If it hasn’t become quite apparent yet, Hollywood appears to be in the middle of a creative crisis. Pretty much everything created these days feels like it is made in a factory, and the few grasps of originality fail to reach the bigger zeitgeist. One of the biggest casualties of this current predicament is the horror genre. America has always had an interesting relationship with horror; at times the most popular genre for movies, at others the least popular.

But no matter the circumstances, horror has consistently been able to attract a large audience, enduring the decades of change with strong cult followings. An argument could be made that people are attracted to it either to prove they’re not afraid of its content or purposefully look forward to being scared, with the latter options becoming more of an impasse these days. With such a relationship, it is no wonder why things are hitting a rough spot as of recently.

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Identity Crisis

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Currently, horror is going through an identity crisis. There’s practically no creativity guiding its market, and studios continue to pump out the same old legacy sequels in an attempt to cover the demand. The early 2000s were still a great time for horror, delivering some haunting and riveting pictures still very well perceived by audiences. The problems started during the late 2000s and early 2010s; it was a time of great profits for franchises like Saw and Paranormal Activity, and their success all but guaranteed the proliferation of rip-offs and approximations in the scope and style. Suddenly every horror movie had ringing noises and jump scares coupled by a dark atmospheric tone. As a result, the plot and characters become more generic, limiting themselves to formulas of found-footage and demonic possession flicks. This was the norm for well into the mid-2010s, and it was only replaced by another form of generic storytelling, only furthering the problem instead of fixing it.

Same Generic Formula

     Warner Bros. Pictures 

As tough as it is to admit, for it requires a lot of introspection, the consumer itself has a part of the blame for the current conditions of the horror market. The big studios have never been interested in the integrity of a great story; their loyalty will forever be more in line with what can turn a profit and/or get great critical prestige (because it generates consistent profit through sales/streaming). For the most part, horror has never been a genre considered for its prestige (i.e., awards), with them being more of the exception than the norm. As such, studios feel they have no choice but to listen to what the consumers say more than any other genre.

This has turned into a disaster as of recently, as it allowed the problems to fester. Instead of fixing the problem 10 years ago, when it was clear to everyone paying attention that it was bound to happen, it is only now that something is being done about it, and it’s going to take more than a few years for there to be some actual changes. The same generic formula never got a redo because it was tolerated.

Lack of Creativity

     Hulu 

The generic disposition has led to a creative vacuum. This year in particular was an awful year for legacy sequels (with the shocking exception of Scream). The new Texas Chainsaw was poorly received, Halloween Ends left fans in total disappointment, and Hellraiser, while tonally captivating, failed to impress many or make a decent amount of buzz, with only a few relegated mentions in the overall movie viewing world. One could argue this problem goes hand in hand with the situations currently affecting Marvel Studios.

Right now, the current buzz for these entertainment products is hitting a new low, with very little enthusiasm from the general public after years of long lines and a monopoly on the zeitgeist. The repetitive plot lines and quips have grown out of interest, with new audiences looking for a more original or unexpected story. By every metric these films are not as popular as they were four or five years ago, and while still making a profit, chances are they will start diminishing in return sooner rather than later.

Hope on the Horizon

     Netflix 

The movie industry is an industry in constant turmoil; it has ebbs and flows in repetitive disarray, made even more problematic by the unpredictability of the general public. Fifty years ago, The Godfather was the highest grossing movie of the year; now it’s Top Gun: Maverick, a well-made movie, but far from the drama-driven tragedy of the former. No one knows what other new movies are coming to town, but at the very least we are getting a strong indication of a tonal shift, one that can greatly benefit new creative voices. Films like Barbarian and White Noise are bringing new ideas to the forefront, fresh and original in composition and execution. Their success is proof of the public’s interest in new and original ideas challenging the status quo, and in the previous years we’ve also seen a brand-new story pop up from time, perhaps giving an indication of a base currently forming for new ideas to strive.

From the looks of it, legacy sequels and generic formulas are being left behind in favor of new techniques, such as the blending of horror and comedy to more effective nuances. The true teller of whether this is just a phase and then it’s back to business as usual will be the public’s reaction to the new batch of upcoming horror flicks, whether known or unknown. If received with great praise and recognition, we are in for a new era of experimentation, where a creative boom will liberate the current repressive regime of complacency.