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Why is it time for critics to take horror seriously?

Why is it time for critics to take horror seriously?

Sakege06 mins

The Golden Globes It often serves as the unofficial beginning of the brilliant awards seasonand this year’s ceremony, which took place on January 5, was no exception. As always, some projects are sure to be trophy fodder (Brady Corbet’s critically acclaimed The brutalist is destined to be an awards season favorite), while others were surprise winners.

For her nuanced portrayal of Elisabeth Sparkle, a youth hunter in The substance, Demi Moore She’s a more than worthy winner of the Best Actress trophy, and the rumors of Oscar contention are well deserved. However, The substance (itself a surprise hit, having been ignored by major studios and released on the Mubi streaming platform) is in no way a musical or a comedy, the category into which it was placed by the powers that be at the Globes de Oro. While it has some disgusting and lurid scenes that are darkly comical in their presentation, The substance is openly and proudly a horror movie – yet few traditional awards ceremonies openly celebrate horror or offer praise as a category unto itself.

The Substance preview – official trailer (MUBI)

It’s a shame that horror is rarely taken seriously by critics, despite being overwhelmingly popular with audiences. As a genre, horror always does well at the box office, with Horror films account for approximately $1 billion in annual ticket sales.or 10 percent of people who go to the movies in the United States and Canada. Horror films also operate in a similar way on UK shores, having doubled its market share here over the last decade. Thrill seekers obviously love going to the movies, where you can have a more immersive and therefore undeniably scarier experience, as the genre bucks box office trends; Movie attendance around the world has declined since the 2020 pandemic, with many choosing to wait until titles hit streaming services.

Horror movies, on average, also tend to be cheaper to make. The substance It was made on a budget of $17.5 million, but grossed over $78 million worldwide. In a world where it’s harder than ever to turn a profit from artistic endeavors, it’s infuriating that an entire genre can be so willingly overlooked.

demi moore the substance

Courtesy of MUBI

Demi Moore in ‘The Substance’

Of course, the arts aren’t always necessarily about dollar signs, and many want their work to share a deeper message. Horror, then, serves as a vehicle for artists and audiences to confront fears and offer thoughtful, often metaphorical, explorations of society at large. the substance, For example, it is a creepy parable that warns about misogyny and the objectification of the body. Sydney Sweeney Immaculate explores issues of reproductive rights and women’s bodily autonomy. Meanwhile, Nosferatustarring Lily-Rose Deppexplores female ferocity and the dangers of repressed desire, all through the woozy eyes of Robert Eggers. Each film shares a common desire to send sudden shivers down our spines, but the scares are used to offer the audience disturbing and uncomfortable questions about our existence.

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Lily-Rose Depp in ‘Nosferatu’

Critics who seem smug about the genre tend to remember the days of ham: the deliciously silly House Hammer of Terror series, the slasher films of the 90s like Shoutor the disgusting gore of productions like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. While these films serve their own purpose, seeing horror films only as gory and weird is reductive.

In the last decade, horror has matured away from cheap jump scares and has proven itself more than worthy of serious awards contention; Go out Scoring an Oscar in 2018 should only pave the way for more films in the genre to be considered. Horror’s enduring popularity and its grim ability to reveal grim truths about society mean that it should no longer be confined to the shadows.

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