Since the earliest era of cinema, the horror genre has twisted the perception of reality and brought the darkest parts of the imagination to the big screen. This genre has continued to evolve and change from decade to decade. The horror that what we know today is due to the work of talented visionary artists who have paved a road that has taken over a century to travel. Horror has certainly seen its highs and lows. However, throughout the past 10 decades, there have been defining motion pictures that thread the line leading to what horror is today.
1920s - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a prominent silent horror film and a true descent into madness, wherein the German Expressionist era filmmaker Robert Wiene explores unnatural architecture and unsettling imagery. Released in 1920, this film was quite a groundbreaking achievement by showing glimpses of murder, but more than that, there is something about Dr. Caligari and his dynamic with the somnambulist that just chills the spine.
The film was one of the first to flesh out human psychology on screen via the hypnotized somnambulist. Did he truly have control of the crimes he was accused of? But the ultimate fight between good and evil makes this story an iconic one and inspired many for generations to come.
1930s - Dracula
Carl Laemmle has produced some of the most iconic horror films and Universal monster flicks, and his productions continue to inspire and redefine the genre. It was his version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula shocked the motion picture industry in 1931. There was a silent suspense and an eerie presence to it that will chill the spine of a modern horror viewer. Bela Lugosi’s interpretation and performance as Count Dracula is horrifying and set a precedent for character actors. The monster trend continued with full force after the success of this film.
1940s - Cat People
The Val Lewton-produced Cat People from director Jacques Tourneur was perhaps the most successful film that he produced. In an era that started a bit of a downward spin and turned the monster genre into a bit of a caricature of itself, Cat People was influential to the genre and brought the unnatural to the natural world. However, the use of sexual innuendos and a deeper dive into the psyche would influence filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock in the decades to come.
1950s - Creature from the Black Lagoon
The 1950s brought the clash of science fiction and horror. Science fiction and otherworldly occurrences was in style and turned the genre into a slightly cheesy Hollywood trend. However, Creature from the Black Lagoon, released in 1954, was technically sound and taken seriously. The cinematography and groundbreaking underwater sequences make for some high quality spectacle viewings. But it is the monster's design, brought to us by Milicent Patrick, that put the Creature from the Black Lagoon film on the map and defined the genre.
1960s - Psycho
After a decade of self-aware science fiction B-movies, we move to a more sophisticated era of horror. Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense, hands down, but it's his classic slasher film Psycho which brought a new kind of terror to the screen. From on-screen murder to a flushing toilet, the censors pulled their hairs out with his explosive masterpiece.
The infamous shower sequence shook audience members and paved the way for a new style of horror, one that doesn’t leave all that much to the imagination. Hitchcock was a pioneer in establishing what is suspenseful and shocking, and the trend moved in this direction even further in the next decade.
1970s - The Exorcist
The 1970s were filled with traumatizing horror films that were meant to shock the world. From the Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Carrie, this decade was full of in-your-face horror, as technology and practical effects were evolving. But it was William Friedkin’s The Exorcist of 1973 that made a massive shift in horror forever. The film became this debate of science versus supernatural.
While it teeters on embracing the supernatural for most of its two-hour runtime, the final act represents what we will come to know as the demonic boom of horror. The visuals are nothing short of disturbing and emotionally draining, but the use of realistic practical effects is what makes this film still considered to be one of the scariest of all time. Films are often compared to The Exorcist for their shock value, but it should be noted that this film is near perfect on all fronts. From the screenplay, camera-work and music, this is a work of art that introduced the world to the most vile and evil side of the imagination.
1980s - The Evil Dead
Yes, The Evil Dead is very, very gory. However, it brought horror to a place not fully realized… the cabin in the woods. Sam Raimi is considered a pioneer of horror, just as Hitchcock was in his time. But Raimi’s film doesn’t cut away from the cuts and bruises in this masterpiece. It almost acts as an experiment in pushing the boundaries for what is acceptable on screen.
The 1980s were filled with technologically advanced motion pictures with practical effects that shook the audience. From Hellraiser, The Thing and A Nightmare on Elm Street, we see a full realization of the gory supernatural introduced by The Evil Dead.
1990s - The Silence of the Lambs
The 1990s was one amazing decade for cinema, though it almost felt like everything had already been done in the horror genre. The parody boom was in full effect with films like Scream, using tropes now present to make an equally compelling narrative. However, in this decade audiences embraced a more realistic approach. The Silence of the Lambs combined horror with reality and introduced the world to another icon… Hannibal Lector.
The Oscar-winning performance by Anthony Hopkins showed that we don’t need goblins and ghouls to be scared. In fact, the scariest thing is what lurks behind his eyes. The capability of human beings to do the most horrific things to one and other is what is explored in this Best Picture Winner. Reality becomes the spotlight, and the next decade takes it one step further.
2000s - REC
Films like The Blair Witch Project utilized a found footage style that did prove effective. However, many have tried and continue to try… but not all succeed. Janky camera work and no-name actors does enhance realism, but further technical application and storytelling connects with audiences. REC is easily one of the scariest films of all time and the best found footage film ever made. It is fast-paced and uses the found footage style to its advantage and not as a gimmick.
There is no denying the craft that went into the making of this film, especially the last few minutes which is the most terrifying ending of all time. It combined the realistic practical effects made prevalent in previous decades with fast-motion camera work to trick the eye and senses to question what has just been seen.
2010s - The Babadook
The Babadook was directed by Jennifer Kent and released in 2014. It changed horror as we know it. The film embraced the elements that worked in the past, but added something new… psychologically traumatizing slow burns. The Babadook did suffer from the marketing ploy that ultimately kills movies, with often misleading trailers for horror films to bring audiences into the theater. However, this was one of the first of the genre to explore metaphors and realize them on screen. Along with Kent, a new wave of filmmakers like Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, and Ti West have embarked to save horror and bring the audience their visions.
2020 to 2022 - X
Ti West’s X is a culmination of every single effective element we have come to know in modern horror. It also represents this need for nostalgia we have been exposed to in the past few years. While the film pays homage to many prominent films of the 1970s (perhaps the best decade in horror), West reels one in with that and takes them on his own terrifying thrill-ride. The film explores the psychology of the villain and heroes alike… and even turns the villains into tragic characters. He also is building an X franchise with his world. In the same year, his equally successful film Pearl tells the story leading to X, and his next film MaXXXine continues the story into the next decade.
The 2020s have just begun, and we are continuing to see films that explore the psyche but are made with a vintage style. Films like Barbarian, Smile, Nope, Malignant, and Men are just a few that have brought a new style to the genre. There is nothing wrong with wanting to imitate or honor the past, but who knows how filmmakers will add something new to their story. Perhaps this is what will define the 2020s — unpredictability.
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