MovieChat Forums > James Wan Discussion > Doesn't believe in 'elevated horror'.

Doesn't believe in 'elevated horror'.

posted 2 years ago by [deleted]
3 replies | jump to latest

"I'm not afraid of — I don't believe in that term "elevated horror," because I think every horror is elevated, as far as you ask me. So I love the Robert Wise's 'The Haunting' all the way down to whatever. To me, there's none of this [elitism]. They're all at the same level."

https://www.slashfilm.com/1156602/james-wan-would-love-to-remake-chopping-mall-under-one-condition-exclusive/

Based Wan.

I hate that pretentious term that film snobs on social media invented to try rescue horror films they like from the rest of the genre. Oh "it's not like all the other horror films".

It's a marketing gimmick for people to feel better for liking genre films. Film bros have a guilt complex and need reaffirmation that what they like is in good taste. It's keeping up appearances, you can't be seen to be loving a trashy horror film. You'll get your certified kino enjoyer license revoked.

If A24 produce or distribute a film it suddenly becomes 'art'. Some people have made liking A24 horror films their entire online film personality.

[–] Kowalski (78763) 2 years ago

A24 MAKES SOME HIGH QUALITY FILMS...AND SOMETIMES BORING SLOGS...EITHER WAY...I THINK ELEVATED HORROR IS A FINE DESCRIPTION FOR THE SLOW BURN DRAMATIC STYLE.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

It was previously called 'art' or 'arthouse' horror.

There definitely is some degree of distinction between commercial horror films and the more 'dramatic' artisan films.

I personally just thoroughly detest the elitism that surrounds the term and the people who latch onto it.

One of my biggest pet peeves regarding film discourse is people who think they're smarter than others based on what films they like. You've all seen them before. The sort who will rock up to someone who doesn't like Citizen Kane (1941) and tell them they have ADHD, that they're a dumb kid who must be 12 years old, that they should stick to watching Transformers (2007)... those guys really annoy me. They think they're part of MENSA for liking critically acclaimed films.

Horror has that equivalent. I recall in 2018 when many absolutely slammed The Nun as being 'everything wrong with horror' and praised Hereditary for being a smart horror film for smart people. Imagine praising yourself for being smarter than others because you like Hereditary and hated The Nun.

[–] Kowalski (78763) 2 years ago

I AGREE WITH EVERY WORD YOU TYPED...ALSO...I REMEMBER ARTHOUSE HORROR...I THINK I PREFER THAT NAME.