Postmodern horror is a

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

related to the art and philosophy of

postmodernism Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

. Examples of this type of film includes

George A. Romero George Andrew Romero (; February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017) was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor and actor. His ''Night of the Living Dead'' series of films about an imagined zombie apocalypse began with the 1968 film of the ...

's '' Night of the Living Dead'', Tobe Hooper's ''

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, ...

'' and John Carpenter's legendary slasher film ''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

''.

Background

Characteristics of this genre (starting in the 1960s onwards) includes constituting a violent disruption of the everyday world, transgressions and violated boundaries, questioning the validity of rationality, repudiation of narrative and producing a bounded experience of fear (between the audience and the film).

Notable postmodern horror films

*'' Psycho'' (1960) *''

Spider Baby ''Spider Baby: or, the Maddest Story Ever Told'' is a 1967 American black comedy horror film, written and directed by Jack Hill. It stars Lon Chaney Jr. as Bruno, the chauffeur and caretaker of three orphaned siblings who suffer from "Merrye Sy ...

'' (1967) *'' Night of the Living Dead'' (1968) *'' Targets'' (1968) *'' The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974) *''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

'' (1977) *''

'' (1978) *'' Dawn of the Dead'' (1978) *'' Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' (1978) *'' The Brood'' (1979) *'' The Shining'' (1980) *''

The Evil Dead ''The Evil Dead'' is a 1981 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, produced by Robert Tapert and executive produced by Raimi, Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, who also starred alongside Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeMan ...

'' (1981) *'' The Howling'' (1981) *''

The Entity ''The Entity'' is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Sidney J. Furie, and written by Frank De Felitta, who adapted his 1978 novel of the same name. The film stars Barbara Hershey as a single mother in Los Angeles who is rape ...

'' (1982) *'' The Thing'' (1982) *'' Videodrome'' (1983) *'' The Toxic Avenger'' (1984) *'' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984)Recreational Terror - Google Books
/ref> *''

Re-Animator ''Re-Animator'' (also known as ''H. P. Lovecraft's Re-Animator'') is a 1985 American comedy horror film loosely based on the 1922 H. P. Lovecraft serial novelette "Herbert West–Reanimator". Directed by Stuart Gordon and produced by Brian Yuzn ...

'' (1985) *'' Fright Night'' (1985) *''

Chopping Mall ''Chopping Mall'' is a 1986 American techno-horror film co-written and directed by Jim Wynorski, produced by Julie Corman, and starring Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, John Terlesky, Russell Todd, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, and Barbara Crampton. It f ...

'' (1986) *'' Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer'' (1986) *'' Evil Dead II'' (1987)The Monstrous-feminine - Google Books (pg.73)
/ref> *'' Beetlejuice'' (1988) *''

Lady in White ''Lady in White'' is a 1988 American supernatural mystery film directed, produced, written and scored by Frank LaLoggia, and starring Lukas Haas, Len Cariou, Alex Rocco and Katherine Helmond. The plot follows a schoolboy in 1962 upstate New ...

'' (1988) *'' Candyman'' (1992) *'' Wes Craven's New Nightmare'' (1994) *''

From Dusk till Dawn ''From Dusk till Dawn'' is a 1996 American action horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino from a concept and story by Robert Kurtzman. Starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Ernest Liu, and ...

'' (1996) *'' Scream'' (1996) *''

I Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely based on ...

'' (1997) *'' Bride of Chucky'' (1998) *'' The Blair Witch Project'' (1999) *''

American Psycho ''American Psycho'' is a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by Patrick Bateman, a serial killer and Manhattan investment banker. Alison Kelly of ''The Observer'' notes that while "some countr ...

'' (2000) *'' Final Destination'' (2000) *'' Scary Movie'' (2000) *'' Party Monster'' (2003) *'' Shaun of the Dead'' (2004) *'' Drag Me to Hell'' (2009) *'' The Cabin in the Woods'' (2012) *'' ParaNorman'' (2012) *'' Hotel Transylvania'' (2012) *''

The Final Girls ''The Final Girls'' is a 2015 American comedy horror film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller. The film stars Taissa Farmiga and Malin Åkerman, with supporting performances from Adam DeVine, Tho ...

'' (2015) *'' Get Out'' (2017) *'' Us'' (2019) *'' Midsommar'' (2019) *'' Last Night in Soho'' (2021) *'' Nope'' (2022)

Directors associated with postmodern horror

Jordan Peele Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele's breakout role came in 2003, when he was hired as a cast membe ...

* Robert Rodriguez * Ari Aster *

Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the Spider-Man (2002 film series), ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007) and the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present). He also directed the 1 ...

* Lloyd Kaufman * John Carpenter * Wes Craven *

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

Stuart Gordon Stuart Alan Gordon (August 11, 1947 – March 24, 2020) was an American filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Gordon is perh ...

* Tobe Hooper *

Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies wit ...

* Edgar Wright *

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

* Tim Burton

Background

Notable postmodern horror films

Directors associated with postmodern horror

See also

References

Further reading