3 MOVIES THAT SHOULD BE HORROR, BUT AREN`T
- pia kabott
- 28. Dez. 2023
- 9 Min. Lesezeit
Aktualisiert: 22. Jan. 2024
From psychological Horror, to Slasher, over Gore; Horror does not equal Horror. The Genre branches into plenty of Subgenres, all providing a different type of fear factor sending the infamous shivers through your spine. Yet, there are plenty of Genres on the spectrum of movie genres, that fall very close to Horror, but are not classified as such. Even though they contain plenty of features and scenes, that definitely should make them.
Today I will talk about 3 movies that fall under Genres such as Science Fiction, Crime, War, and Drama; just one Genre, none of them classifies as: Horror.
All of them contain several trigger warnings such as: Drug abuse, Racism, War, Nudity, Violence, Guns etc.
All of them contain laods of graphic scenes, that more often than not, haunt your mind for a longer time than any Horror movie could.
All of these movies are not recommended for people under the age of 18 to watch.
Sounds like Horror already, doesn´t it? Let´s get into it!
Requiem for a Dream (2000) - Darren Aronofsky
"Don´t you dare call this a thriller, this is the most f*cked up haunting horror film of all time." - dustynight via Letterboxd
Requiem for a Dream is a Drama published in 2000 by the US-American director Darren Aronofsky. The movie explores the dark and harrowing world of addiction, as we follow four characters: Sara Goldfarb, Harry Goldfarb, Marion Silver, and Tyrone C. Love. This film is based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr. and delivers a deep and chilling portrayal of how easily dreams can transform into nightmares.
The narrative unfolds as we see the stories of the characters develop parallely and intertwined. Sara is a lonely widow and dream of reclaiming her former glory, as she receives a letter informing her that she has been chosen to participate in one of her favorite TV-Shows. Harry, Saras estranged son, and his friends are hoping to become rich and happy through selling drugs.
As the movie progresses, the characters continue to become more and more entangled in the web of addicition, while the horror intensifies. The incessant downward-spiral is employed through highly stylized visual techniques, such as rapid-fire editing and the flashing of surreal imagery in so called hip-hop monatges, to encapture the disorientation and desperation of the characters. In addition to that, the outstanding sound design of Clint Mansell contributes to a highly thrilling and haunting atmosphere.
The Horror in "Requiem for a dream" is expressed through the psychological and physical deterioration of the characters. As Sara compulsively tries to lose weight for her upcoming TV-appearance, she ends up visiting a doctor that prescribes her pills that shall help in speeding up the process. The pills later turn out to be amphetamines and Sara delved into the irresistance of taking more and more pills than she should and eventually develops an addiction. The addiction continues driving her into a constant state of anxiety and delusion, as she starts having horrifying hallucinations. Eventually, Sara is so obsessed with appearing on TV that she starts looking up the production company, with her appearance totally tranformed, looking like an easily recognizable drug-addict, having crinkly hair with outgrown roots, visible skin discoloration, and most importantly, appearing mentally disturbed and confused. Instead of actually appearing on TV, Sara gets send to a psychatric ward instead. After several treatments, Sara has to undergo an electroconvulsive therapy, which ends up worsening her state even more, leaving her behind hopeless and alone.
Harry on the other side, dreams of building a better life for himself and his girlfriend Marion through setting up a Heroin business. As they chase this dream, both can´t help themselves but falling in a cycle of drug use and desperation.
Eventually, Harry encourages Marion to sell her body to her psychiatrist, to have more money for drugs. This, along with their distorted perceptions, ends up damaging their relationship fundamentally.
After Harry and Tyrone get arrested in Miami while wanting to buy more Heroin, Marion gets pulled deeper into the world of prostitution. At the end, Harry loses his arm due to needle abuse, far away from his girlfriend, both physically and emotionally. Tyrone has to face racism, excruciating manual labor, and withdrawals, while also being stuck in prison, far away from home, where he had left all his hopes and dreams.
All in all, Requiem for a dream employs plenty of elements, excellently brought to life through remarkable performances from the actors, that could qualify the movie as a Horror movie. The nighmarish imagery and editing in combination with the deeply unsettling sound design adding a ominous and chilling layer to film, evoke a sense of horror that transcends traditional drama. The recurring Motifs of despair and hopelessness, leading to a constant physical deterioration of each character makes the viewer feel intensly claustrophic and psychologically drained, as it is delving into fears, anxieties, and hallucinations that can be highly disturbing and can make the viewer to a certain extend even paranoid.
2. Come and See (1985) - Elem Klimov
"The most horrifying non-horror horror film of all time." - Antun234 via Letterboxd
"Come and See" is a haunting and visceral war film by the Soviet-Russian filmmaker Elem Klimov. The movie is set during the German occupation of Belarus in World War II. It follows a young belarussian boy, Florya, who joins the Soviet Partisans in their fight against the Nazis, inevidably leading to him witnessing the brutal horrors of war.
As the movie goes on, the viewer can follow Florya´s journey from youthful optimism to traumatizing and devastating confrontations with the harsh realities of the time. The film masterfully explores the physical and psychological toll on individuals as well as the community.
The film is widely known because of its intense and traumatizing scenes, which reflect the brutal realities of war.
One of the first of these scenes, is the massacre of Florya´s home-village. After returning to his village from which he has previously been violently taken away, he finds out that all the residents, including his family have all been violently slaughtered, their corpses piled up against a wall. This scene captures the dehumanizing effects of violence as families are torn apart forever, their homes reduced to ashes.
