Previously snubbed at award shows and underappreciated in the broader scope of pop culture, horror has finally reached its golden age. Films like Get Out and Hereditary have come along with critical acclaim. What these films have most in common is that they're innovative and genre-bending, far removed from the formulaic slasher flicks of yesteryear.
What is so powerful about the genre is horror’s propensity for social commentary—there is no question why Candyman is currently number one at the box office. Often, there is no Jason to terrify Crystal Lake or Michael Myers to haunt Haddonfield; villains are no longer the focal point of the horror phenomenon. What is most terrifying is what is happening in society today.
Midsommar
One of the most visceral elements of Midsommar is experiencing Dani’s overpowering grief. Within the first ten minutes of the film, Dani is devastated by the sudden and tragic death of her family. Because of this, she travels with her boyfriend Christian to Sweden. While enjoying the sights, she finds that many of her cohorts are killed in macabre rituals. However, this is not the central conflict of the film.
Although initially horrified by this new culture, Dani comes to a new way of thinking. She is confronted with the fact that Christian doesn’t value her. He cares more about his thesis than caring about her family tragedy. The Swedish cultists helps Dani finds righteousness through the community. Dani’s journey to self-actualization is violent, but, at the end of it, she finds who she was meant to be.
Parasite
Bong Joon Ho's Parasite combats classism the only way it knows how—with violence. The Kim family cons their way into a rich household out of nothing more than desperation. While it may seem that the rich family is the antagonist to the main characters, Parasite presents an alternative theory.
The rich are just as parasitic as the family that infiltrates their home, and both families are trying to survive. Dong Ik and his family cannot survive without luxury. They need servants to drive them around and look down upon. Ki Taek is ultimately trapped in the house he longs to live in, but it is unavoidable.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter
Seamlessly weaving three timelines together, The Blackcoat’s Daughter finds an alternative take on the possession story. After killing a classmate at a Catholic boarding school, the nuns find that this act of violence was driven by demonic possession. They exorcise Kat’s demon, but all she wants is to be reunited with it.
Although jarring at first, The Blackcoat’s Daughter finds humanity in a character that should be unrelatable. The film refuses to pass judgment on Kat. More than anything, her sense of loneliness is identifiable. She sobs when she realizes that the demon is not coming back to her. The film finds a human moment in someone who has done such inhumane acts.
It Follows
Unlike just about every tropey slasher movie ever, most of the characters featured in this film make it to the final credit crawl. Of course, It Follows is by no means a slasher movie, and it breaks so many conventions of the horror genre that it borders on the avant-garde.
The horror of the film is a stand-in for problems that cannot be solved. It also brings the characters closer together. Jay’s friends rally around her to help her attempt to destroy the entity. Mindless and faceless, it cannot be defeated. Jay realizes she must live with this, as with many issues in life.
Teeth
Humor is often at the heart of horror, and levity is important to offset the gory elements of the genre. Teeth pulls this off in a story about a girl coming to terms with her sexuality.
Dawn suffers attempted assaults, as well as a boy that just wants to use her for sex, but these aren’t villainous acts; they are often a part of most girls' experiences. Dawn’s victory is when she learns how to control her second set of teeth. She can use them for pleasure or punish the wicked. The teeth protect Dawn and enable her to not become a victim. This is a coming-of-age story that results in triumph.
The Witch
Taking place during 1600’s New England, Thomasin lives a destitute life her father forced her family into. Thomasin becomes a scapegoat for all the problems in the family. Her mother Katherine, in particular, blames Thomasin for the death of her baby, who was kidnapped by the witch in the woods. Although a source of conflict for Thomasin, Katherine is also a victim of the times. She is plagued by guilt and thinks that Thomasin’s sexuality is evil.
The Witch has a common theme found in horror. It is about finding your true self, through any means necessary. The only way Thomasin can escape her circumstances is to become the thing her family was afraid of. Making a deal with the devil fills her with elation, and she is finally able to be free.
A Quiet Place Part II
A Quiet Place deals with a terrifying world of blind monsters who can hear a person's every move. While these monsters are present in the sequel, A Quiet Place Part II is more of an emotional journey. Regan struggles with the death of her father and is intent on finding a solution to the post-apocalyptic world.
What is most captivating is her dynamic with the new father-figure Emmett. He is the epitome of the reluctant hero, only going after Regan when she abandons their underground bunker. Their relationship is strengthened by their similar losses as they travel the dangerous landscape. The first move was about survival, but A Quiet Place Part II says about dealing with grief.
Raw
Heading off to college is always an adjustment, and Justine finds this out more than anyone in Raw. Raised as a vegetarian, she is horrified when she is pressured into eating meat. This starts as a hazing ritual and spirals out of control when Justine can’t control her appetite.
The film has an interesting take on a common story about the beast within. Justine experiments with her sexuality and sometimes literally fights her sister Alexia. They both struggle with their shared urges and come to understand that they come from a family of cannibalistic wendigos. Their nature is not something that can be fought. While Alexia is punished for her crimes, Justine is allowed to understand her nature. Raw presents a moral tale about accepting yourself as you are, no matter how brutal it can be.
An American Werewolf In London
An entertaining mix of horror and comedy, An American Werewolf In London became an instant classic. After traveling in Europe, David struggles with his new reality. He is turning into a werewolf, and his best friend has been killed because of it.
Guilt and self-loathing are the main themes of this film. The police only become aware of a werewolf in their midst after David crumbles to his nature. There is no helping him. He becomes resigned to his fate since he cannot control his actions. This film is the ultimate story of man versus self.
Underwater
Norah’s life is more terrifying than any horror film. She works at an underwater research station in the Mariana Trench. Constantly in a base submerged on the ocean floor, anything can go wrong. An earthquake causes a cataclysmic event at the station, and soon the entire crew has to fight for their lives.
Survival is the only option in Underwater. As they struggle to reach the escape pods, they are picked off one by one. Their attackers are Cthulhu-like creatures, but that is not the most frightening aspect of their situation. Under the threat of debris and loss of air, there is nothing more terrifying than the ocean—even without the Lovecraftian monsters.