Which horror subgenre is your favorite?

Which horror subgenre is your favorite?

  • Body

    Votes: 4 14.8%

  • Creature

    Votes: 12 44.4%

  • Slasher

    Votes: 5 18.5%

  • Zombie

    Votes: 11 40.7%

  • Demonic / Supernatural

    Votes: 14 51.9%

  • Psychological

    Votes: 12 44.4%

  • Comedy / Parody

    Votes: 12 44.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 1 3.7%
  • Total voters
    27
Herr der Verboten

Herr der Verboten

Honorary Master
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
29,256
Reaction score
18,883
Location
Pretoria
I’m curious what kind of horror everyone gravitates toward. Some people love slow-burn psychological dread, others want monsters, gore, slashers, zombies, demons, or something weird and cosmic.

Vote for the one that usually hooks you, and feel free to drop a few favorite examples in the replies. I’m interested in hearing why that style works for you.

Some example sets to get this going...


Body
Centers on the graphic destruction, transformation, or degeneration of the human body. The flesh itself becomes the source of terror through disease, mutation, parasitism, or grotesque metamorphosis.
  1. The Thing (1982)
  2. The Fly (1986)
  3. Eraserhead (1977)
  4. The Substance (2024)
  5. Re-Animator (1985)

Creature
Pits humans against monstrous non-human entities - aliens, beasts, mutants, or ancient predators. The horror comes from being hunted by something stronger, faster, or simply incomprehensible.
  1. Alien (1979)
  2. Aliens (1986)
  3. Jaws (1975)
  4. A Quiet Place (2018)
  5. The Descent (2005)

Slasher
Follows a masked or anonymous killer who stalks and murders victims one by one, typically with a bladed weapon. Built on suspense, chase sequences, and the "final girl" trope.
  1. Psycho (1960)
  2. Halloween (1978)
  3. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
  4. Scream (1996)
  5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Zombie
Explores the collapse of civilization through reanimated dead. Zombies serve as a canvas for social commentary - consumerism, class, tribalism. The real horror is often what living humans become when society falls apart.
  1. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
  2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
  3. Train to Busan (2016)
  4. 28 Days Later (2002)
  5. Zombieland (2009)

Demonic / Supernatural
Deals with forces beyond the physical world - demons, ghosts, curses, and possessions. The terror stems from confronting something that defies natural law and cannot be fought with conventional means.
  1. The Exorcist (1973)
  2. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
  3. The Conjuring (2013)
  4. The Evil Dead (1981)
  5. Hereditary (2018)

Psychological
Lives inside the mind. Weaponizes paranoia, unreliable perception, and the slow erosion of sanity. The audience is never quite sure what's real. These films disturb on a cerebral level.
  1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
  2. Psycho (1960)
  3. The Shining (1980)
  4. Black Swan (2010)
  5. Get Out (2017)

Comedy / Parody
Blends scares with laughs, either by playing genre tropes for humor or injecting genuine horror into comedic situations. The best ones are both hilarious and legitimately unsettling.
  1. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
  2. Evil Dead II (1987)
  3. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
  4. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
  5. Zombieland (2009)

Other (folk horror, found footage, meta-horror, survival)
Covers subgenres that don't fit neatly elsewhere. Some of the most innovative horror lives in these margins, defying convention.
  1. The Wicker Man (1973)
  2. Midsommar (2019)
  3. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
  4. The Witch (2015)
  5. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
 
I do prefer creature / zombie, psychological and the good / cult parodies. Not really a fan of Supernatural but I'll give it a go if its good, nonetheless. However, from time to time I do like the island and folk like horror with some cosmic terror if done right.
 
Somewhat boring I guess, but I've always enjoyed good Zombie and creature movies and shows... my least favourites on your list are body horrors (although the Thing is a masterpiece) and some horror-comedies are just too goofy to be taken seriously. Good "Slashers" are also becoming increasingly difficult to find, but when it's good, it's good.
 
OnlyOneKenobi said:
Somewhat boring I guess, but I've always enjoyed good Zombie and creature movies and shows... my least favourites on your list are body horrors (although the Thing is a masterpiece) and some horror-comedies are just too goofy to be taken seriously. Good "Slashers" are also becoming increasingly difficult to find, but when it's good, it's good.
Click to expand...
Would you do, or have you done Scream Queens? That's good mishmash of slasher and comedy.
 
My favourites: Angel Heart, Re-animator, the witch, Lost Highway, the shining, evil dead 2, the thing , alien, the tenant, possession, the fly with goldblum, and some of the obscure Italian gore stuff from the late 70’s early 80’s.
 
Herr der Verboten said:
Would you do, or have you done Scream Queens? That's good mishmash of slasher and comedy.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've watched some of it, I'll probably watch more later. Series just tend to drag things out too much sometimes and it doesn't quite get to the point like movies do.
 
OnlyOneKenobi said:
Yeah, I've watched some of it, I'll probably watch more later. Series just tend to drag things out too much sometimes and it doesn't quite get to the point like movies do.
Click to expand...
Totally, it is one of those shows you need run for popcorn value which has its highs and lows.
 
borro said:
My favourites: Angel Heart, Re-animator, the witch, Lost Highway, the shining, evil dead 2, the thing , alien, the tenant, possession, the fly with goldblum, and some of the obscure Italian gore stuff from the late 70’s early 80’s.
Click to expand...

Not a movie but do try: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
 
Don't have a fav genre because in general I hate horror movies (find them boring, samey and almost never scary), but I do find some movies entertaining like Alien, Resident Evil, 28 Laters, The Mist, the original Paranormal Activity, Deep Rising etc etc.
 
wbot said:
Don't have a fav genre because in general I hate horror movies (find them boring, samey and almost never scary), but I do find some movies entertaining like Alien, Resident Evil, 28 Laters, The Mist, the original Paranormal Activity, Deep Rising etc etc.
Click to expand...
Not all horror should be scary in the normal sense - why I do like good cosmic / lovecraft.
 
Herr der Verboten said:
Not all horror should be scary in the normal sense - why I do like good cosmic / lovecraft.
Click to expand...
Yeah I know. None of those I listed are truly scary but I still enjoy them. Can't actually remember the last time a movie was scary. I just find horror movies in general too boring. It's easier to scare with games I guess.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X