However, the one scenes that sticks out in terms of terror and brutality, is the burning barn sequence. As Florya has been seeking refuge from the chaos and violence surrounding him, he stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned barn. He quickly finds out, that he is not alone in the barn, but a group of villagers have also been seeking refuge from the atrocities happening outside. Unknown to those inside, German forces have already surrounded the barn, trapping Florya and the villagers in a nightmarish situation, doomed to end terribly. Florya however, is capable of fleeing the situation in time, as the Germans have locked up all the other villagers, including children and elderly, in the barn, eventually setting the whole thing ablaze. The chaos ensues as the panicing, death-fearing villagers desperately attempt to escape the fiery inferno. The screams of terror, the crackling of flames, along with the laughs and joy from the Nazis, make the scene an emotional and horrific experience for the audience, leaving them behind speechless to the unscrupulous practices of the Nazis.
The scene continues as the Nazis keep setting the rest of the village on fire, burning it entirely to ashes, leaving no live behind. The Germans start taking grotesque pictures with the burning village and some of its survivors, such as Florya. Everything that´s still alive, they either kill, or take with them, such as cattle and surviving women for them to rape. Another widely heartbreaking scene is, when a couple of soldiers carry an old woman, unconscious to the horrors going on around her, in her bed outside, leaving her in the middle of the dirt, between the burning houses, left to her fate, as she mindlessly waves them goodbye with a warm smile. Therefore, these roughly 30 minutes of "Come and See" are some of the most shocking, terrifying and incomprehensibly heartless minutes in all of cinema.
In summary, "Come and See" stands as a harrowing exploration of the horror of war by utilizing disturbing imagery, combined with powerful sound design, making the hellish sound of screams, attilery and other war instruments extremely vivid. It displays how quickly Florya lost his innocence and transformed from a hopeful young boy into a haunted and traumatized survivor. The film is an unflinching examination of the cost of World War II with all its cruelties and the enduring trauma, that makes this movie stand out amongst all other war narratives, also because this movie in particular often feels scarily real, staying with the viewer for possibly ever.
3. Christiane F. (1981) - Uli Edel
"The image of horror lays beneath the beautiful face of curiosity. It´s not a film, it´s an ugly, but yet a true portrait of a whole generation." - Vladimir via Letterboxd
"Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Banhhof Zoo", which literally translates to: "Christiane F. - Us children from train station Zoo", is a gripping drama that follows the tumultuous life of Christiane, a young girl growing up in Berlin´s gritty Gropiusstadt in the 1970´s. Based on the true-to-life novel with the same name, the film follows Christiane as she falls into the dangerous world of drug addiction, particularly heroin. As a friend introduced her to the newsest and most modern club in Berlin, the "Sound", she quickly entangles herself in relationships that introduce her to the newest drugs on the market. Her and her group of friends rapidly develop an addiction, which ultimately forces them to sell sexual services at Berlins train station called "Zoologischer Garten", short "Zoo", in order to be able to afford drugs. The film explored Christiane´s harrowing journey through addiction, desperation, and the harsh realities of street life.
The movie is based on Christiane F.´s autobiography and therefore provides a raw and realistic portrayal of the struggles of addiction of an entire generation back in her days, today also referred to as a "lost generation". The cold, run-down, and violent character of Berlin contributes to the horror-like ambience of the film almost naturally.
The narrative unfolds as Christiane descends further into the abyss of drug addiction, as the audience can see how seemingly normal young people who used to live an ordinary life, deteriorate into the grasp of addiction, leaving the audience behind frightened that something similar might happen to their loved ones. Therefore, it can be said that the major horrifying factor of the film is, that it is real and that it is the true story of plenty of real people. The final scene adds to the terrifying realism of the film, as Christiane comes by a kiosk where she discovers a newspaper with a picture of her friend, Babsi, under the headline (translated): "Berlin's youngest drug-dead - she was only 14", which was based on a real newspaper article about the death of Babette D.
The film employs nightmarish imagery all throughout its runtime to convey the psychological and physical toll addiction has on these people. The scenes of Christiane shooting up heroin, the hallucinations, and the haunting withdrawal symptoms are presented in a visceral intensity. The movie personifies addiction as a monstrous force that consumes its victims and makes do anything.
Finally, Christiane F.´s story stands out, because it is based on her actual life and displays the horrific abyss that addiction is. The movie frightens its audience in a way that no fictional movie could and makes them become concerned and protective of their own loved ones. The movie goes deeply into horrifying details and doesn't shy away from showing the graphic and dirty moments that are all part of the tour story. It is an ugly film with an ugly story, but it manages to really touch the viewer and makes them reflect on their own life and society. It's a movie that stays with you and that you will think of for a long time.
Of course, there is plenty of more movies that could fit into this category, but these three movies are great examples on movies that really stick with you and that have the power to change your view on the world. While many traditional horror movies often portray supernatural occurrences or very specific, often unrealistic scenarios, these three movies, that mainly address addiction and war often evoke this feel of horror in us because they feel real, as these themes are omnipresent throughout life and history, and they show us how quickly it can happen to any person to be drawn into a similar scenario.
I recommend you watch these movies yourself to understand yourself the grasp they have on you and how shocking they really are. But please stay safe, because you should not forget that these movies might be hard to watch for most people.
Ready to make the next step? Dive deeper into the realm of Horror cinema by exploring more articles of my biog. Stay informed, and inspired, and don't hesitate to send me a message! Subscribe for regular updates and join our community on Instagram, Twitter, and Letterboxd to engage with like-minded.
Go right to the movies:
コメント