Horror movies: blood, gore, jumpscares, and a way to make sure you jump out of your seat.

From the 1960s to today, horror movies have been political. The original zombie movie, “Night of the Living Dead” a film by George Romero, took on race. “Night of the Living Dead” then inspired Jordan Peele to make “Get Out” a metaphor for the history of slavery.

Despite the deeper meaning, the public often views these movies as cheap thrillers – only to find themselves scared. 

But horror movies have been and always will be more than than just a gorey movie. 

Using “Get Out” as an example, on the surface, it’s a story about a rich old white family that uses hypnosis to steal the bodies of young black people. 

However the symbolism that Jordan Peele uses throughout the film is what gives the movie an even deeper meaning. 

The main character, after getting hypnotized, falls into something called “the sunken place” which – according to director Jordan Peele – represented being marginalized and how, when marginalized, no matter how hard they scream, the system will silence them.

Many horror movies use this symbolism to tell a story that relates to the world which is what pushes a horror movie into the public eye. Even before horror movies became what we know today they were still a way to share a story deeper than the movie led on.

In James Whale’s 1931 Frankenstein, the “monster” that the town had terrorized, was representitive of how crowd mentality can ruin the life of someone who didn’t choose to be born in a way that the town hates. Some have even taken this movie as a metaphor the queer experience.

Movies such as these can help you look at the world in a new lense and help you understand the world around you. Next time when you are scrolling endlessly through the thousands of movies on netflix, don’t rule them out.