6 “Style Over Substance” Horror You Should Own
By: Matthew Orozco
Instagram: @macabre_matty
If we are being honest, most horror movies are not famous for their well thought out and intricate plotting. Up until the 2000’s horror seemed largely concerned with visual gags to garner audience reactions, and even some of the greatest examples of the genre (Kubrick’s “The Shining” for one comes to mind) cannot escape the criticism of being light on plot while emphasis is placed on the visual scares. But in the end, does it really matter?
Horror works for so many, myself included, because it doesn’t make sense. Nothing of what we see portrayed is there to reinforce our shared understanding of normality and comfort. In some cases we are presented with auteurs in the genre who develop an aesthetic so unique that it becomes synonymous with their very name, for better or worse. In this case, we are going to focus on the examples of films where that very aesthetic, or style, is what makes the film great.
While there are certainly many films that could fit this bill (you should see my brainstorm list!), I wanted to use specific criteria as a means of determining what would make the list and what wouldn’t.
The style must be the focus of the film, not the plot
Generally these movies dive into incoherence either by the end or well before
They lack subtlety when it comes to delivering a message or point
The technical aspects of the film (lighting, sound, camerawork, etc.) are distractingly obvious, but not to the detriment of the film
Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor) enjoy a nice Swedish getaway…except not
Midsommar: The Director's Cut (2019)
Directed by: Ari Aster
Like many of the filmmakers and films on this list, this is a divisive film for the horror community and it’s easy to understand why. The theatrical cut of Ari Aster’s indulgent 2019 film is 148 minute while the director’s cut clocks in at a whopping 171 minutes! Seldom does horror pass the 2-hour mark, and even less so two and a half. So in a film as long as Midsommar, it’s easy to understand why mileage varies. Personally, I was not a fan of the film when I saw it in theaters. I’m still not a fan to be honest, but judging it outside of my personal preference it definitely is a film that deserves to be on this list.
At a technical level, you can tell that Aster is influenced by Gaspar Noé. Disorienting and entrancing camera angles abound, and here the camera is in of itself a character in Aster’s opus to folk horror. The not so subtle visual tricks and edits are admirable, but also indulgent. That’s probably the best way to describe this film too. Aster doesn’t shy away from the metaphors becoming staples in his first two feature wide-release films; trauma, loss, the awfulness of people.
All this is to say, Midsommar is a uniquely Aster vision that pays homage to the grandaddy of folk horror films 1973’s “The Wicker Man” in a very stylistic way. Where The Wicker Man was a slow burn of subtlety leading to an explosive finale, Midsommar is a pot boiling over from the minute the movie starts. Simmering at high heat is a tension that while very meandering (especially in this elongated Director’s Cut) is also wholly engaging. While it may not be every horror fan’s cup of tea, it is a film that will stir up conversation for years to come about what it’s trying to say or presume with it’s offbeat brand of terror.
Mark Elliot (Leigh McCloskey) is having the time of his life in “Inferno”
Inferno (1980)
Directed By: Dario Argento
I have to be forthright in saying that I’m a sucker for Italian horror, and Argento is one of the best out there. Many might think, “why Inferno and not Suspiria?”, to which I say; Inferno is Suspiria on steroids. Where Supsiria had an engaging lead in Suzy Bannion (played by the wonderful Jessica Harper) and a plot that at least can be followed, despite some logical leaps, Inferno is simply a fever-dream of underwater tombs and decrepit apartment basements with witchcraft.
Part of Argento’s “Three Mothers” Trilogy, Inferno’s plot feels almost an afterthought. A brother and sister (with an extremely odd relationship) living in different countries are reunited when the sister uncovers what a series of murders all leading back to a worn-out NYC apartment building which happens to also be home to some witches. What makes this film so ripe for entry on this list is just how over the top it all is. It’s a nightmare logic masterclass where scenes jump around and already choppy Italian editing of the period moves quickly between scenes with no context in sight. Argento doesn’t educate you about the world you are entering, he just tosses you in there and wishes you the best.
While Suspiria is a better film (in this author’s opinion), Inferno is peak Argento aesthetic. Vivid and hallucinogenic lighting fill every scene, accompanied by almost surreal levels of coincidental violence and mayhem. By the end you’re wondering what the actual fuck is even going on, but you also don’t care because of the pace at which the film keeps the action going. It’s not a perfect film, but it is o
Jesse (Elle Fanning) is killing it as a young model in LA.
