With the popular horror movie Smile breaking records at the box office and a very good Hellraiser reboot streaming on Hulu (just to name a few), horror fans are wondering if we’re in a golden age of horror – especially after the worst of the pandemic.
Over on the flagship macabre subreddit r/horror, fans pondered the wealth of horror options available and how surprisingly, well, scary the movies are as of late. User ThisisCreation posed the following question:
“Particularly over the last 10 years or so but since COVID hit it seems horror movies have been on the rise again, and not just on the rise but the horrors we have gotten since 2020 have been well-rounded and well crafted movie. What do you think?”
User brotna said that seems to be the case.
STARBOY_100 pointed out that there’s even “a streaming platform just for the horror genre!” They are talking, of course, about the streaming service Shudder.
However, not everyone is so optimistic. User Bulk_Sausage said that if we are in one, it’s almost over.
Others make the argument that horror is cheaper to produce (in some cases), they make actual money and some franchises already have built-in audiences. User halcyondread thinks marketing is something to take into account as well.
User DamnGunner2 agrees marking a move away from blockbuster horror pictures.
User Bright_Beat_5981 made the point that action movies seem to be tied to existing franchises while new horror movies seem to come out regularly.
There’s also the issue of studios like Blumhouse and A24 coming out with exceptional movies, said Sleepy_Azathoth.
InfinityQuartz agreed, saying that’s when things “started changing for the better.”
Maybe it even began sooner than that, argued SlaveNumber23.
The user Three_Froggy_Problem argued that horror bottomed out in the 2000s but rebounded in the 2010s. Part of that is due to indie movies and genre stretching, they said.
The general consensus seems to agree! We’re in a golden age of horror movies and we should enjoy it while we can before things inevitably get bloated and boring again. Check out the whole thread here there are some interesting points in there.