Today we will talk specifically about psychological horror films, and we will also take a short walk through the history of this type of cinema.
It often seems that we like to submit to fear, specifically in controlled situations, out of danger, where in fact there is more adrenaline than terror itself, cinema is a good way to live it, so was the genre of horror cinema. born, which today has several parts. On the other hand, the truth is that cinema dedicated to terror, despite a large legion of followers, is generally not very well received by critics.
- George Mélias.
- A film pioneer of the genre.
- Directed the first horror film in history.
- “The Devil’s Mansion.
- ” from 1896.
- From then on.
- Many other titles were born.
This German silent film is part of the German Expressionist movement. For many, this is the first horror film and is now considered a classic film. The film is inspired by several real murder cases in Hamburg. In the film, these murders are committed by a particular character and his strange slave. The décor and expressionist settings portrayed in the film deserve special attention. In the same line, Germany is also responsible for other horror classics, such as 1931’s “M, the Vampire of Dusseldorf. “
This American film takes place in a circus where, at the beginning of the 20th century, deformed people were exposed as attractions. The plot revolves around revenge and murder, and the participation of actors who have really had these distortions deserves a special mention.
During this period, the fascination with monsters led many directors to adapt literary works like “Frankenstein” . 1931 and?Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? In 1920 some actors became famous, such as actress Bela Lugosi, for her performance in Dracula.
We’re talking about a period of change. In the sixties predominates black and white cinema, psychological terror, from the seventies is marked a milestone that divides the before and after of the cinema dedicated to terror.
The 1960s are marked by films where there is only the supernatural, and the weight only falls on the actors. In that sense, we have titles like “What will happen to Baby Jane?”1962 and Birds?1063.
At this point, we can’t help but mention grandmaster Alfred Hitchcock and his film “Psychosis,” which has been hailed as one of the greatest horror films of all time.
Starring Mia Farrow in her youth and led by Roman Polanski, this is one more example than what is important is to seduce our minds and envelop us in an atmosphere of agony and anguish, this happens every time we see Rosemary and her strange neighbors. , totally innovative at the time, was filmed in the Dakota building, where John Lennon was killed and where Manson and his family tried to avoid filming shortly before the murder of Polanski’s own wife. It’s definitely a mystery-wrapped film that leaves everyone speechless.
His rudimentary special effects, his green vomit and the scars of little Regan became a kind of pioneer of his time, today he seems to provoke more laughter than fears, but it was a period film, creating a before and after in horror. film genre. It’s a classic that has reinvented the genre.
The 70s and 80s came with the flourishing of science fiction, which eventually merged with the horror genre. This generated movies like? Alien, the eighth passenger? In 1979. There was also a furore for adapting Stephen King’s literary works. So, they were released? Carrie? In 1976 and, of course, “The Shining”.
Who can forget the mythical Overlook Hotel, the winding road that leads to it and the delusions of Jack Torrance?Undoubtedly, one of the greatest works of all time that arose from the power of a genius, Stanley Kubrick.
The abuse of special effects is beginning to havoc on the magic of terror. Hundreds of films with paranormal features, including series, are produced, but most end up being of dubious quality and little received by critics.
It is also time for remakes of Japanese movies such as 2002’s “The Call” and 2004’s “Mortal Games” series. Many movies have also been released with children possessed by the devil and ghosts. However, we can also talk about some movies that use more suspense and psychological.
It is an adaptation of a work by Stephen King, claustrophobic, obsessive and fraught with tension. She gave Kathy Bates her Oscar for Best Actress. The fascination with the works of a famous writer named Paul Sheldon led Nurse Annie Wilkes to an obsession and, consequently, to the author’s retirement. Undoubtedly, an inescapable horror film, in which the haunting Kathy Bates stands out.
The fascination with King continued and presented us with films such as ‘1408’ in 2007, which was highly undervalued but recovers from the psychological terror we have talked about so far, is hypnotic and also claustrophobic, and certainly deserved a good reputation. it goes out of style, and recently launched the adaptation of “It” in 2017. Personally, I like the Tim Curry version more in 1990.
How to forget Hannibal Lecter? A very intelligent psychopath who is capable of manipulating whoever he wants. Anthony Hopkins is dazzling in his performance, as is teammate Judy Foster. No wonder they were both Oscar winners. It’s an inescapable thriller to know what goes through the minds of murderers and also about cannibalism.
A Spanish director, Alejandro Amenabar, and a superb Nicole Kidman introduce us to this jewel of the suspense of the 21st century: in a mysterious old mansion, isolated and wrapped in fog, very strange things happen, perhaps we face another paranormal-looking film, but that is not what happens in “The Others”. Fears are only suggested, and the lack of light resulting from the photosensitivity of children living in the mansion gives us a terrifying atmosphere in which nothing is what it seems.
Following the same line from the previous period, titles like?Invocation of Evil? (2013), “Supernatural” (2010) ,? The Babadook?(2014), and the Paranormal Activity film series marked the list of horror films of the time, almost all of which have become great sagas that have won a wide audience.
Some of them have very interesting proposals, but most sin beyond makeup, effects and scares. These are films that attract the attention of the public, but not the critics. That’s because we’re probably facing a very forced terror that ends. be tired.
However, there are two films of this era that do not perfectly correspond to terror, but to suspense, a psychological game that becomes much scarier than any demonic possession.
The film highlights Natalie Portman’s performance in an environment of ballet, eating disorders, schizophrenia and hallucinations. It is a film that certainly makes us think and immerses us in an intriguing atmosphere, full of metaphors and that gives rise to many interpretations.
Film by one of the great directors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Martin Scorsese, and starring the famous actor Leonardo DiCaprio, has an exceptional repertoire in which Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo, set in the 50s, stand out, is very close to the noir cinema of the early twentieth century. The location, an island where a mental health center operates, eventually leads us to the horrors of the human spirit and practices such as lobotomy. What’s true on Fear Island?Without a doubt, a great contemporary suspense.
What’s better?- Fear Island-