I Don't Watch Horror to Feel Bad

Does This Mean Modern Horror is not for Me?

I didn’t enjoy Obsession, but credit where credit is due, I suspect that was the point. Horror from the Hereditary school of filmmaking wants to make you feel bad, and that seems to work for a large portion of the moviegoing audience. That’s fine: I won’t yuck your yum. It’s just not why I go to the movies. I watch and read horror to be scared, to learn something (either about myself or the world around me), to heal, to feel seen, to be shocked, for a thrill (different than a scare), or to laugh.

I liked Backrooms up until the third act when “plot” took over. This is my personal preference, but liminal horror works best when it’s ambiguous, when the viewer can project their own damage onto the image. I suspect that’s why my own attempts at writing liminal horror have been impressionistic (and that’s if I finish them; I’ve abandoned most).

I won’t say these are bad movies. I may write a lot about the genre, but I am not a critic, nor do I have such aspirations. I leave it to the professionals there. My bud Scout Tafoya is the rare critic whose film writing is truly an art form. On Substack, I’ll point to Skyla, Horror Hangouts, and Molly O’Blivion (just to name a few!).

Obsession has garnered significant praise for Inde Navarette’s performance, and it’s well-deserved. I cannot imagine it was an easy role to play, and she rose to the challenge admirably. I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar. I also need to acknowledge that its success on such a small budget is a win for the genre.

Backrooms has a unique visual style and commits to it hard. Its set design and cinematography deserve all the accolades. As a longtime fan of liminal horror as a movement, seeing the meme that started it all be fully realized in a major Hollywood picture was a true joy.

But neither film gives me what I want when I sit down to watch a horror movie.

Am I just old? Is modern horror not for me?

I don’t think so. Weapons, Sinners, I Saw the TV Glow, X, In a Violent Nature, Suitable Flesh, Longlegs, Terrifier 2, both Smile films, the Hellraiser remake, Him, Us, and Cuckoo (which I’ll elaborate on) all gave me what I want when I sit down to watch a horror movie. So, I may be old, but I’m not old-man-yells-at-clouds old.

Since Cuckoo is the one I’ve watched most recently, I want to break down why it worked so well for me. To do this, let’s go back to the reasons I listed for why I watch horror movies (and read horror books and listen to spooky music).

I watch horror movies to be scared. Cuckoo’s invasive cinematography (which aligns with its theme) deeply unnerved me. The chase scene on the bike and the car crash scene both got me good.

I watch horror to learn something. Cuckoo taught me (more like reminded me) that if people don’t act interested in hearing you express your needs, then they aren’t your people. And their indifference can easily be a mask for cruelty or ill intentions.

I watch horror movies to heal or feel seen. Back in 2007-2008, after a friend’s suicide, I used to text his old number. It was a coping strategy that I kept up until someone else finally got that phone number. Gretchen’s voicemails to her late mother reminded me of this period of my life and helped make me feel less alone for having one-sided conversations with ghosts.

I watch horror to be shocked. Cuckoo is subversively about people crossing your boundaries and invading your personal space. It’s also a perfectly entertaining creature feature that doesn’t require you know the subtext to enjoy it. While not shocking in the terms of its content (it has gore, but nothing too extreme), I was shocked to see how effectively this film serves modern sensibilities while still just being a fun monster movie.

I watch horror for thrills. In Cuckoo, I was actively rooting for Gretchen to solve the mystery around her new living situation and escape with who she loves. The peaks and valleys, her triumphs and setbacks, had my attention the entire time. With so much else to distract me in life, in my head, on my phone, this is an impressive feat.

I watch horror to laugh. Cuckoo has no laughs that I readily recall, but hey, five out of six criteria ain’t bad at all.