Horror films have a unique way of taping into our most intimate fears. Sometimes they can be tangible fears of clowns, monsters, or even death and loneliness itself. They can also have the ability to shine a light on society itself and the social issues that plague it and can help make the case for the best social commentary. For decades, films like Candyman, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Purge have included subtle and overt references to issues going on in the world and using the horror medium to drive that point home. There is a quiet art to commenting on social issues in films and an art that the horror genre has mastered in eight distinct films thus far. Come along as we explore the dark side of society through these films.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 It Follows (2015)
It Follows tells the story of a group of young adults being pursued by a vague bodiless entity, a haunting seemingly passed along to one another through sex. The film has prompted numerous debates about just what “it” is that haunts the characters throughout the film. With theories ranging from the “it” being the fear and stigma of sexually transmitted diseases, fear of intimacy, and even post-recession anxieties of young adults having to face a real world that might not have a place for them. Whatever true meaning It Follows is putting out to the world, many groups have found solace in the fact that the film is speaking to the issues that they are experiencing in their lives. Having helped elevate the horror genre, It Follows remains as relatable as the fears it sets out to play upon.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Nope (2022)
The third horror outing from director Jordan Peele, Nope is a true creature feature with a poignant message about today’s “capture” culture. The primary goal of almost all the featured players in the film is to capture just one glimpse of an alien creature that has descended upon their small California town. With the main characters going to great lengths to catch this creature on camera or attempting to tame it in order to sell a circus-like show to paying customers. Nope speaks heavily on the culture of today and the need to film, tweet, and document every aspect of one’s life. One graphic scene in particular sees a TMZ reporter more concerned with getting photos of his gruesome injury than the injury itself. The film also shows the unfortunate American trend of selling tragedy and is highlighted by the character of Ricky Park selling sneak peaks to grisly memorabilia from a tragic incident as a child actor. Nope is a film that has us interpreting and guessing from the start all the way to the heart-racing ending.
6 Us (2019)
Universal Pictures
Back-to-back (and not the last) Jordan Peele films on this list speaks to the writer/directors ability to brilliantly weave social commentary into his horror projects. Us tells the story of a family terrorized by their doppelgängers while on vacation, only to find out that their lookalikes are not the only ones emerging. Explained by the character of Red towards the end of the film and some context at the beginning, the lookalikes dwelled below the ground waiting for their chance to live above in the sun. Like Peele’s other films, debates have raged about the social meaning behind the film, with most seemingly landing on the dual meaning of class and xenophobia. The duality of the characters speaks to the separate Americas we see where some live plentiful in the sun and others are cast into poverty in the dark. The “invasion” and fear of the doppelgängers also draws parallels to the fear of immigrants pushed in some corners of America, a fear of the “other” despite the fact that they can look, sound, and seem just like us.
5 American Psycho (2000)
Lionsgate Films
American Psycho is a commentary from start to finish on the seemingly psychotic nature of the materialism, insecurity, and toxic masculinity of a portion of men in America. From Patrick Bateman’s morning routine including a lengthy process of skin moisturizing, to his extremely graphic and violent encounters with women. American Psycho takes these themes associated with this specific demographic of men and dials them up to eleven. The film is also written and directed by a woman, making the social commentary within it even more concerning as it is being written and directed by individuals most likely to encounter the type of men Patrick Bateman represents.
4 The Invisible Man (2020)
Universal Pictures
2020’s The Invisible Man is a character study disguised as a horror film. While it certainly maintains the typical horror tropes, what it really is at its core is a story about Elisabeth Moss’s character Cecilia, being haunted by the trauma of domestic violence and a controlling ex-boyfriend. The invisible man in the film represents a trauma that Cecilia is trying to express despite others not believing her, not being able to “see” what is there. It is representative of how our society today treats those who come forward after being sexually, mentally, and physically abused.
3 Parasite (2019)
CJ Entertainment
Parasite falls more in the thriller category of films but certainly has elements of horror throughout its story. The film follows a poor family from South Korea who one by one begin working for a wealthy family. As the family begins to prosper from their roles working for the family, they soon discover the former housekeeper’s husband living in the bunker of the house, hiding from loan sharks leading to the housekeeper dying from a blow to the head. The story progresses to a bloody conclusion as three people end up violently killed during a house party at the wealthy families home. Parasite provides compelling commentary on wealth disparity and class conflict and what the people suffering in poverty will do for just a taste of the rich life. As well as the psychological toll that is heaped upon the poor due to the way they are treated and viewed by the rich.
2 Get Out (2017)
Get Out took the world by storm in 2017; director Jordan Peele’s first step into the horror is considered a homerun by most and even earned Peele the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. It is widely considered to be one of the top breakout movies from modern filmmakers. Get Out follows the character of Chris, a black man, as he takes a trip with his girlfriend Rose, a white woman, to meet her family. Subverting the trope of the out-of-touch older parents disapproving of a partner of a different race, Get Out portrays Rose’s parents as progressive and open-minded people. To Chris, however, something does not seem quite right, and we quickly realize what Rose’s family is truly up to. Providing older white people the opportunity to have their brains transplanted into the younger bodies of black individuals, allowing them to handpick and bid on preferred physical attributes.
Peele himself has stated the social commentary at play in Get Out is that of slavery and the perceived advantages of being black. Another interpretation of the commentary in the film could be the role that Rose’s woke liberal parents play. Their characters draw parallels to real life. How even those groups who set out with a progressive agenda to help black people in America can intentionally or unintentionally harm the cause. Get Out lends itself to various interpretations because we face so many issues regarding race in America.
1 Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Continental Distributing
What gives Night of the Living Dead the top spot on this list is the fact that it was one of the earliest mainstream examples of social commentary in horror films. The film provides a fairly straight-forward plot involving zombies, or as they were known at that time ghouls, descending upon a rural Pennsylvania town and a group of local refugees attempting to survive them. One of those characters is Ben, a black man played by Duane Jones. Ben, who after surviving throughout the night, is shot dead by an armed posse who had mistaken him for a ghoul. While director George Romero has said that the film was a reflection of the tensions in America in 1968, he has stated that race was not considered when casting the character of Ben.
Despite Romero’s denial, Night of the Living Dead has been widely interpreted as a clear statement of how black people were viewed and treated in the 1960s as well as drawing parallels to the murders of black heroes and icons such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Expressed brilliantly by writer Elliot Stein in a 2003 article in The Village Voice, “the resourceful black hero survives the zombies only to be killed by a redneck posse”.
