Year after year, time after time, we hear the same argument being thrown about, asking if horror is dead? It always comes after a horror film fails to perform at the box office. This year, it was Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s Blair Witch, which originally went under the name The Woods. Brad absolutely loved it while I was more a middle-of-the-road kinda guy.
When the reveal came that The Woods was actually a third entry in Blair Witch franchise, the internet blew up. It was easily one of the biggest stories of the year. Our Twitter account blew up and we were keeping an eye on our servers because of the massive amount of traffic coming in. It was the talk of the town and everyone was sure this was going to be the next big horror hit. Hell, in my piece “Why ‘Blair Witch’ is so Important and Exciting to so Many People“, I specifically spoke about how nostalgia played a big part in the resurgence of interest and, much like Jurassic World or The Force Awakens, it had an entry film that was iconic and memorable.
Alas, the movie fizzled at the box office, drawing in just over $30 million on a $5 million budget. When you factor in marketing, I’d be amazed if the movie was profitable. I’m sure home video will help but the theater run wasn’t nearly as impressive as Don’t Breathe, which made just under $130 million on a $10 million budget or Lights Out which made nearly $150 million on a $5 million budget. Again, you have to factor in marketing costs but they were clearly profitable.
And yet, the failure – and it barely qualifies as one – of Blair Witch raised that ever-tired cry that horror simply must be dead! I mean, c’mon everyone! Can’t you see that people are sick of horror? It’s not like Don’t Breathe or Lights Out, as just mentioned, were huge hits? Hell, let’s forget about The Conjuring 2 and its $320 million box office pull! Ignore The Witch $40+ million gross! Just play dumb when it comes to any fact that smashes an argument!
How annoying as a horror fan is it to hear this? We’re constantly one of the most profitable and exciting genres out there and yet we’re always the most maligned. Even more frustrating is that when we do get critical praise and acclaim, many of our own want to shove those films out of the horror genre. It’s this weird ballet of horror lovers both demanding to be taken seriously while not wanting the genre to become serious. One of the most depressing things I read was a comment that said something along the lines of, “Horror is MEANT to be stupid!” My heart was broken.
Year after year, decade after decade, horror has proven its longevity and its importance. It is often a critique of society and culture, testing the boundaries of fear and taste. It often challenges filmmakers to better their craft and technology. It can save studios from the brink of collapse. Why do you think New Line Cinema is dubbed “The House that Freddy Built”?
Yes, there are going to be flops. But that goes with any genre. Batman v Superman, even with its near $875 million gross, barely made profit for Warner Bros. Are they still moving forward on their DC Universe? You better believe it! So it is with horror. We may have some movies that are dead on arrival (no pun intended) but that doesn’t mean “horror is dead”. We will NEVER tire of being scared. We will NEVER tire of being horrified. If anything, we will always demand it. We will always crave it and seek it out.
In summation, no, horror is not dead. It will never die. And should it ever actually reach that point, horror will pull a Videodrome by reaching into itself and pulling out something unexpected, something shocking, and turn it on the system.