Over the decades, supernatural horror films have captured many audiences with scary storylines. From Classic stories of haunted houses to modern supernatural demonic possession, these films have found captivating ways to entertain and scare many audiences across the globe. Supernatural horror films do a great job of being creative with the darker side of the human condition.
As societal fears and anxieties have changed over time, so have the themes and storylines in these films, reflecting the reality of our collective nightmares. Due to their ability to shift tides of societal fears and the dark side of the human condition, supernatural horror films continue to make their presence felt in the world of cinema. Horror has a way of leaving a lasting impression on viewers’ deepest fears and anxieties.
Progression of Supernatural Horror Films
Horror cinema originated in the silent film era (1890s-1920s), when the genre found its voice without words. The first well-known horror film, La Manoir du Diable (1896), made its presence with its humor and horror. That film led to others like Nosferatu and The Cabinet (1920). What made those films unique was its stunning visuals, sets, and haunting storytelling.
Supernatural horror films continued their presence in cinema with Universal Pictures’ classic monsters such as The Mummy, Wolfman, Dracula, and Frankenstein. The cultural phenomenons Bela Lugosi’s Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931) shaped the Gothic atmosphere and battle between humanity and monstrosity.
Then, in the 1950s and 1960s, Hammer Film Productions, a British production company, revitalized classic horror characters. Christopher Lee’s Dracula brought the use of color and helped breathe new life into supernatural horror films. Shortly after, the genre took another boost in the post-World War II era of horror with science fiction elements—films like Godzilla (1954) and Invasion of The Body Snatchers (1956). In getting with the anxieties of that time, those movies touched on fears of nuclear experimentation and the unknown.
Psycho Thriller in Supernatural Horror Films
The genre took a turn for development with a shift towards psychological and visceral horror. Although fans were familiar with both elements, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) broke taboos with a mentally disturbed character as the protagonist. Eight years later, Rosemary’s Baby (1968) touched on sensitive issues such as paranoia and motherhood. From that point on, supernatural horror films took a psychologically driven turn.
Once the psycho thrillers revitalized the genre, it took another transition to slasher sub-genres, driven by masked killers and creatively brutal deaths. Films like the Scream franchise, Friday the 13th, and the Saw series introduced moviegoers to the horrors of vicious murders by masked killers. This era saw the presence of a classic killer character like Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984), giving supernatural horror films more momentum.
Once the 1990s and 2000s hit, the genre rose again, captivating moviegoers with films like The Sixth Sense (1999) and The Ring (2002). The haunting videotapes and ghostly elements drew audiences to both films, thus revitalizing supernatural horror movies. Today, in modern times, filmmakers have taken expectations to new heights with supernatural horror movies by experimenting with more storytelling. Contemporary horror films like Us, Get Out, and A Quiet Place did not pull punches in addressing real-life social issues in today’s society. They also utilized bleak silence and scary entities to incite tension and fear.
Final Thoughts
Supernatural horror films continue to grow and evolve with storytelling, visuals, and creativity with jump scares and violence. Each era has contributed to horror movies making their mark on the big screens, making things distinctive and captivating to the audience. As we move forward, a horror film delving into the supernatural will continue to evolve and revitalize itself, keeping moviegoers on their heels, eagerly awaiting the next scary and entertaining experience on the big screens.
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