The Neon Demon (2016)
Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn
Some of you may be reading this saying, “this is not a horror movie”. To which I would say, I wholeheartedly disagree and I plea with you to hear me out. While it would be too much of a spoiler to even allude to why this in fact a horror movie, it presents a version of horror that is both literal and figurative. The horror of the vapid and predatory fashion industry, and the way in which it creates almost literal monsters out of people is a level of horror that I can get behind.
But we aren’t here to debate the horor here (and if you want to, slide into my DMs), it cannot be understated just how much this movie belongs on this list. The credits themselves are easily some of the obnoxiously narcissistic in film, and yet it totally works in service of the film. “NWR Presents…” in eye-burning levels of gloss and glitter. The plot is less of a story and more of a series of moments loosely tied together by our main character Jesse’s (Elle Fanning) rise to the top of the LA High-Fashion food chain. The characters are unbelievably awful, which is again the point. What makes this all that more horrific is the not-so-subtle references to pedophelia and sexualization of a character that is supposed to be 15 years old. NWR, for brevity’s sake, is so good at creating an atmosphere in this film where you feel both beauty and ugliness juxtaposed almost consistently throughout.
But this movie is all style. The striking music video like visuals and camerawork, the use of almost blindingly brilliant colors and cold industrial people and design perpetuates the feeling that this world is manufactured out of reality, even though it is exaggerated for effect. NWR’s other films are just as striking, but some to a lesser impact than others. The Neon Demon accomplishes what 2014’s “Starry Eyes” lost me on, showing the ugliness and monstrosity that people will go to in order to get to the top. While Starry Eyes had a more grounded and sympathetic approach, The Neon Demon doesn’t even attempt to ground this. It floods you in the same indulgence of the industry it is critiquing. While some may find the movie slow, one cannot help but get lost in just how good it sounds and looks. And that’s the whole point of this list, isn’t it?
Rufus (Robert Alan Mukes), Otis (Bill Moseley), Baby (Sherri Moon Zombie), and Tiny (Matthew McGrory) are one happy family really.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Directed By: Rob Zombie
I would put Rob Zombie in the top three most divisive filmmakers in horror. Love him or hate him, he has a specific look, feel, and writing for his films. The intersection of hillbilly horror and the musical career and stage stylings of both White Zombie and Rob Zombie’s solo efforts. House of 1000 corpses was the first of Zombie’s feature films, and was wrought with controversy during pre and post production. Universal shelved the film for a while until Zombie bought it back from them, then MGM backed out, and finally Lions Gate stepped in to release it 3 years after it was finished. I recall specifically seeing this play out on the early days of the internet movie chat forums and websites.
So was all the controversy really worth it? Perhaps. I actually wasn’t a big fan of this film for many years precisely because of how little sense it actually made. While it’s a generally simple story which plays out like a reel of Tobe Hooper’s original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (which Zombie has acknowledged heavily influenced not just this, but his film style overall) soaked in moonshine and grime, it jumps around like one of Zombie’s music videos. In fact, the whole thing feels like a feature length music video, except no one performs any music, just various outrageous and violent antics. There is no history or rationale for what happens, but what draws you in is just how much there is to feast your eyes on at any given moment.
As soon as we meet the legendary Sid Haig (RIP) and his macabre redneck clown Captain Spaulding you know exactly what you are in for. Everything in this movie looks like it has never been cleaned, and purposely doused in blood, shit, and dirt. Zombie goes out of his way to make everything look unappealing, like the grimey Captain Spaulding Gas Station that also gives away free fried chicken. This exaggerated world is only made even more absurd by how the editing in the film moves around. Musical interludes with grainy obscured and disturbing home video style clips intertwined only remind you that what you’re watching isn’t supposed to feel real, it’s supposed to feel like a funhouse in hell on acid. Zombie’s world would teeter between this level of grime and some more grounded polish, but none come close to the level of psychotic absurdity and entertainment of his first film. One that every horror fan should own if only to argue it’s worth with friends.
Emily (Cinzia Monreale) waits for a ride in the middle of a desolate highway.
