Horror history movie timeline

1. Movie History Timeline
By Nattaya Day

2. HORROR HISTORY
Horror is an ancient and historical form of art, horror is somewhat unique among
the film genres as that there is a recognizable pattern of conventions that appear in
every film. Horror has tried to dig deep into human fears so, that they terrify
society and audiences with stories that triggers the smaller logical parts of our
imaginations enticing us to ask questions that's beyond our knowledge.
From the ballads of the olden era , the ancient gothic literature to modern urban
myths, audiences willingly offer themselves up to sadistic stories so that they can
be scared witless, and they are happy to pay for the privilege.We obtain basic
sensation and stimulation from triggering the rush of adrenalin which fear and
terror brings. It can be argued that horror stories and genre serve a more
extensive moral purpose, by reinforcing the rules,taboos, norms and fears of our
society and bringing all of it to life through the camera depicting the consequences
and fate of those who disobey. Horror movies have long served both its purposes to
deliver thrills, as well as telling us stories of the dark, forbidden side of life and
death a cautionary story for society. Horror serves its audiences gratification and
indulgence by provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of each decade.
Horror movies provide a unique space for free communication through the form of
theatrical art about the moral, political and societal shifts of public ideas.

3. Each generation receives the horror films that they deserve by illustrating that
decade’s fear prominently and one of the more fascinating aspects of the study of
the genre is the changing nature of the monsters who present a threat for that
era.The history of horror is not a rigid genre but is rather diverse in terms of
elements. New films borrow key elements and conventions from older films all
the time, a constant remix of sub genres and new techniques to make something
grander for the contemporary culture.
But the roots of filmed horror were an extension of a genre of gothic literature
that started within the 1700s known as Gothic Horror. Developed by writers in
both Great Britain and the United States the Gothic part of the name refers to
pseudo medieval buildings that these stories took place and incorporating human
fears into the mix moulding the genre today that is now horror.
HORROR HISTORY

4. 1896 The House of
the Devil 1896
The first horror films are surreal,
complex pieces, their visual appearance
takes place from the expressionist
painters and in part to spirit
photography of the 1860s, and their
narrative style to the stories played out
by the Grand Guignol Theatre
Company and drawn from Gothic
literature. They draw upon the folklore
and gothic literature from the legends
of Europe, and render monsters into
physical form.
Le Manoir du diable is an 1896 French short silent film directed by
Georges Méliès. The film, a brief pantomimedsketch in the style of a
theatrical comic fantasy, tells the story of an encounter with the Devil and
various attendant phantoms. It is intended to evoke amusement and
wonder from its audiences, rather than fear.

5. 1910’s Frankenstein
1910
Nineteenth century audiences enjoyed seeing ghosts
captured in still photography and magic lantern shows, so
it was natural that the techniques of superimposition
would be transferred to the new technology in order to
tell excellent and bizarre tales. While the first moving
pictures tended to be action and comedy, early filmmakers
also used photographic trickery to explore darker stories
with psychological and supernatural themes, recognizable
as the first horror films.
This 16-minute short film was the first motion picture
adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The unbilled cast
included Augustus Phillips as Dr. Frankenstein, Charles Ogle
as Frankenstein's monster, and Mary Fuller as the doctor's
fiancée.

6. 1920’s The Hunchback of
Notre Dame 1923
The 1920s era was a dark,shadowy,gothic vampiric piece.
The era was eerie,dark and featured scenes of mutilation.
Reflecting that the audiences were terrified by mystical
monsters found in gothic literature. Costume,setting and
darkness were used to create a scary effect.
The films are
Still silent and short
and instead have the
use of dramatic
And suspenseful
soundtrack which
later becomes a
horror movie
convention starting
the chain of
conventions in the
horror genre

7. 1920’s The Phantom Of The
Opera 1925
The Phantom of the Opera is a 1925 American silent horror film adaptation of
Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, directed by Rupert Julian and
starring Lon Chaney, Sr. in the title role of the deformed Phantom who haunts the
Paris Opera House, causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman
he "loves" a star.

