I really enjoyed this! Modern horror is a genre I tend to stay away from, but I also love classic gothic fiction (Frankenstein, Dracula, Edgar Allen Poe). I think you articulate why a lot of modern horror is tough for me-it can be excessively gory, explicit, or blur the lines between good and evil. But classic/quality horror doesn’t do that-same with classic detective fiction (my husband is always confused by the fact that I can’t handle horror movies but find Sherlock Holmes cozy). I also really liked your point that seemingly calm/light watches can be more dangerous for us than we think-I constantly am discerning where to draw the line with entertainment that I know is trying to promote moral/intellectual beliefs opposed to mine
Oh, that's so true re: how calm/light watches (or books) can be very sneaky in spreading ideas/increasing emotions around things that are definitely not biblical. Someone once remarked that most romance books are more anti-Christian than horror books as they set up such unreasonable expectations for husbands/fairytale endings/cause dissatisfaction.
I love the classics you mentioned as well. Dracula is one of my favorite books and definitely keeps good/evil very clear!
I'm usually too creeped out by most horror films but I really appreciated "Nope" and some of M. Night Shyamalan's work ("Old" for instance). The only truly horrifying film I've ever seen, though, is "Requiem for a Dream," because what it shows is *really happening*. Yet despite the abjectness at that film's ending, it excellently portrays the consequences of bad decisions; its moral sense remains true.
Your point about balancing darkness and hope was well put—that's probably the reason I don't care for much of Lovecraft's stories. In them, the monsters remain undefeated; the stories are deliberately written to promote a sense of helplessness and despair, which are qualities that simply don't align with my Christian view of the world.
Yes, there are many horror films that are still not for me! I’ve never seen Requiem for a Dream, but that’s a good point: sometimes a “bad” ending can work. I think I just prefer the endings where good triumphs. I haven’t read Lovecraft yet, but I’ve read “Lovecraftian” stories. Stranger Things has the kind of ancient evil of Lovecraft, but does a good job of being hopeful (although the monster isn’t completely defeated yet, but hopefully by the end of the show!)
Good points, William. I really like M. Night Shyamalan's work (most of them) and one of my favorite movies was "The Village" which I thought was brilliant (though maybe not obviously horror it had definite horror elements). I haven't watched Requiem for a Dream yet . . . do you mean it was horrifying in that you liked it and it gave you great insights or horrifying like you couldn't sleep/eat after watching it?
More of a horror of knowing that the events in the movie are most certainly likely to be happening to real people right now. There is nothing fantastical about the film; it seems to be describing actual reality.
What an interesting and thought-provoking post, Karissa. I am fascinated by this topic. It seems that horror and Christianity can be very polarizing and/or contentious in certain circles. Like you pointed out though, the Bible is full of gory, horrible things happening to people. I think the line falls at the purpose of horror--is it to glorify evil or to point toward the Light?
I actually wrote a post exploring this topic several months ago here on Substack and enjoyed it so much I may make it into a series at some point. Have you read, "Christian Horror" by Mike Duran? It's very good and I'd recommend it if you're interested in delving further into the topic.
Glad to have found you here via your new podcast and looking forward to reading some of your other articles here.
Thank you! Even a year later I am still finding layers of the topic to dissect. I think you’re right: the main question is does the story glorify evil?
I just learned about that book and started reading it!
Oh good, I think you’ll enjoy the book. And yes, you’re right—the more I dive into the subject, the more I learn which leads me to other new information…it’s fascinating. :) Also, there’s a really, really good podcast by Christianity Today called “Be Afraid” that you might enjoy. It’s all on this topic and the host, Kutter Callaway, does an excellent job. I think you’d enjoy it. Happy to have connected!
I really enjoyed this! Modern horror is a genre I tend to stay away from, but I also love classic gothic fiction (Frankenstein, Dracula, Edgar Allen Poe). I think you articulate why a lot of modern horror is tough for me-it can be excessively gory, explicit, or blur the lines between good and evil. But classic/quality horror doesn’t do that-same with classic detective fiction (my husband is always confused by the fact that I can’t handle horror movies but find Sherlock Holmes cozy). I also really liked your point that seemingly calm/light watches can be more dangerous for us than we think-I constantly am discerning where to draw the line with entertainment that I know is trying to promote moral/intellectual beliefs opposed to mine
Oh, that's so true re: how calm/light watches (or books) can be very sneaky in spreading ideas/increasing emotions around things that are definitely not biblical. Someone once remarked that most romance books are more anti-Christian than horror books as they set up such unreasonable expectations for husbands/fairytale endings/cause dissatisfaction.
I love the classics you mentioned as well. Dracula is one of my favorite books and definitely keeps good/evil very clear!
I'm usually too creeped out by most horror films but I really appreciated "Nope" and some of M. Night Shyamalan's work ("Old" for instance). The only truly horrifying film I've ever seen, though, is "Requiem for a Dream," because what it shows is *really happening*. Yet despite the abjectness at that film's ending, it excellently portrays the consequences of bad decisions; its moral sense remains true.
Your point about balancing darkness and hope was well put—that's probably the reason I don't care for much of Lovecraft's stories. In them, the monsters remain undefeated; the stories are deliberately written to promote a sense of helplessness and despair, which are qualities that simply don't align with my Christian view of the world.
Yes, there are many horror films that are still not for me! I’ve never seen Requiem for a Dream, but that’s a good point: sometimes a “bad” ending can work. I think I just prefer the endings where good triumphs. I haven’t read Lovecraft yet, but I’ve read “Lovecraftian” stories. Stranger Things has the kind of ancient evil of Lovecraft, but does a good job of being hopeful (although the monster isn’t completely defeated yet, but hopefully by the end of the show!)
Good points, William. I really like M. Night Shyamalan's work (most of them) and one of my favorite movies was "The Village" which I thought was brilliant (though maybe not obviously horror it had definite horror elements). I haven't watched Requiem for a Dream yet . . . do you mean it was horrifying in that you liked it and it gave you great insights or horrifying like you couldn't sleep/eat after watching it?
More of a horror of knowing that the events in the movie are most certainly likely to be happening to real people right now. There is nothing fantastical about the film; it seems to be describing actual reality.
Ahh, yes, I see your point.
This was such an insightful piece - thank you! It helped put words to my love of most things True Crime and the Suspense/Horror genre.
Thank you! I’m glad it could help.
What an interesting and thought-provoking post, Karissa. I am fascinated by this topic. It seems that horror and Christianity can be very polarizing and/or contentious in certain circles. Like you pointed out though, the Bible is full of gory, horrible things happening to people. I think the line falls at the purpose of horror--is it to glorify evil or to point toward the Light?
I actually wrote a post exploring this topic several months ago here on Substack and enjoyed it so much I may make it into a series at some point. Have you read, "Christian Horror" by Mike Duran? It's very good and I'd recommend it if you're interested in delving further into the topic.
Glad to have found you here via your new podcast and looking forward to reading some of your other articles here.
Thank you! Even a year later I am still finding layers of the topic to dissect. I think you’re right: the main question is does the story glorify evil?
I just learned about that book and started reading it!
Glad to meet you!
Oh good, I think you’ll enjoy the book. And yes, you’re right—the more I dive into the subject, the more I learn which leads me to other new information…it’s fascinating. :) Also, there’s a really, really good podcast by Christianity Today called “Be Afraid” that you might enjoy. It’s all on this topic and the host, Kutter Callaway, does an excellent job. I think you’d enjoy it. Happy to have connected!
Thanks! I’ll check it out!