Postmodern horror


Postmodern horror is a horror film related to the art and philosophy of postmodernism including self-awareness of certain cliches and tropes to the point of parody. Examples of this type of film include George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, John Carpenter's slasher film Halloween, and Wes Craven's Scream.

Background

Postmodern horror, which emerged in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, is defined by several key characteristics. These include the disruption of everyday life through violence, the crossing and violation of boundaries, and a critique of rationality as a reliable framework. It also rejects traditional narrative closure, instead offering open-ended or unresolved storytelling. Additionally, it creates a confined experience of fear for the audience, fostering a sense of immersion.
Examples of this include the famous "rules of surviving a horror movie" speech from Wes Craven's 1996 slasher film Scream and the self-aware characters slowly realizing they're living the plot of one in the 1990 precursor There's Nothing Out There.

Notable postmodern horror films