8. 1930’s
The movies were still gothic in style The advent of sound, as
well as changing the whole nature of cinema forever, had a huge
impact on the horror genre. The dreamlike imagery of the
1920s, were replaced by monsters that grunted and groaned
and howled. The horror genre was remade as this era was the
first to use sound, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi were the stars
of this decade.Universal Studios entered a golden age of
monster movies.
Sound adds an extra dimension to terror, whether it be music used to build suspense or signal the presence of a threat, or
magnified footsteps echoing down a corridor. Horror, with its strong elements of the fantastic and the supernatural, provided
an effective escape to audiences tiring of their Great Depression reality, and, despite the money spent on painstaking special
effects, often provided a good return for their studio. This was also despite the struggle that many of the major players - such
as director Tod Browning - had to adapt to the new medium. Making talking pictures was a very different process to
producing silent movies and, watching today, some of the early efforts seem very awkward indeed.The horror films of the
1930s are exotic fairy tales, invariably set in some far-off land peopled by characters in period costume speaking in strange
accents. Horror was still essentially looking backwards, drawing upon the literary classics of the 19th century for their source
material.
Bela Lugosi
Boris Karloff

9. 1930s
Dracula 1931
In the days before Dracula was such a well-worn story, it could be dealt with with
originality and panache.The concept of Dracula is taken from the stage play as opposed
to the novel, and the results are highly theatrical. Lugosi laughs evilly throughout; no
wonder, his depiction of the Count-as-seducer is aeons removed from the feral creature
represented in Nosferatu and is definitive.
Starred Lugosi as a
very traditional
dracula with a cape,
fangs. The style of
the film was very
gothic for it featured
howling wolves,mist
and eerie castles.

10. 1930s The Bride Of
Frankenstein 1935
This is a stylish and witty
film, with many moments
of camp humour, and has
been described as one of
the greatest horror films
of all time. The images
are dramatically framed
throughout, from the
burning mill surrounded
by pitchfork-brandishing
peasants at the start, to
the collapsing castle at
the finish. The movie was
also the first to feature a
female monster.

11. 1930s
The Werewolf Of
London 1935
A classic example of a horror
film depicting and
characterizing the society
fears of mythical gothic
literature and folklore.
While in Tibet researching a mysterious flower that
purportedly takes its strength from the moon, botanist
Wilfred Glendo is bitten by a strange creature. Fellow
scientist Dr. Yogami reveals that the plant is the only
known temporary antidote for werewolves. Glendon
remains skeptical until the next full moon, when he
undergoes a startling transformation

12. Wartime horror movies were purely an American
product. Banned in Britain, with film production
curbed throughout the theatre of war in Europe,
horror movies were cranked out by Hollywood
solely to amuse the domestic audience. American
film then took over as they played it safe, with
many films recreating the style of horror made in
the 1930’s.Horror featuring characters that
turned into animals or were half man/half beast
became popular.
1940’s
The studios stuck with tried and tested ideas, wary of taking risks that
might suggest they had no measure of the trend, and trotted out a
series of variations on a theme horror movie nonetheless, was
evolving.
The 1940s reflected the internalisation of the horror market. The
Americans looked at themselves as “safe”, whereas everything else,
particularly anything hailing from that frightening, chaotic,
unreasonable and uncontrolled place known as Europe was dangerous.
In the same way, many horror films of this period deal with roots
peeking through – in the form of men or women who were subject to
the emergence of a primal animal identity.

13. 1940s
The Wolf man 1941
When his brother dies, Larry Talbot returns to Wales and reconciles with his
father. While there, he visits an antique shop and, hoping to impress Gwen, the
attractive shopkeeper, buys a silver walking cane. That same night he kills a
wolf with it, only to later learn that he actually killed a man. A gypsy explains
that it was her son, a werewolf, that he killed, and that Larry is now one
himself.

14. 1940s
I Walked With a
Zombie 1943
Canadian nurse Betsy Connell is hired to care for Jessica Holland, a woman on a
Caribbean sugar plantation, who has a bizarre condition. The mysterious affliction
baffles Betsy but when she falls for Jessica's husband, Paul , she is determined to make
him happy by curing his wife. However, in her quest, Betsey is drawn into the island's
dark culture of voodoo and zombies and begins to uncover the Holland family's sinister
secrets.

