It is officially October, and in the spirit of Halloween/Samhain/Día de los Muertos, this month will be analyzing a certain genre.

You guessed it: soap operas!

I jest, of course. This month, I will discuss the horror genre, and why it has become so popular.

This type of story typically brings out stronger preferences than others. Those who like it, really like. Those who hate it, really hate it. Those who are indifferent, really do not care.

But multiple aspects of the genre bring out these responses – three main methods of horror, tapping into a certain primal fear.

This week, I will examine the stories about humans and “monsters”.

Imagine it. You’re in a confined space. Something is lurking outside, claws ready to rend flesh, fangs hungry to bite down on your throat. It’s night, you can barely see the creature’s shadow in the moonlight, yet it traverses the dark with ease. You suppress your whimpers and tremors of fear, hoping it doesn’t hear you and attack.

Now, am I talking about horror characters hiding from a monster…

Or cavemen hiding from a sabertooth?

Humans are the ultimate apex predator. We are so high on the food chain, that there are people who hunt other apex predators (bears, sharks, lions, gators) for sport. Structures give us defense against beasts that can kill us with a single blow, and weapons give us offense – claws of steel, and swift fangs of lead.

However, it wasn’t always like that. Without our technology, we are a fairly pathetic and weak type of mammal. There was a time where we were prey, our frail and helpless bodies making easy pickings for a variety of fanged creatures. With our overall success as a species, many people in our society have less to fear from wild animals, and the animals have more to fear from us.

Consider horror movies such as The Ritual, IT, Alien, Jaws, Predator, and any zombie/werewolf film. It flips the script, where humans are the prey, and the predatory entities are not afraid of us. Typical tropes are when ordinary attacks cannot kill the enemy (such as needing special bullets, or only killing it with a hit to the head or heart), making the weapons that give us security less effective.

This carries over to the setting of these movies, from isolated forests and mountains to the ocean and space. And sometimes, in the character’s own home. However it is sliced, it sends a similar message: your buildings cannot help you now.

This is an aspect of horror in general, such as with human enemies, but the key to monsters specifically is that they represent how early humans would have perceived wild animals. An unarmed modern human against an alien might as well be a caveman against a leopard.

This could explain why people who dislike horror really do not enjoy it. Being reminded about how easily something can kill us may not be a welcome thought. Putting oneself in the mentality of the hunted, experiencing the primal fear of prey, would not appeal to certain people.

Which brings me to the main theme of this month, and what horror boils down to: it is a reminder of human limitation, informing us of how weak, unknowledgeable, and vicious people can be. It confronts us with the meager extent of our abilities, and endless array of physical, mental, and moral shortcomings.

Monster flicks, as opposed to the other types of horror I will delve into, show us what happens when our technology fails us. An eerie signal that our status at the top is precarious, and how easily we can lose it.

What are some of your favorite monster movies? Do you like or dislike horror, and why?

Note: all works and characters are the property of their respective owners. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, research, commentary, and or parody. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.