The Beyond (1981)
Directed By: Lucio Fulci
I’m not going to hide my bias for Fulci, and in particular this film. “The Beyond” is one of my favorite horror films, and also one of the most clear examples of what happens when style overtakes substance in horror. To be fair, Fulci’s filmography has not been championed for it’s well thought out and grounded storylines. While his Giallo films depart from the supernatural flair of his other works, they maintain the almost excessive and outrageous violence that victims in these films endure. The second in the “Gates of Hell” trilogy, a series of loosely connected films all dealing with similar symbols and literal gates to hell, this ups the absurdity of its predecessor “The City of the Living Dead” and forgoes almost all logic to great success.
What is essentially a very simple story about a woman who inherits an old hotel in Louisiana which happens to have a gate to hell in the basement. There is reference to a warlock/witch also being crucified here, and also as a catalyst for the literal unleashing of hell across this small bayou town. So much happens in this movie that has no grounding in reality or even logical storytelling. At one point, our main character Liza (Catriona MacColl) is driving down an absolutely desolate stretch of freeway over the ocean when a blind woman with a service animal appears in the middle of the road. Liza stops and lets her in the car and takes her home with her. Not only does this not make any narrative sense, it seems almost absurd how the scene plays out. Yet we don’t keep watching to see the flimsy story play out, we persevere because of the almost beautifully grotesque violence.
That violence, and the level of detail it goes into, is what makes The Beyond so ideal for this list. Without diving deep into all the specifics, there are scenes where characters intentionally and slowly put themself into direct contact with skin-burning acid. The violence and horror, rising corpses and random apparitions to name a few, isn’t ever really explained or any attempt made to resolve the problem. The ways in which people die are elaborately violent in most cases, and done so not in service of relevance but rather in an attempt to push the limits of taste. The characters in the film seem to move around just enough to keep some element of mystery going, but it’s all in service of the set-pieces that Fulci creates. And if there is one thing to know about Fulci that this film has in spades, it’s a heavy dose of eye trauma.
A vicious gang of hell bikers will work for blood!
Mandy (2018)
Directed By: Panos Cosmatos
Similar only in film count to the first director on this list, Panos Cosmatos’ “Mandy” is a heavy metal horror fairytale that is equal parts confusing and engaging. Upon first viewing, I did not feel that way. Chalk it up to overblown expectations from the various sites and facebook groups out there, but after a second viewing and a different set of expectations I was drawn to it. I didn’t know what to make of all of it, as it is anything but traditional in regards to how it tells its story, but it does capture you with the audio, visual, and downright outstanding world and characters.
If you’re familiar with the various versions of the common story arc of “The Hero’s Journey”, this is almost exactly that. What makes this different, and certainly belonging on this list, is how abstract it is in regards to telling a very simple story. You have to buy into the world that Costmatos is selling here, and it’s asking you to take in a lot. He even goes so far as to not have any credits in the start, with the title card not appearing until halfway into the 2-hour film. The use of chapter transitions only serves to remind the viewer you are watching a movie and not supposed to empathize with what you are seeing. Humorous and horrific all in the same, with some legendary biker-demons who give the cenobites a run for their money.
Everything about this movie is over the top and disorienting. The use of camera tricks provide one of the most lucid scenes ever committed to film as we blend two different yet similar faces together, and the use of hallucinogenic drugs is not just core to the story, it’s core to what it feels like to watch this. Heavy metal horror acid trip, with an unhinged performance from the champion of chewing scenery, Nicolas Cage and Linus Roache as the mystical cult-leader / drug-dealer / musician Jeremiah Sands. The movie is bathed in vibrant reds and onyx-like dark shades, but as with every other film on this list it is exactly these elements that make it something to experience and not just simply watch.
To close, you might find yourself wondering why there are a lot more recent films on this list. What about older films like “Messiah of Evil” or the German experimental art-horror oddity “Der Todesking”. While these films all delve into the strange and somewhat ambiguous depths we uncovered here, they lack some of the consistent aesthetic elements that challenge the way we enjoy a movie. They are self-aware and make no efforts to abandon that awareness in favor of delivering an authentic artistic experience that may not be for everyone, but will definitely get everyone talking.
P.S. and if you’d like to see the full list of brainstormed films I’m happy to post them for debate!