15. 1940s
Architect Walter Craig goes to
Pilgrim's Farm to see a potential
client. When he arrives at the
house, he gets the feeling that he
has been there before. Once inside,
he meets a group of people who
seem oddly familiar. He tells them
that he has dreamt about each one
of them and begins to list events
that occurred in the dream.
Walter's revelations begin a
conversation amongst the group,
and each person admits to having
experienced a strange,
unexplainable event.
Dead Of Night 1945

16. 1950’s
Post WW2, 40 million lives were lost, the on screen
horror of the past decades no longer seemed scary in
comparison to real life horrors as millions more
exposed to the full spectrum of man's inhumanity to
man.. However audiences did fear the effects of
radiation nuclear war, technological and scientific
experiments. Teenagers were the main audience.
Homecoming soldiers and bereaved widows had too many horror stories of their
own to appreciate fantasies on the big screen, The world could never be the same
again, and the dawning of post-war posterity in America brought with it a new
breed of monsters, adapted specifically for survival in the second half of the
twentieth century. After WW2, no nation could be seen to seek out-and-out
conflict with another. People lived with the fear of war, which became more
unnerving than war itself. The messages from WW2 were clear: at the end of
the day it was technology that counted. Bigger. Better. Deadlier.The more
advanced the technology, the more powerful the nation. It wasn't just human
technology that intruded on public consciousness.The horror films of the 1950s
are about science and technology run riot, an accurate enough reflection of
reality for a confused populace, wary of the pace of technological change.
The 1950s are also the era when horror films get relegated well and truly to the
B-movie category. Some of these B-movies are, frankly, ludicrous, in the way
they require the audience to suspend disbelief. The aim of the game was thrills,
thrills and more thrills, and these monsters, whilst perhaps more terrifying in
conception than execution, never fail to deliver on the action front.

17. The Thing from
Another World 1951
1950s
When scientist Dr. Carrington a UFO near his North Pole research base, the Air
Force sends in a team under Captain Patrick Hendry to investigate. What they find is
a wrecked spaceship and a humanoid creature frozen in the ice. They bring their
discovery back to the base, but Carrington and Hendry disagree over what to do with
it. Meanwhile, the creature is accidentally thawed and begins wreaking havoc.

18. In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell is baffled when all his patients come to him
with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless
impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky
and his friend Jack soon discover that the patient's' suspicions are true: an alien species
of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town.
Invasion of the body
snatchers 1956
1950s

19. 1950s
A drive-in favorite, this sci-fi classic follows teenagers Steve (and his best girl,
Jane,as they try to protect their hometown from a gelatinous alien life form that
engulfs everything it touches. The first to discover the substance and live to tell about
it, Steve and Jane witness the blob destroying an elderly man and grow to a terrifying
size. But no one else has seen the goo, and policeman Dave refuses to believe the kids
without proof.
The Blob 1958
This is a classic
example of the horror
movies that derives
from society’s fear of
nuclear generated
monsters caused by
radiation.

20. 1960’s
The 50’s over
meaning no nuclear
explosions,no
destruction caused
by radiation. The
fears that once
gripped the world in
the previous decade
was now gone.
The monsters of the
50’s were all based on
mutation but the 60’s
focus on monsters in
human form.
Audiences saw the
monstrous potential of
man, the darkness of
the human mind.
The 60’s were a
new era and period
of massive social
change-
drugs.sex,new
fashion,freedom.
It was a quiet decade for
horror.The 1960s continued new
horror fiction themes in film first
tentatively explored in the 1950s
with the emergence of special
effects powerful enough to do the
new themes justice. Science
fiction horror flowered during the
1950s and its influence spread in
the 1960s, as gothic horror with
updated special effects also
continued in the
1960s.Supernatural horror with
ghost characters also flourished
in Japan,splatter films exploring
the horror of gory, graphic
violence first appeared in the
1960s.

