Audition (1999, Dir. Takashi Miike)
In my late teenage years, I found myself really trying to expand my tastes as a horror fan. One way I started doing this was by venturing into foreign horror territory, with my first taste being Japanese visionary Takashi Miike’s Audition. I recall being enthralled by Miike’s hypnotizing visual approach and intense scenes of violence, and the film’s seemingly odd and disjointed narrative style intrigued me. When I first finished the film, I was in awe, but wasn’t even quite sure of what I had seen. Needless to say, Audition became a genre entry that I loved introducing to many of my more adventurous, film-loving friends. It also ultimately served as a wild introduction for me to the world of not just Asian horror, but foreign horror in general.
Zodiac (2007, Dir. David Fincher)
Throughout high school and into college, I grew fascinated with true crime and the history of serial killers–a different kind of horror all on its own. Fincher’s Zodiac is a film that represents the peak of this long-running fascination. While it and similar movies are by and large not classified as horror (though we have seen many of those debates here time and again), it does feature some undeniably terrifying moments. From the disturbing lake sequence to the more subtly chilling basement scene, Zodiac shifts from procedural crime drama to unnerving thriller seamlessly. It showcases the real-life horrors that can stem from the actions of real-life men, and for this reason Zodiac left a major mark on me more than many outright horror films I have seen in my life.
Martyrs (2008, Dir. Pascal Laugier)
When the credits rolled after my first viewing of Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs, I recall distinctly feeling one emotion: anger. Up to that point, I considered myself to be an open-minded and adventurous horror fan who could handle just about anything, yet I was outright livid when the film ended. I couldn’t decide if it was because I thought it was awful, too violent, too mean spirited, too manipulative, or simply beyond my level of comprehension. Simply put, Martyrs was the first horror movie I ever watched that elicited a truly complex and visceral reaction in me. But for that reason, it also stuck with me for much longer than I ever expected it to. Over time, my views on the film began to surprisingly change; it gradually took on a whole new context through a combination of my encounter with think pieces dedicated to the film, a few long and in-depth discussions about it with others, and some time simply spent considering other perspectives on its meaning that I had initially ignored. Today–almost a decade later–I recognize that Martyrs is a very difficult and divisive film, but can also respect it as a provocative and powerful piece of work in the genre. Laugier’s film taught me to truly step out of my comfort zone and be open to being challenged in horror. It is not often that this happens, but I now welcome it and truly appreciate it when it does–even if the experience leaves me confused, angry, or outright exhausted.
Absentia (2011, Dir. Mike Flanagan)
When I first saw the trailer for Mike Flanagan’s Absentia a few years back, I did not ever suspect that the film would resonate with me in the major way that it did. Yet as I consider some of my favorite horror films from the past decade or so, I recognize my clear love for those that manage to elicit a eerily subdued, but resonant sense of terror and deliver an emotionally-grounded story with strong characterization, even on meager budgets. Ultimately, Absentia attuned me to a world of genre films that I never realized just clicked with me both as a consumer of horror and a moonlighting creative. From my subsequent discovery of films like Lake Mungo, Resolution, and Banshee Chapter to the nights spent revisiting favorites like The House of the Devil, The Pact, and It Follows, Absentia has played a huge role in this more recent evolution of my love for horror. I’m not quite sure what to call this particular subsection of the genre I now unabashedly geek out for (I have often used the phrases “subdued horror” and “understated horror” to describe it), but I am nevertheless thrilled when I encounter films like this with an appreciation for subtlety, relatable characters, and refreshing narrative perspectives.
So, readers… what films helped shape you as horror fans? Which genre classics, duds, or forgotten flicks do you connect with on a personal level for one reason or another? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to follow me on Twitter to continue the discussion!
