What does it mean for something to be scary? It isn’t easy to answer. Like all things tied to our emotions, it’s subjective. Horror films, however, do understand what’s scary, and often follow current public fears. Godzilla was created after Japan witnessed the horrors of nuclear warfare firsthand. It was made to process the grief, pain, and fear that the nation felt.
The weight and art of horror will always be intrinsically tied to public perception. It has to evolve, or it dies. I am sick of seeing the same old boring plots being rehashed constantly. Much like superhero movies, once the popular or novel idea becomes exhausted, people yearn for a new fear.
The last two years, especially, have shown that horror has changed once again. Gone are the ghosts and ghouls, now is the time for fear of spaces, unknowns, and ourselves. New ideas from extremely talented directors who are heading up their visions have arrived. Kane Parsons, Curry Barker, and Mark Fischbach got their starts online through immersive, well-written, and engaging videos. Their horror films follow the fears of a human living in our post-modern times: isolation, the undiscovered, and ourselves.
These topics have been covered before, with varying degrees of success. Art is cyclical, as most things tend to be. But the biggest change in the horror-sphere, and arguably the industry as a whole, is the passion. Creators, young and old, are showing a doubtful industry their visions, talents, and passions, emphasizing that they can and will succeed. Obsession (Barker) & Backrooms (Parsons) sit comfortably as some of the highest-grossing horror films this year. In Parsons’ case, not only is he A24’s youngest director ever, but he’s made history by being the youngest director to top the box office ever.
When I watched Backrooms, it inspired me. Parsons is my age, and he made history from his bedroom through his drive, passion, creativity and foresight, turning a vision into reality. It inspired me to create again, not for anyone but myself. It should inspire any young person to “do it for themselves.” If this is how the future looks, with people getting to have dreams and making them real, I’m so excited for what’s to come.