21. The hitchcock classic featured a
‘monster’ that was a man. Hitchcock
chose the name Norman because it
sounded like ‘Normal’. Norman Bates
looked like a normal man on the surface
but underneath it deep in his mind, he
was a psycho. The serial killer or slasher
sub-genre of horror fiction was launched
with 1960’s highly influential
Psycho.This movie was highly rated
amongst critics and said to be a timeless
classic.
Psycho 1960
Marion Crane , after stealing
$40,000 from her employer in
order to run away with her
boyfriend, Sam Loomis,
Traveling on the back roads to
avoid the police, she stops for the
night at the ramshackle Bates
Motel and meets the polite but
highly strung proprietor Norman
Bates, a young man with a
difficult relationship with his
mother.

22. 1960s
A disparate group of individuals takes
refuge in an abandoned house when
corpses begin to leave the graveyard
in search of fresh human bodies to
devour. Ben does his best to control
the situation, but when the
reanimated bodies surround the
house, the other survivors begin to
panic. As any semblance of order
within the group begins to dissipate,
the zombies start to find ways inside
and one by one, the living humans
become the prey of the deceased ones.
Night of the
Living Dead 1968
1968’s Night of the Living Dead off the established the popular zombie
sub-genre of horror and the movie was influential in the creation and
development of the post-apocalyptic sub-genre of fiction. Zombie horror
often combines horror with social themes such as criticisms of
consumerism and xenophobia, demonstration of the tenuous line between
civilization and barbarism and bringing in the Cold War paranoia that has
been developed after the ending of WW2.

23. 1960s
A young wife comes to believe that her offspring is not of this world. Waifish Rosemary
Woodhouse and her struggling actor husband Guy move to a New York City apartment
building with an ominous reputation and odd neighbors Roman and Minnie . When
Rosemary becomes pregnant she becomes increasingly isolated, and the diabolical truth is
revealed only after Rosemary gives birth.
Rosemary’s Baby
1968
1968’s Rosemary’s Baby. is an
example of demonic horror
which is another sub-genre
created in the 1960s that later
took off in the 70s. Demonic
horror tends to involve the
corruption of innocence and
Christian symbolism as themes.

24. 1970’s
1970’s-Depression that caused
the end to the optimism of the
60’s. Horror grew in quality,
while tackling society’s fears.
The introduction of ‘the pill’ and
the birth defects caused by
thalidomide led to a fear of
children and childbirth. The
idyllic family of the 60’s
crumbled away. The idea that
the enemy,monster could be
found in your own family was
reflected. The Slasher sub-genre
was born and The final girl was
created.
Horror movies of the 1970s reflect the grim mood of the decade. By
1970, the party was over;However, when society goes bad, horror
films get good, and the 1970s marked a return to the big budget,
respectable horror film, dealing with contemporary societal issues,
addressing genuine psychological fears.One consistent fear apparent in
the horror films of the 1970s is the fear of children, and the fear of the
messy, painful and often fatal process of childbirth. Once sex and
conception have been separated, and sexual activity becomes primarily
a pleasure, the by-products (ie children) become monstrous aberrations.
The Exorcist has been voted 'the scariest movie of all time'.It
brought intellectual respectability back to horror movies. The
special effects (created mechanically, on set, rather than added
in post production) seem dazzling even by today's standards,
and they are combined with deft cinematography and exemplary
use of sound. The film is a chilling experience because it,
unusually for horror films, takes itself and its subject seriously.
There is very little humour here, apart from odd touches of
irony. The Exorcist is very much a 'grown-up' horror movie,
and marks the beginning of a new part of a cycle in the
genre.Although the film is now an undisputed classic, and is
considered a landmark of the genre, it was banned from video
release in the UK until 1999

25. 1970s
When Sally hears that her
grandfather's grave may have been
vandalized, she and her paraplegic
brother, Franklin , set out with
their friends to investigate. After a
detour to their family's old
farmhouse, they discover a group of
crazed, murderous outcasts living
next door. As the group is attacked
one by one by the chainsaw-
wielding Leatherface who wears a
mask of human skin, the survivors
must do everything they can to
escape.
The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre 1974
Ed Gein is the real criminally insane killer who
inspired the character of Leatherface. He inspired
not only Leatherface, but he was also the muse
for Norman Bates in “Psycho” and Buffalo Bill in
“Silence of the Lambs“.
This horror film depicted
societies psychological fear on
the monstrous and destructive
power of man.

