The Resurgence of Folk Horror: Analyzing Modern Takes on Ancient Terrors
In the last decade, the horror genre has seen a revival, especially in the folk horror subgenre, which draws inspiration from ancient myths and deep-seated cultural fears.
Using such elements, as well as rural landscapes that are a bit unsettling for those who are used to living in the city, folk horror movies create chilling narratives that haunt viewers’ imaginations for quite a long time.
You might think that such horrific imagery would be avoided at all costs by people but some actually enjoy being scared to death and taken out of their comfort zone.
This resurgence of folk horror mirrors trends in other entertainment forms, where themes rooted in folklore, like those in Fortune Rabbit, captivate audiences seeking a blend of nostalgia and novelty.
What Is Folk Horror?
Folk horror is generally characterized by elements like isolated settings, ancient traditions, and a sense of dread. In supernatural horror, ghosts or demons are often used to scare the audience. But in folk horror, the terror stems from the natural world and people’s relationship with it.
This genre often explores themes of forbidden knowledge, the uncanny, and sacrifice, turning the mundane and familiar into something that’s deeply unsettling.
The Roots of Folk Horror
The first folk horror films were created in the late ‘60s and early ’70s. Examples include Witchfinder General, The Blood on Satan’s Claw, and The Wicker Man. In these films, a combination of rural landscapes, where tradition and superstition are regarded as more important than reason, creates a sense of inescapable doom.
The Revival of Folk Horror
The reason why the revival of folk horror has taken place in recent years can be attributed to cultural and societal factors like people’s increasing detachment from nature, global instability, the loss of traditional knowledge, anxieties about climate change, and the success of certain folk horror films that proved the public is still interested in this kind of cultural food.
Just think of superhero movies and how they became hugely popular not that long ago. First, there were just a few successful raindrops. By then they were soon followed by a downpour because lots of artists saw the commercial success they achieved and were convinced that they too could do a good job in the same way.
Folk horror has the ability to tap into primal fears. Whether it’s isolation, a troubled past that refuses to stay buried, or strange communities with alien beliefs and habits, people’s minds get stimulated by what this genre explores and that creates a high level of engagement, both before and after seeing a film.
When a large audience is naturally interested in a type of movie and will talk about it long after it’s over, all this psychological effort will boost numbers and keep the momentum going.
In the case of folk horror, the rise of elevated horror, which prioritizes philosophical and psychological depth over jump scares, has created a substantial fan base of people who enjoy thought-provoking art.
Common Themes in Modern Folk Horror Movies
Directors like Ari Aster and Robert Eggers have helped tremendously in reviving the folk horror genre. Their movies, such as The Witch and Midsommar, immerse viewers in eras and cultural settings that are deeply disturbing, especially in light of modern-day experience and way of thinking.
Themes like isolation and alienation, paganism and rituals, nature as a source of terror, and the fear of the past give tremendous depth to modern folk horror movies. But it’s not just the themes that are interesting to explore. It’s also how film directors choose to explore them.
The artistry that goes into a movie like The Ritual is very sophisticated and requires a lot of hard work. Viewers don’t always think about such matters but many do, and it makes them appreciate folk horror movies even more.
Developing a taste for such films is not easy. If you’ve never watched a horror film, the start tends to be rough. You immediately feel like you’re paying money to be made to feel awful. But it can be a highly entertaining and thought-provoking experience.
Conclusion
The folk horror genre is alive and well, thanks to masterpieces like The Witch and Midsommar. If you want to experience it, watching these films and others from the past decade is the natural place to start.