Horror as a Reflection of Ourselves
According to Zefyr Lisowski's "Uncanny Valley Girls", horror is not just about fear, but a way to understand ourselves.
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the horror genre's market share, from 4.87% to 10.08% between 2013 and 2023.
This surge has been attributed to the subgenre of prestige horror, with notable films including "The Babadook" (2014), "Hereditary" (2018), "Midsommer" (2019), "Get Out" (2017), "Us" (2019), "The Witch" (2015), and "The Lighthouse" (2019), which are praised for their psychological complexity and stylistic polish.
Horror has always been about us
However, elevating art-house horror as a superior form of the genre is ahistorical and insulting, even to casual viewers.
Author's summary: Horror reflects our understanding of ourselves.