26. 1970s
In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel,
withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White faces taunting from
classmates at school and abuse from her mother at home. When
strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to
suspect that she has supernatural powers. Invited to the prom by
Tommy Ross , Carrie tries to let her guard down, but things
eventually take a dark and violent turn.
Carrie 1976
This horror film started a
chain of teenager’s
involvement into the horror
genre as now audiences are
becoming populated by
teenagers.

27. 1970s
On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally
murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked
away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred
for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers escapes. He returns to his
quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next
victims.
Halloween
1978
John Carpenter's
interpretation of the
horror slasher genre
with a serial brought
this iconic and classic
slasher to life which
now holds the
common conventions
featured within the
sub-genre.
The slasher subgenre had existed in horror films prior to Halloween, Halloween though, is what put slasher films
on the map. With a narrative is that is so simple it tugs at society's fear of how dangerous and monstrous man can
truly be regardless of age, This movie is nevertheless one of the most groundbreaking horror films of all-time as
Halloween was seen as a classic as soon as it was released, paving the way for the modern horror industry as we
know it

28. 1980’s● Technological
change,increased in the
use of special effects
● Materialistic society, with
the belief that the bigger
and showier the better.
● Horrors of the 80’s were
all about show- lots of
visual imagery and
colours,special effects
gruesome killings, killers
in full view and bright
lighting.
● Monsters remained human
as society still feared the
evil of man.
Horror movies of the 1980s exist at the glorious watershed when special
visual effects finally caught up with the gory imaginings of horror fans and
movie makers. Technical advances in the field of animatronics, and liquid and
foam latex meant that the human frame could be distorted to an entirely new
dimension, onscreen, in realistic close up. This coincided with the materialistic
ethos of the 1980s, when having it all was important, but to be seen to be
having it all was paramount. People demanded tangible tokens of material
success - they wanted bigger, shinier, faster, - as verification of their own
value in society. In the same way, horror films during this decade delivered
the full colour close-up, look-no-strings-attached, special effect in a way that
previous practitioners of the art could only dream about. Everything that had
lurked in the shadows of horror films in the 1950s could now be brought into
the light of day. The monsters were finally out of the closet.

29. 1980s
Crystal Lake's history of murder doesn't
deter counselors from setting up a summer
camp in the woodsy area. Superstitious
locals warn against it, but the fresh-faced
young people, Alice , Bill , Marcie and Ned
pay little heed.Then they find themselves
stalked by a brutal killer,the counselors
struggle to stay alive against a merciless
Friday the
13th 1980
Within the decade of the 80’s where the time for social change occurred,
horror main audiences were teenagers, and society fear of the vulnerability of
the younger generation were exploited as teenagers behaviours and actions are
shown and reflected upon in Friday the 13th, where it depicts society fears of
rebellious teenagers showing the consequences of their actions.

30. 1980s
In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several
Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy
Krueger , a disfigured midnight mangler who
preys on the teenagers in their dreams which, in
turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the
phenomenon, Nancy begins to suspect that a dark
secret kept by her and her friends' parents may
be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can
Nancy and her boyfriend Glen solve the puzzle
before it's too late?
A Nightmare On Elm
Street 1984
Turning slumberland into a twisted
murderer's den is a masterstroke by
Craven, who has brought new blood to a
genre that seemed as if it might choke
on it's own excesses.- Gavin
Bainbridge EMPIRE
Also seen as a classic horror slasher
sub-genre movie the movie brought
the common conventions of the sub-
genre to life with the same usage of
a single weapon that the killer uses
to taunt and murder his victims.

