After a long and busy day at school, I always help myself to a good movie. Types I enjoy are things like action, comedy, and drama. But then there is my favorite genre that stands out from the rest. That is the movie genre of horror. Horror is defined as a genre intended to scare, shock, and disgust the audience. This genre is so broad that there numerous sub-genres that have emerged over time. Here is a list of my favorite sub-genres of horror and what I like about them.
Psychological Horror
This horror explores themes of one’s mental state and emotions. I would find it terrifying knowing that my mind is being played but can’t figure out who is behind it. It’s very effective in my opinion because it keeps me fixated on what is really going on and there are really good twists and turns in these. Examples of films like this are The Visit, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and Insidious.
Gothic Horror
As a fan of the dark aesthetic and the supernatural, this one is really special to me. This genre is what got me into horror in the first place. This horror genre uses things like the supernatural, isolated places, suspense, and a gloomy atmosphere to tell its story. Also adds some sense of mystery and suspense. Some examples of Gothic Horror films The Woman In Black, The Babadook, and even Coraline.
Analog Horror
This horror is made in the form of found footage, distorted audio, VHS tapes, and grainy footage. What I think makes it effective is that it gives off unsettling feelings and unease. Some are really unsettling, it would take some time to process what I just watched, as it felt so realistic. Most analog horror series are on YouTube, and some of my favorites are The Walten Files, Angel Hare, and The Mandela Catalogue.
Body Horror
This one is that I have a love-hate relationship with. The concept of not feeling safe in your own body and not being able to do anything about is a horrifying thing. Some rely on shock value but some actually have plot and have a message or theme. As most are very graphic, I can’t provide much for examples, but a good way this horror is used is found in zombie media. This is not a movie, but I was actually introduced to the body horror concept in elementary school by a children’s book called A Bad Day Of Stripes.
Slasher Horror
It’s personally not my favorite due to how most of these feel more comedic, and I find myself enjoying horror with depth but there are some that give off good jump scares and have enjoyable characters. I usually go for the ones with an interesting plot that does not rely too much on shock value or over-the-top, unnecessarily controversial scenes. They are nice for entertainment when there is not much else to watch. Some slasher films that I enjoy are Happy Death Day, M3GAN , and Split.
