holycrap, Hereditary got to me. I woke up in a cold sweat the night of the screening, filled with the memory of terrifying dreams that mirrored what I’d seen on screen a few hours earlier. As a horror fan, I can’t really ask for anything more.

Midsommar (2019), Directed by Ari Aster

Ellery: Watching Midsommar really expanded upon how I felt watching Hereditary. After watching both of these movies, I watched a lot of Ari Aster interviews and have developed an appreciation for his thoughtful filmmaking. I think these movies both exemplify the power of modern horror, specifically psychological horror. Aster’s films make me appreciate the specific ability of horror to blend metaphor and story. My favorite horror movies that I've seen so far are the ones that are psychological horror with extended metaphors, because they are able to do things that so many movies can’t; make you think deeply and keep you on your toes.

To me, when it’s done right, horror seems to transcend the often formulaic movie stories which makes them worthy of the slight fear they induce. I think part of the reason horror is able to do this is because fear is so tied up in various topics that allow for clear metaphors. The Stepford Wives (1975), for example, uses horror to reflect the discontent with consumerism as well as conformity in suburbia in a way that another genre couldn’t do in the same way.

Midsommar itself though? It's a masterpiece. The visual world created for the film took over five years to perfect. This intentional planning is why the visuals are so distinct and stunning. The continual uncertainty and way the story keeps you on the edge of your seat is just a cherry on top of the cake.

Amie: Midsommar, aka, I took a trip to a remote Swedish village with my shitty boyfriend and his self-centered friends and all I got was a bad mushroom trip and this lousy flower crown. Just kidding! I completely and totally love this film. Ari Aster’s follow-up to Hereditary is everything I want in a messed-up, fantastical, creepy cult horror film — and also more than that (but I can’t tell you what that more is without spoiling everything for you).

The thing that I really appreciate about the arc of this story is that it’s apparent the whole time that something more sinister lurks beneath the surface, and as the characters become more and more disoriented and unsettled, weirder and weirder stuff starts happening and the cracks in all of their relationships grow larger and larger until the final, completely gonzo -- and completely satisfying -- ending. Also, please allow me to rhapsodize for a bit about Aster’s world-building here. He worked with production designer Henrik Svensson over five years to create every detail for the buildings, the characters, the costumes, and the whole mythology of this community, including the ritual details and even a whole made-up language.

All of that careful research and thought is what makes Midsommar so goddamn beautiful and fascinating to look at, and creates a fantastical otherworldly feel that added to the heightened state I had while watching. And I know for every detailed hint about where the story was going that I did catch, there are hundreds more I missed and I’ll need to watch it again and again in order to see them all. This guy. He knows what l like.

The VVitch (2015), Directed by Robert Eggers

Ellery: I really loved this movie. I found it beautifully unsettling and appreciated the performances (accents and all) and small details like the score and imagery. It reminded me a lot of The Shining in the thematic moments of intra-familial conflict. The most powerful thing the film makes you ponder is how the scariest things often come from within, and the ways in which those things affect people.

Amie: This movie always causes huge debate in the horror community, because a lot of people say it isn’t gory or scary enough to be horror. This is something I absolutely don’t understand, as I find strict religious beliefs and toxic, controlling masculinity to be among the scariest things that exist in this world.

Like were you not watching the same movie I was? Where a man’s righteous pride exiles him from his community, which results in him putting his entire family in total isolation and in terrible danger? Did you not see Thomasin struggling against her father while coming of age simply because she wasn’t following his rules correctly? And oftentimes, even when she was, being punished just for being a woman? I just. Augh. I beg y’all to re-watch it and absorb what’s really going on. It’s much deeper than just a period piece about a devout family and a satanic, baby-eating witch.

“Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?” Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and YES.

The Invitation (2015), Directed by Karyn Kusama

Ellery: This movie was a wild ride that really drives home the power of foreshadowing. What stood out to me was how the film emphasized that much of the horror genre is about feeling just a bit unsettled in a seemingly normal situation because there is this expectation that something is about to go wrong. For example, if you had simply put different music to some of the scenes, it would appear to be a feel good film about friends getting together for a dinner party. Watching Karyn Kusama speak about filmmaking also illuminates how incredibly thoughtful she is about her movies and the intelligence she brings to them. The slow but steady pacing makes the movie speed by and keeps the viewer invested throughout. I think that this is an example of how female filmmakers bring an incredibly important perspective to the horror genre.

Amie: The Invitation is my favorite slow-burn. It takes mastery of pacing and atmosphere in order to build a good thriller, and Kusama definitely has a handle on both in this film. Have you ever been to an awkward dinner party with your ex and their new partner? Now imagine that, but the dinner party also involves a creepy cult of strangers who keep dragging out past traumas and playing incredibly uncomfortable games. And oh hey, by the way, what’s with the bars on the windows and all the doors locking from the inside?

Without giving anything else away, let me just say this film moves quickly from messed up to more messed up to … kind of a sad relief? And then, yeah. Hold on to something {or someone} for that last bit — including the mesmerizing final shot.

Revenge (2018) Directed by Coralie Fargeat

Ellery: This was a very different type of horror than I had seen before in the way it fits into the revenge horror theme and has lots of gore and blood. I initially had a negative gut reaction to this movie because the creepy men and blatant objectification at the start made me so uncomfortable. However, as the movie went on I realized that the plot would not have legs without the viewer hating these men like the main heroine does, aligning them to her. This alignment is what makes the “revenge” plot satisfying.

However, I still felt a bit unsettled by the objectification of the main woman in some shots and I found myself conflicted about if the fact that a woman directed the movie makes these shots more empowering. I really wanted to like this movie but I just couldn't seem to shake this initial sentiment. This movie affirmed that not all horror is the same and for me personally, it's the psychological thrillers that appeal more.

Amie: I normally stay far away from rape-revenge films because I am not interested in digesting that trauma. That said, I had to see this one, because what the sub-genre (okay, really, the genre as a whole) is missing is a substantial female gaze. Revenge isn't just your typical vengeance horror flick. Fargeat has taken the ever-looming threat of what toxic masculinity can do and delivered it on screen, turning the woman who’s victimized by it into a bad-ass survivalist killing machine — and she does it all by flipping the male gaze a giant, middle finger.

I also think it’s important to see a beautiful, young, sexy woman being fight back. Not all women have to appear masculine, or adopt masculine traits, in order to survive, and I think that allowing the main character (Jen) to keep her femininity is its own form of empowerment.

By the way, if you want to read more about male gaze and horror films, I highly recommend reading Carol J. Clover’s “Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film” (1992). Clover actually coined the term “Final Girl,” in this book, but there’s SO much more to it than just discussing women’s roles in slashers.

The horror genre is vast, dark, and full of terrors - so we’ll be back with more blogs that feature Ellery & Amie’s thoughts on horror films!

Horror 101: Thoughts on the genre by a beginning viewer and a longtime fan