31. 1980s
After floating in space for 57 years, Lt.
Ripley's shuttle is found by a deep space
salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the
marines find only one survivor, a nine year old
girl named Newt. But even these battle-
hardened marines with all the latest weaponry
are no match for the hundreds of aliens that
have invaded the colony.
Aliens 1986
Few would argue that Aliens is scarier than its
predecessor, but there's more to a great horror sequel
than unbridled terror, and it was clear that the future
King of the World wasn't likely to follow in Ridley
Scott's footsteps and deliver another quiet space
slasher. What James Cameron's film lacks in precision
it compensates for in sheer volume.

32. 1990’s
Audiences were
becoming sick of guts
and gore, and they
wanted more intelligent
horrors. Audiences were
used to horror film
conventions so they
were clued up and found
them predictable.
By the end of the 1980s horror had become so
reliant on gross-out gore and buckets of liquid
latex that it seemed to have lost its power to do
anything more than shock and then amuse. Each
generation needs something to be scared of, and
yearns for its fears to be fairly represented on the
screen. Finding no satisfaction in sequels and
pastiche, the generation of the 90’s got its own
special brand of boogeyman: the serial killer. It
can be argued that the so-called psychological
thriller took precedence over horror in the first
half of the 1990s, and indeed, many dark,
disturbing films of this period describe
themselves as thriller, not horror. There was a
perceived need, as there was at the beginning of
the 1960s, for adult, intelligent horror, and it
was provided in the form of disturbing, violent
thrillers such as Silence of The Lambs. As horror
appeared to run out of original ideas, more film-
makers turned to re-making old ones, re-
interpreting old narratives through a
postmodern, 1990s lens. Psychokillers - It's
Always The Quiet Ones

33. 1990s
The silence of the lambs features a serial killer Hannibal Lecter the
Cannibal this horror film is a disturbing psychological film and was the first
of its genre to win an Oscar. Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's
training academy is asked by Jack Crawford to interview Dr. Hannibal
Lecter , a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life
behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes
that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive
young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.The Silence of The
Lambs 1991

34. 1990s
Wes craven acknowledged how genre-savvy
audiences were by having the characters become
more aware so that they mocked the horror
conventions.Slasher movies typically follow a
young group of teenagers which are gradually
killed off one by one and, as described above, this
convention is used in Scream. This convention is
followed due to the target audience of slasher
movies being teeenagers allowing the audience to
relate to the movie and feel more scared and
anxious. The villain in Scream carried the weapon
of a knife which they use to murder its victims,
Scream
1996
The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just
woke up screaming. There's a killer in their
midst who's seen a few too many scary
movies. Suddenly nobody is safe, as the
psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with
trivia questions, then rips them to bloody
shreds. It could be anybody.
The film is considered a classic slasher
by following horror conventions making
it successful in terms of thrilling the
audience and has created a successful
scream franchise and was inspiration
for a horror spoof known as scary
movie.

35. 1990s
Young Cole Sear is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened by visitations
from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. He is too afraid to tell anyone
about his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the
truth about Cole's supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that
awakens them both to something unexplainable.
The Sixth Sense
1999
The sixth sense is a highly impressive and mind-playing
psychological horror, as along the movie subtle hints are carefully
and precisely being reflected which stimulates the audiences
rational thinking without them thinking about it. This horror
reflects society’s fear that deep and unknown to world but is more
psychologically and internally. And really puts the audience on
edge due to the unexpected plot twist.

36. 2000’s
The tragedy caused by 9/11 changed society's view of what is
scary. Audiences feared that evil lurks in our worlds, especially
terrorists.Modern horrors often featured a game,race against
time or a killer that cannot be seen. Horror films shot in a
‘found footage’ style popular and this makes the material on
screen seem more realistic for audiences. The new sub-genres
of horror becomes prevalent within this decade such as
supernatural, zombie, splatter and slasher.
Horror films have become more transportable thanks to new
electronic- media and technology.
Whilst January 1st, 2000 came and went without much
mishap, many commentators have identified the true beginning
of the 21st century as September 11th, 2001. The events of
that day changed global perceptions of what is frightening, and
set the cultural agenda for the following years. The film
industry, already facing a recession, felt very hard hit as film-
makers struggled to come to terms with what was now
acceptable to the viewing public. There were even calls to ban
horror movies in the name of world peace. But, by 2005, the
horror genre was as popular as ever. Horror films routinely
topped the box office, yielding an above-average gross on
below-average costs. It seems that audiences wanted a good,
group scare as a form of escapism, just as their great-
grandparents chose Universal horror offerings to escape the
miseries of the Depression and encroaching world war in the
1930s.
The monsters have had to change, however.
Gone were the lone psychopaths of the 1990s,
far too reminiscent of media portrayals of bin
Laden, the madman in his cave. As the shock
and awe of twenty first century warfare spread
across TV screens, cinematic horror had to
offer an alternative, whilst still tapping into the
prevailing cultural mood.

