A New Paradigm for Horror
[Spoilers Alert!]
I love a good scary movie.
In recent years there have been two films that have particularly impressed me: Hereditary and The Witch. If you’re looking for gore, moments that make you scream and jump, and a fear to sleep alone, these probably won’t deliver. But they provide something so much more important for the horror movie genre: a new paradigm of endings that allow you to imagine what The Devil’s love feels like.
What do I mean?
Well let’s start out with the structure of both films. Each is defined by its own moments of vivid, gruesome imagery that stick with you for life. Anyone who’s watched The Witch will know what I’m talking about when I say “crow-nipple”. Hereditary’s “choking Charlie” scene will also dwell for quite some time. But what I want to draw your attention to is that both end with the protagonists encountering the devil in some form. The Witch presents us with a billy goat, where as Hereditary gives us Paimon, the king of hell. What remains incredibly interesting in both these films is the form that the satanic being takes.
In The Witch, the last few scenes are marked by the daughter of the family killing her own father. After her family is dead, she retreats into their farm shed.
There she is encountered and undressed by the devil who asks her to sign his book. Through tears she states she can’t, but he helps her. He guides her hand, almost as a father figure, speaking softly to comfort her. He gives her strength when all is lost, he loves her and treats her with tenderness and compassion, offering her the chance to “live deliciously”.
Hereditary concludes a demonic being entering Peter’s body. As Peter regains consciousness he climbs up into a tree house as beautiful classical music plays; a composition reminiscent of a royal ball. White light surrounds this nest and naked bodies bow to him as he is crowned and told that he is worthy of their love and praise, for he is Paimon, a king of Hell.
In the last scenes of both movies you stop being scared. We spend the entire film in anxiety, anticipation, fear, and all of a sudden it just disappears. We somehow know that there is nothing left to jump out at us. The fear subsides. We almost feel comfortable, maybe even safe. We realize that the Devil’s promise may be irresistible because it provides something we didn’t realize we needed — an escape from the cruelty around us for safety, security, and love.
I’ve never seen this approach to horror. The last two decades have been marked by suspense-filled endings that usually transition into subpar sequels and sleepless nights, forcing us to wonder whether the demons we faced have turned their gaze on us.
The genius of The Witch and Hereditary is their complete reversal of our relationship with that which we fear most. These films force us to succumb to the power of our demons not through fear, but through unconditional love.
For the rest of the article I want to speak in hyperbolic terms. Don’t imagine concepts literally, but instead insert your own interpretation of God, The Devil, Satan, heaven, hell, etc.
As children we are bombarded with warnings of “The Devil’s” tricks. We are warned that money, lust, and power are not worth our souls or good character. That, in the end, we will pay the price for trading our ethics and morals for the riches that abound The Devil’s kingdom. But is this really true? We live in a world that doesn’t punish the bankers that force our economies into recession, where businessmen like Trump are rewarded with the oval office after a life of swindling and crime, and fierce control over the lives of citizens by the American, Russian, Chinese, and North Korean government remain untouchable by the rest of the global community. Danielle Bregoli can mistreat her mother, and Logan Paul can film a suicide and their viewership only rises.
We’ve grown naive with undirected hope and optimism.
We chant that humans are inherently good, that new technologies will steer us towards the light.
A much darker reality is setting in. As we become more libertarian, more individual and separate from community, little stops us from taking the opportunity to live deliciously.
These films force us to confront our place within society. Are we truly above the temptations that surround us? Perhaps the most horrifying part is when we’re presented with the rewards of playing evil, we may just not be able to resist.
