What’s the Difference Between a Horror Film and a Slasher? To be clear, horror films are based on the idea of a monstrous other, which can be a woman, a man, or even an animal. The monsters are often metaphors for a society’s fear of “others,” such as women, Blacks, Jews, and Indigenous people. Nonetheless, the genre often represents marginalized groups, and in many ways this makes it an effective tool of oppression.
The first horror films were Gothic in style, often set in spooky castles or old mansions. Some of these films featured monsters or supernatural beings, and some had even become iconic. Horror movies have included monstrous love stories, “Frankensteins,” “Jekyll/Hyde” duality characters, and other monsters. Even today, horror films are blending with other genres and blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
Some research has attempted to answer the question of what determines our liking of horror films. Among other things, we tend to be more susceptible to horror films if we identify with the female victim. A study by Oliver in 1996 found a positive correlation between gore-watchers and people who prefer punitive sexual attitudes. While female victims tend to be more receptive to horror films than males, the relationship between gender and sex is not as clear.
The genre’s subgenres have expanded. For example, there are supernatural horror films like The Exorcist and The Shining, as well as “psycho-slasher” films such as John Carpenter’s Halloween. These horror films often feature aliens in human bodies. In the 1970s, the popularity of B-grade and low-budget horror films skyrocketed, with the introduction of cable television. So, the term “Horror Film” has become almost as recognizable as the words “Horror” and “Slasher” do.