37. After making a horrific discovery
in the basement of an old
abandoned church, Trish and her
brother Darry watch their routine
road trip home from college turn
into a heart-stopping race for
their lives. They find themselves
the chosen prey of an
indestructible force that
relentlessly pursues them and
gives a new and chilling meaning
to the old song "Jeepers
Creepers."
Jeepers
Creepers -
2001
2000’s
This horror flick took on the take of
supernatural demons that we come into
contact with day to day life, as the Creeper
is stalking his prey. Taking in account
humanities insecurities of the unknown.

38. 2000’s
Matthew Williams his wife, Jennifer , and mother,
Emma, are Americans making a new life in Tokyo.
Together they move into a house that has been the site
of supernatural occurrences in the past, and it isn't long
before their new home begins terrorizing the Williams
family as well. The house, as it turns out, is the site of a
curse that lingers in a specific place and claims the lives
of anyone that comes near.
The Grudge
2004
Belongs to the grudge franchise
which are successful supernatural
sub-genre movies.
Following the success of the
Japanese adaptation of Ju-On
The grudge this movie
catapulted cursed
supernatural movies into the
spotlight.

39. 2000’s
Photographer Adam Stanheight and oncologist Lawrence Gordon regain consciousness while
chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they've been
trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle
to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon's wife and
young daughter are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.
Saw 2004
Saw represents the splatter sub-
genre within the horror genre and
follows various conventions that
individually illustrate the sub-genre.
SPLATTER-Films deliberately
focus on graphic portrayals of gore
and graphic violence and blood.
This film is typical of its genre
because it is very gory, bloody and
violent which are common
conventions of splatter movies.
Furthermore, torture devices are used
throughout the film which is another
convention used as it is a weapon of
choice for gruesome and graphic
killings linking to the sub-genres
excessive amount of blood.

40. 2010’sThis era for horror has been diverse in terms of
sub-genres as audiences can now enjoy, thriller
slasher, found footage,psychological and zombie.
The most prevalent sub-genre are the
supernatural genre of an unknown and unseen
monster/entity that possesses people and
objects. This is the most current era of horror
where different sub-genres serve for a
satisfactory purpose for the audiences. Horror
films can be accessed through different
technological devices such as the internet for
downloading and streaming horror media, apps
such as netflix or with the presence of TV and
DVD’s Horror films can be bought and watched
on demand. This era is predominate for
supernatural horror as this target society’s fear
of the ‘unknown’ what we can’t see or
experience is brought to life through our fears.
Another reason why the sub-genre is popular is
that is still relatively new so audiences are
hopeful in finding a new thrill.
With the
advancement of
technology special
effects and CGI has
advanced meaning
that the
supernatural sub-
genre can thrive
through the
effective use of
creating realistic
and hair-raising
monsters giving
audience the
satisfaction of being
startled and scared.

