Post-Horror: Art, Genre and Cultural Elevation

Post-Horror is a trend in the horror genre that combines arthouse minimalism with established genre conventions, challenging the genre's reputation as popular but culturally denigrated. David Church's book explores the shared aesthetics, themes, and reception of the post-horror corpus, updating existing debates about horror cinema, artistic value, and cultural taste.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2022
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The horror genre has seen a significant trend emerge in recent years, known as "post-horror." This movement challenges the traditional notion of horror as a low-brow and culturally denigrated genre, instead blending arthouse minimalism with established genre conventions. Films such as "The Babadook," "It Follows," "The Witch," "It Comes at Night," "Get Out," "The Invitation," "Hereditary," "Midsommar," "A Ghost Story," and "mother!" have been hailed as masterpieces by critics and have gained a cult following among both mainstream and independent audiences.

Post-horror films share a number of aesthetic and thematic similarities, including a focus on psychological trauma, social isolation, and the supernatural. They often employ minimalist cinematography, eerie sound design, and slow-burn pacing to create a sense of tension and dread. These films also tend to challenge traditional gender roles, racial stereotypes, and power dynamics, exploring themes of identity, trauma, and the human condition.

Despite their critical acclaim, post-horror films have faced criticism from some quarters for their perceived lack of scares or traditional horror elements. However, this criticism fails to recognize the nuanced and complex nature of these films, which often explore deeper psychological and emotional themes than traditional horror films.

In conclusion, post-horror is a fascinating and important movement in twenty-first-century horror cinema, offering a fresh and innovative take on the genre. By blending arthouse aesthetics with traditional horror conventions, post-horror films have challenged the status quo and cultural perception of horror, and have gained a dedicated following among both critics and audiences alike. As the genre continues to evolve and expand, it will be interesting to see how post-horror continues to shape and redefine the horror landscape.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 154 x 233 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474475891