As we get closer to Halloween, horror films will be on repeat and many will rediscover their love for the genre. Horror movies, and the horror genre as a whole, make up a big part of the entertainment industry, but few seem to think so. “Halloween Kills” is a few weeks away from its release, and some of the early reviews make me scratch my head a bit. Obviously the movie didn’t come out, so I won’t use the latest slasher as an example, but I’ve always been intrigued and enraged by the way the horror genre is treated by critics. There’s no better time to talk about this recurring theme than in the spookiest of seasons, and there’s nothing scarier than critics denigrating things they tend to ignore.
None of us have seen “Halloween Kills” yet, but some of us have seen Owen Gleiberman’s review from the movie. In the review, Gleiberman states that the original “Halloween” is just an imitation of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. This is where a little disrespect starts to creep into the writing. Putting together two of the most popular horror movies, and then comparing them when they couldn’t be more different from each other, shows that some critics aren’t as knowledgeable as others when it comes to genre. horror. A quick Google search would have shown how the director Jean Charpentier was influenced by films like “Black Christmas” and “Deep Red”. There’s nothing wrong with not liking the horror genre, but revisiting a singular horror movie just to take pictures of the whole horror genre isn’t the right way to go. take it. Even if you are not the biggest horror fan, the differences between “Halloween” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” are obvious and show a lack of research on the critical side.
These strong feelings towards gender can stem from some common misconceptions. A lot of people give horror movies a bad name because they are perceived as too violent and encourage gore scenes to be a spectacle. Applauding gore in horror movies often comes from appreciating special effects. Movies like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th” are extremely wacky by modern standards and horror fans watch these movies for amazing practical effects. I’ve noticed that violence is unacceptable in horror movies, but it’s okay when movies like “Deadpool” are violent because it’s made by Marvel and Ryan reynolds that’s for sure funny.
The horror genre is constantly evolving and films like “Midsommar” and “The Lighthouse” have shown how horror can be taken seriously. These arthouse horror movies are meant to appeal to critics, and sometimes they do. Many modern horror movies have received accolades, but when you get the Critics’ Seal of Approval, that means you’ve got to face the final boss: Rewards Season. The Oscars are notorious for leaving horror movies behind when it’s time to hand out all the trophies. Whether it’s Toni Collette who didn’t even receive a nomination for ‘Hereditary’ in 2018, or ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ being the only horror film to win the Best Picture award, there seems to be a common theme. when the rewards season rolls around. 18 horror films have won an Oscar and the awards ceremony has been around for almost 93 years. I’ll never understand why the entertainment industry is so afraid of the horror genre, pun intended.
Am I a bit territorial? Probably. Everyone is obviously allowed to have their own opinion, but it’s no coincidence that it happens to the horror genre every week. Regardless of a critical score or an Oscar victory, the horror community will always be one of the finest fandoms around. It’s a little ironic that the fandom that revolves around brutal killers is also the one with the most acceptance and warmth, but these are the same reasons the horror community is so big.
Featured Illustration By Pooja patel