41. Shutter
Island 2010
2010’s
The implausible escape of a brilliant
murderess brings U.S. Marshal Teddy
Daniels and his new partner on Ashecliffe
Hospital, an insane asylum located on a
remote island. The woman appears to have
vanished from a locked room. As the
investigation deepens, Teddy realizes he
will have to confront his own dark fears if
he hopes to make it off the island alive.
Shutter Island is an old-fashioned
noirish thriller that ends with a
massive plot twist. Martin Scorsese's
film is based on a best-selling novel by
Dennis Lehane. The book's
protagonist, Teddy Daniels, who's
apparently a US marshal, turns out to
be Andrew Laeddis, a demented killer.
He's a patient in a mental hospital
who's been encouraged by his
psychiatrist to act out his delusion in
the hope that this will dispel it. The
role play fails: after a brief recovery,
Andrew relapses into insanity and is
therefore taken off to be lobotomised.
This horror film is an example of modern
psychological and thriller sub-genres of
horror incorporating real life scenarios
into the camera and playing it out through
a chain of psychological clues and hints
for the audiences, reflecting on society's
deep psychological insecurities playing on
that logical part of our brain and getting
us to ask questions and worries.

42. 2010’s
In 1970, paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed
Warren are summoned to the home of Carolyn and Roger
Perron. The Perrons and their daughters have recently
moved into a secluded farmhouse, where a supernatural
presence has made itself known. Though the
manifestations are relatively benign at first, events soon
escalate in horrifying fashion, especially after the Warrens
discover the house's macabre history.
The Conjuring
2013
James Wan shows that he is a talented
and diverse director for different sub-
genres of the horror genre with previously
working with splatter, and supernatural.
The Conjuring is a very satisfying
horror movie outing, but when it's
done - beyond the trauma of a freaky
moviegoing experience - there is little
to ponder or reflect upon -Kofi
Outlaw- Screen Rant

43. 10 Cloverfield
Lane 2016
2010’s
After surviving a car accident,
Michelle wakes up to find herself
in an underground bunker with
two men. Howard tells her that
a massive chemical attack has
rendered the air unbreathable,
and their only hope of survival is
to remain inside. Despite the
comforts of home, Howard's
controlling and menacing nature
makes Michelle want to escape.
After taking matters into her
own hands, the young woman
finally discovers the truth about
the outside world.
10 Cloverfield Lane is a science fiction
psychological thriller film .The film is
presented in a third-person narrative, in
contrast to its predecessor's found-footage
style. 10 Cloverfield lane belongs to The
Cloverfield Franchise an American
anthology media franchise.

44. I am considering addressing the current fears of this generation in my own film by doing extensive research and planning on
finding fears that the younger generation are scared as now most horror films have a younger target audience of teenagers. So in
order to reach the target audience for the genre I intend to make a film that is specific to the teenage populace. It is not known
yet what the subgenre I will be using for my film, but what I can examine is the blights our fears in modern day times, and how
this will impact my film-making decisions.
The fears of the 21st century are nurtured by real events, whilst others are rooted in imaginary phenomena. The project will focus
on contexts in which fears and anxieties are relevant: issues pertaining to literature, media, psychology, sociology, political
studies, ethics, religion, arts, literature etc. but also on contexts such as the economy, the healthcare or the standard of living,
which are often the cradle of fears and anxieties. People live interdisciplinary lives, challenged by contemporary problems and
narratives which lie at the heart of scary stories. In order to recognize and, subsequently, understand modern anxieties,
- fear of panic disorders; fear of mental illness; fear of insanity
- fear of addictions (alcoholism, drugs, work, the Internet)
- chronic stress in everyday life of 21st century;
- new mental diseases in the Internet Age
- fear of pandemics
- fear of newly emerging diseases, microbes, viruses etc.;
- diseases of affluence, diseases of poverty
– online relationships and love-affairs: catfish, false identity and online romance
– stalking and cyberstalking
- grooming and sexual abuse
- hate speech, flaming and trolling
- cyberbullying: cyber predators, their victims and bystanders
-fear of crime and violence; criminal groups; bystander effect and
social insensitivity;
- fear of social exclusion; demographic crisis and its consequences;
- fear of adolescents, school-shootings; paedophilia, home
violence etc.;
- fear of Others; fear of minorities and majorities;
- fear of natural disasters and weather-related disasters;
– fear of terrorism,
– fear of nationalism, jingoism, xenophobia;
- fear of military conflicts; fear and trauma of genocide;
- fear of bioterrorism and of the use of chemical weapons;
- fear of atheism; fear of fundamentalism;
- millenarian fears;
- professions dealing with existential and religious fears.