Intricacies of Fear.
Source: L’Ange Dechu - Alexandre Cabanel
From the supernatural to slashers, there are many intricate factors that make up the horror genre and its many sub-genres. Horror also spans through the different media from movies to old literature. However, there are many arguments on what the best sub-genre and piece of horror fiction is. Although I am unable to determine what objectively is the best sub-genre of horror, what I am able to do is look back on some of the most popular sub-genres and their history to determine what I feel is the best sub-genre of horror.
Arguably one of the most popular sub-genres of horror would be supernatural horror. Supernatural horror refers to any type of horror medium that utilises the supernatural, ghosts or demons as its main element of inciting fear in its consumers.
Source: Still from the famous 1922 German film, "Nosferatu,"
The earliest records of the supernatural being used in film was from French filmmaker, Georges Méliès, in the 1890s. However, the genre has now evolved far from its origins in silent films. Now, supernatural horror is prominent in all forms of media, from literature like Bram Stoker’s Dracula to films like Mike Flannagan’s Haunting of Hill House. The supernatural genre has also bled into the virtual world with games like the Resident Evil franchise, making $6.7 billion from games in total.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, psychological horror discards the shock element of the supernatural. Instead, it opts for mental, emotional or psychological elements as the main factors to incite paranoia and fear in its consumers. Despite taking inspiration from its origins in 18th and 19th Gothic fiction, there have been many modern takes and developments in the sub-genre.
Japanese Manga Artist, Junji Ito is an example of an individual who utilises both the supernatural and psychological elements in his work to craft stories that fill his readers with a sense of existential dread. American filmmaker Ari Aster is known for his usage of psychological and experimental elements to craft his award-winning films like Hereditary, Midsommar and, Beau is Afraid.
Source: Illustrations from Manga Artist Junji Ito
The reason why the sub-genre works so well could be credited to the fact that what makes it scary is rooted in realism. Similarly to supernatural horror, psychological horror is also represented virtually with games such as Omori and Silent Hill, using their characters’ emotions as a way to manipulate the environments in the game.
The last sub-genre that can make the argument for the best sub-genre would be Lovecraftian horror. Lovecraftian horror makes use of the fear of the unknown and cosmic/eldritch creatures. The fame of Lovecraftian horror is credited to the works of HP Lovecraft, an American author popular in the early 1920s. His work involves and uses eldritch elements (creatures that are otherworldly and uncanny) as the main way to incite fear.
One of the most well-known eldritch creatures would be Cthullu, created by Lovecraft, a creature regarded as a god from another world. Since then, there have been many cases where Lovecraftian horror has been seen in different media. From literature like No Longer Human to films and games like Annihilation, Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons, the Lovecraftian sub-genre has cemented itself in horror as the most influential sub-genre, comprising elements like the supernatural and psychological.
Upon looking back on my short analysis, I am able to determine that in my opinion, the best sub-genre of horror has to be Lovecraftian horror. The inclusion of supernatural creatures along with the psychological fear of the unknown that is invoked by those creatures perfectly melds both the supernatural and psychological sub-genres together. Furthermore, the large impact that Lovecraftian horror has had on horror media in general is the reason why I feel that the best sub-genre of horror.
