By: Olivia Visser, Opinions Editor
Content warning: mentions of violence, anti-Black racism, and ableism
People like horror for different reasons. Some enjoy the genre’s focus on dark topics and pressing social issues, while others watch for creative villains that push expectations. Whatever your reasoning is for enjoying horror, discriminatory media representation is something creators and viewers must take seriously. Disturbing racist tropes and ableist villain designs are age-old problems with the genre. Artists have already proven that horror doesn’t need bigoted tropes to be creepy. It’s time we uplift ethical creators instead of supporting those who cause harm and division.
Black representation in many modern horror movies is often seen with flat characters that are killed off early. The Shining is a particularly famous instance of this: Dick Hallorann, the head chef at the Overlook Hotel, is first to go. Likewise, in Scream 2, Omar Epps is killed before the title even rolls. There are countless examples of this tired trope being played out in horror films. Not only does it suggest writers didn’t want to put effort into creating diverse and realistic characters — it’s also just blatantly racist. While Hollywood frequently uses Black characters to drive empty plot-lines, Black horror has existed for over eighty years.
One of the most significant shifts in modern horror is the popularization of Black horror. The first Black horror movie, meaning a “Black-made” horror movie, came out in 1940. Son of Ingagi followed a Black woman who was a scientist caring for an ape-like creature. It was described by writer Robin R. Means Coleman as being unique, since it was the first movie representation of Black women in STEM and it realistically showcased “the Black middle class.” Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, adapts Coleman’s book into a documentary exploring the genre’s development as a means of resistance and expression. Coleman describes early racist depictions of Black men as being predatory towards white women. This narrative was common in early horror movies, and was bolstered by president Woodrow Wilson’s public support for the KKK.
Since the genre took off, Black horror has been an effective medium for reclaiming representation and challenging racist tropes. Jordan Peele’s 2017 film Get Out is renowned for popularizing Black horror. The movie highlights the anxiety and discrimination experienced by Black people in white-centric societies. Get Out is one of the most popular Black horror films, but it’s only one of many. Other noteworthy films include Black Box, Us, and Bones. Get Out’s massive success may be a hopeful sign that horror is shifting in a positive direction, but we’ve still got a long way to go.
Horror is also frequently criticized for its reliance on ableist stereotypes. Those who still remember the M. Night Shyamalan movie, Split, might understand where I’m coming from when I say it’s a terrible “representation” of dissociative identity disorder (DID). The film follows a man with DID who kidnaps and torments three girls. The villain frequently changes his outfits while undergoing dramatic personality shifts that become progressively more violent as the film goes on. There’s no association between DID and crime, other than the fact that people with DID are more likely to be victims of abuse. That doesn’t stop producers from continually suggesting we should be afraid of neurodivergent people. Split is simply one of many movies that poorly relies on mental illness to drive its plot. Shutter Island did the same with its representation of schizophrenia, as did Psycho with psychosis. Beyond being unoriginal, these films contribute to the negative social stigma that people with mental illness already experience.
Accurately representing disability is crucial in media. The film Don’t Breathe did a disservice to disabled people by depicting a blind man defending himself from a robbery as terrifying. The man, played by a seeing actor, is arguably a victim. His blindness is used as a “plot device,” and the film controversially ends with his likely death. A Quiet Place is one example of a horror film that doesn’t use disability as a trope for its villains. Instead, the monsters are entirely inhuman, explaining their advantage of ultra-sensitive hearing. One of the main characters, Regan, is deaf and she’s played by deaf actress Millicent Simmonds. Many praised the movie for its positive representation of disability. Having a disabled lead in a horror film is a step forward for media representation, despite criticism that A Quiet Place still relies somewhat on disability as a plot device. Others found it troubling that there were subtitles for American Sign Language (ASL) scenes, but not for speaking portions. As is often the case in film, disability representation frequently falls short in one way or another.
Historically and presently, creators in the horror genre have gotten away with twisting the concept of fear to fit prejudicial social standards. Boycotting problematic movies lets filmmakers know where viewers stand on important issues. It’s past time we reapproach our favourite horror movies, and focus on supporting creators that put effort into making original and diverse films.
