đ„10 Horror Movies That Totally Redefined The Genređ„
010 Horror Movies That Totally Redefined The Genre
The horror genre has gone through many phases, trends, and styles, and it wouldnât be what it is today without some specific horror movies that redefined it. The horror genre is home to some of the best movies in film history as well as some of the most controversial ones due to the topics and themes addressed in them and how graphic horror movies can get. Movies from both of these sides have been key in shaping the horror genre, and their legacy has led them to become classics of not just the genre but film in general.
The horror genre has also mixed with other genres with incredible results, with the most frequent combinations being with sci-fi, comedy, and drama. Horror movies have also explored different narrative styles, of which some made such an impact that they kicked off entire subgenres, thus leaving an important mark on film history. Some of the most influential horror movies werenât big hits when they were initially released, but their impact and influence have led them to become classics of the genre.
Alien took horror and brought it to space, leading to it being widely regarded as the best sci-fi horror movie ever made. Alienâs successful blend of genres is attributed to how itâs a horror movie first and a sci-fi adventure in second place, and how it paid attention to the pacing, slowly building up tension and horror without being a slow-burner. Alien also stands out for its production design, creating the perfectly claustrophobic and isolated environment of the Nostromo, and its visual effects, with the Xenomorph being mostly the result of unbelievable practical effects, as well as the famous chestburster scene.
In addition to the characters being completely alone in space, left with no real help nor some deus ex machina moment, Alien had a woman as its lead and hero (or Final Girl), who wasnât overly sexualized nor was she the damsel in distress, instead fighting to survive like any male character would have done back then.
Alien took horror and brought it to space, leading to it being widely regarded as the best sci-fi horror movie ever made. Alienâs successful blend of genres is attributed to how itâs a horror movie first and a sci-fi adventure in second place, and how it paid attention to the pacing, slowly building up tension and horror without being a slow-burner. Alien also stands out for its production design, creating the perfectly claustrophobic and isolated environment of the Nostromo, and its visual effects, with the Xenomorph being mostly the result of unbelievable practical effects, as well as the famous chestburster scene.
In addition to the characters being completely alone in space, left with no real help nor some deus ex machina moment, Alien had a woman as its lead and hero (or Final Girl), who wasnât overly sexualized nor was she the damsel in distress, instead fighting to survive like any male character would have done back then.
The zombie genre is what it is nowadays thanks to George A. Romeroâs Night of the Living Dead. Although Night of the Living Dead wasnât the first zombie movie, it redefined the genre by bringing horror to ordinary settings, making it feel more real even if the source of terror was not the most realistic. Night of the Living Dead made way for the splatter genre (which is home to movies like Cannibal Holocaust and Terrifier) and brought a new type of zombies that werenât linked to religious practices, making them a bigger threat as there was no one in control of them.
Surely, Night of the Living Deadâs visual and makeup effects look cheap nowadays and its camera angles arenât exactly horror-inducing, but they made way for the more graphic and grotesque zombies that are now seen in movies and TV shows.
John Carpenterâs Halloween was key in the development of the slasher genre in the 1980s. As such, Halloween established many of the tropes seen in slasher films since then, such as the Final Girl, characters who use alcohol and other substances and who are sexually promiscuous being killed, a theme song for the killer, absent parents, and scenes filmed from the killerâs perspective.
While Halloween wasnât the first slasher film, as movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Black Christmas came first, it began a new wave in the genre with new tropes that became a blueprint for subsequent slasher movies, such as Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street.