TheQuartering [8/27/2021]
Hope you’re ready for more woke horror.
Mainstream horror cinema has become progressively more inclusive in recent years. With the arrival of more diverse artists in the industry addressing subject matter they are personally drawn to that reflects their own experiences, the genre seems more accessible than ever. One need only look at the Emmys shortlist to find evidence that the viewing public wants diverse stories told well.
Horror has always been a fundamentally political genre: topically charged, thought-provoking, and terrifying. We are entering a new phase of horror filmmaking and the lines between independent and mainstream horror cinema are beginning to blur. In recent years, filmmakers working within the realm of cult media have been accentuating the dimensions of family, race, sexuality, power-dynamics, and culture in horror cinema.
These days, filmmakers like Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Gerard McMurray (The First Purge) have started utilizing horror tropes to explore societal issues. Films like Raw and A Ghost Story use horror tropes to explore interpersonal relationships with a political bent. A new subgenre is emerging – a funhouse reflection of our times.