The changing predictability in horror films
Although the horror genre is often repetitive and anticipated, certain sub-genres and modern movies are changing the game and making room for more nuanced horror stories.
Many people will turn on a horror flick this Halloween season, but instead of being scared, they will call out where the next jump scare will come from. This is because the horror genre has fallen too far into its tropes and, thus, has become easily predictable.
From a character’s first introduction, viewers can guess whether they will survive. This is particularly true within the slasher sub-genre: films that typically have one main killer who goes after the main group of characters until there is one lone survivor to continue onto the sequels. This lone character is often a woman, referred to as “the final girl.” Other factors that contribute to whether one will survive include drinking alcohol, having sex, or going to investigate something alone.
These tropes are brought up in one of the classic slashers, Scream (1996). Scream includes these tropes and does so by calling attention to them, especially through Randy’s explanation in the film. By making fun of these cliches that viewers were already familiar with in the 1990s, Scream introduced a new way of approaching the horror genre and inspired horror filmmakers to begin working outside of the box by changing how they use these tropes.
Horror tropes can also be seen as social commentary. The zombie and werewolf cliches are seen in films such as Blood Quantum (2019) and Ginger Snaps (2000). Blood Quantum uses the zombie infection story as an allegory for the violence of colonization, whereas Ginger Snaps highlights the struggles of female puberty and teenage angst through the werewolf transformation. Megan (2022) uses the “doll comes alive” trope to reflect on technology in the present day, particularly the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and the increasing use of this technology by young children. Similar to Scream, these movies fit into typical horror “boxes” in their inclusion of predictable storylines while also providing a twist that offers viewers more nuanced stories.
Psychological horror is another sub-genre where filmmakers diverge from these typical elements of horror. They tend to focus on mental and emotional states, especially within realistic storylines, to instill fear, while still providing social commentary, such as Get Out (2017) and Immaculate (2024). Get Out focuses on racial issues, particularly the current and historic racism against Black people in the United States. Immaculate surrounds issues regarding women’s bodily autonomy. Though not as gory as films previously mentioned, they are just as, if not more, scary than your typical slasher. The horror in these films comes from the suspense and building anticipation that reflects from the main character onto the viewers, as well as the real-life implications regarding racial and gender relations present in the films.
While horror can be predictable and repetitive, these modern films and their associated sub-genres are revamping the genre by changing the tropes typically used in horror films to make for more interesting storylines.
