Contemporary Horror on Screen : An Evolving Visual Narrative

This book highlights how horror in film and television creates platforms to address distinct areas of modern-day concern. In examining the prevalence of dark tropes in contemporary horror films such as Get Out, Annabelle: Creation, A Quiet Place, Hereditary and The Nun , as well as series such as Stranger Things, American Horror Story and Game of Thrones , amongst numerous others, the authors contend that we are witnessing the emergence of a ‘horror renaissance’. They posit that horror films or programmes, once widely considered to be a low form of popular culture entertainment, can contain deeper meanings or subtext and are increasingly covering serious subject matter. This book thus explores how horror is utilised as a tool to explore social and political anxieties of the cultural moment and is thus presented as a site for contestation, exploration and expansion to discuss present-day fears. It demonstrates how contemporary horror reflects the horror of modern-day life, be it political, biological, social or environmental. A vital contribution to studies of the horror genre in contemporary culture, and the effect it has on social anxieties in a threatening and seemingly apocalyptic time for the world, this is a vital text for students and researchers in popular culture, film, television and media studies. Acknowledgments Contents Editors and Contributors 1 Introduction References Part I The Environment and Climatic Apocalyptic Events as a Threat on Humanity 2 Panic Watching: On the Function of Consuming Fictional Pandemics During a Real Pandemic Outbreak/Pandemic Films and COVID-19 Functions of Watching Outbreak Films Outbreak and Contagion Conclusion References 3 When Corporate Biology Gets Caught up with Mother Nature: An Analysis of the Netflix Viral Horror the Rain References 4 Representations of Environmental Apocalyptic Horror in Greenland (2020) Conclusion References 5 From Haaa! to OOO: The New Cycle of Killer Objects: The New Cycle of Killer Objects The Posthuman and the Horror Genre Posthumanism and OOO: Brief Sketches The Horror Politics of OOO Conclusions References Part II Ritual, Rite and Curses as Horror in the Disintegration of Family and Community 6 Hereditary’s Intergenerational Curse Audience Reception Hidden Secrets Family Disintegration Bad Mothers The Occult and Paimon Conclusion References 7 Haunted Churches, Wicked Schools, Addressing Postcolonial History Through Philippine Horror Horror and Horror Cinema (Postcolonial) Gothic and Philippine Consequences Analysis of Seklusyon Analysis of Eerie Reflections and Conclusions References 8 A Ghost Story and Micro-Cosmic Horror: Virginia Woolf’s Indifferent Fear References 9 Shifting Subjectivities: Adopting the Perspective of the Other in Mother and Get Out Othering in Horror Shifting Perspectives Internalising the Threat Conclusion References 10 Pedophobiac Audiences: Mapping the Presence of the Child in Horror Cinema References 11 Good for Her; Ready or Not’s Final Girl and the Rich, Patriarchal Family as Monster Carol Clover’s Final Girl Ready or Not as Slasher Ready or Not’s Final Girl The Monstrous Le Domas Family Intergenerational Wealth The Patriarchal Ritual Marriage Grace as a White Final Girl Conclusion References Part III Horrors of Political Agenda and Leadership: The Rise of Nations Against their People 12 The It Duology: An Integrated Analysis of Mainstream Horror in the 2010s IT and IT: Chapter 2 The Framework Sociohistorical Factors: The Evil Politics of Trump and Clowns Industrial Factors: New Line, High Concept Event Horror, and Nostalgia Psychological Factors: The Appeal of Evil Clowns in the Trump Era Conclusion References 13 Why Isn’t There Anybody? Isolation and Loneliness in Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Pulse An Emptying Society: The Liquification of Japan in the Lost Decade The Liquification of Japan: Categorical Instability in the Lost Decades Visualising Chaos: Fear of Technological Isolation Dare Mo Inai: When Isolation is Channelled Through Technology Conclusion References 14 Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones: A Failed Movie or a Movie Failed? References 15 The Horror Film and Donald Trump: The Revenge of Minorities The Donald Trump Election The Horror Film Jason Blum and the Horror Film Horror Film and the Black Power Horror Movie and Girl-Power References