Horror films are popular because they provide a rare glimpse into the darkest parts of the human mind along with a dose of adrenaline, all from the safety of home. Filmmakers have more recently started to play with the traditional conventions of the horror genre in an attempt to keep the stories fresh, creative and exciting.
One way filmmakers have done this is by incorporating meta elements into the mix, and the most obvious example is breaking the fourth wall, which entails the characters referencing the medium itself. These films managed to balance the old and the new when it comes to horror.
10 Funny Games (1997/2007)
Whether one decides to watch the original Austrian version or the shot-for-shot American remake, Funny Games forces the viewer to reflect on themselves and why they might be compelled to watch such a darkly sadistic film to begin with. A family's vacation turns nightmarish when two unassuming young men hold them hostage and subject them to their twisted games.
Viewers are never given any reason as to the young men's motives, making the situation all the more terrifying. During the film's most self-reflexive scene, one of the young men stares directly into the camera while physically rewinding the film in order to negate any hope the family had for survival. Funny Games is an uncomfortable yet important watch for any horror fan.
9 Rubber (2010)
Just when it looked like Hollywood had run out of ideas, French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux comes along and makes Rubber, a film about a tire that goes on a killing spree using telekinetic powers. The sheriff investigating the murders also acts as the narrator and invites an actual audience to stand in for the viewers at home and watch the madness unfold. The sheriff tells the audience in the movie (and at home) what they are witnessing is devoid of any real meaning.
Of course, whether or not Rubber is a provocative piece of satire commenting on the nature of violence or just a movie about a tire that blows things up is up to the viewer.
8 Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
When it comes to meta horror, it is difficult to find anyone who does it better than Wes Craven. From Scream to the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, the man is a master of the genre. Wes Craven's New Nightmare is notable among his filmography for breaking the fourth wall between the silver screen and the audience. Famous faces from the franchise play fictionalized versions of themselves, with Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund finding themselves inexplicably drawn to their on-screen characters and acting out iconic scenes from the original film.
New Nightmare posits what it would be like if Freddy Krueger existed in the real world and tormented the people involved in depicting his story, inviting the audience along for the ride.
7 Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The zombie horror sub-genre is combined with dry British humor in Shaun of the Dead, a spoof that helped to revitalize this once dead movie genre. Simon Pegg wrote the film along with Edgar Wright, and the duo took plenty of inspiration from the likes of George A. Romero. They decided to make a film about how they thought the average Briton would react in zombie apocalypse, and the result is a pure hilarity.
Pegg and Wright imbue the script with layers of metatextuality and self-reflexivity, making for an overall more engaging viewing experience; the average moviegoer is made to feel as if they are in on the parody. All of these layers are why Shaun of the Dead is considered a meta horror masterpiece.
6 The Last Horror Movie (2003)
On the surface level, The Last Horror Movie is a straightforward, found-footage slasher film; what makes it stand out, however, is the way in which Max, the film's antihero, involves the audience in his gruesome murders. At several points throughout the film, he looks directly at the camera, addresses the viewer and acknowledges their desire for violence.
This then turns the tables on audiences and causes them to reflect on why they're watching these murders in the first place and if Max is coming after them next. It is an effectively chilling use of the found footage trope.
5 Student Bodies (1981)
Before Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer there was Student Bodies. This slasher parody pokes fun at slashers when slashers themselves were still establishing their own conventions. The killer in Student Bodies is a mashup of killers from other similar movies; he targets teenagers who engage in rebellious behavior and even has a signature that makes him instantly recognizable to the audience (in this case, his heavy breathing).
The most memorable scene is when the executive producer looks at the camera and notes how R-rated films are the most popular and says obscenities to earn said rating. This self-awareness made Student Bodies popular with audiences and develop the cult following it still has today.
4 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Although far from the most conventional horror flick, The Rocky Horror Picture Show still manages to blend elements of horror, comedy, science fiction, musicals, and of course, meta horror. The 1975 movie adaptation of the stage musical is filled to the brim with winks and nods to the superficiality of the medium itself, particularly during the final musical numbers when Dr. Frank N Furter sings directly to the camera.
A criminologist who acts as the film's narrator also provides viewers with important background information and serves to draw attention to the fact that the events unfolding are part of a much larger narrative. The Rocky Horror Picture Show may not be everyone's cup of tea but is right up the alley for those searching for something a bit different to watch on Halloween.
3 The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
What made the classic 1960s anthology series The Twilight Zone so iconic was the way it was unafraid to delve into the darkest recesses of the human psyche, and the 1983 film adaptation, while also disturbing, takes a decidedly more meta approach.
The opening sequence of the film features Dan Aykroyd as a passenger in a car having a discussion with the driver about what episode of the TV series was the scariest before Aykroyd turns and asks, "Do you want to see something really scary?". Of course, he is talking to the driver but it is filmed in such a way as to make the viewer feel as if the question is directed at them. A mixed critical reception shouldn't keep audiences from this horror anthology classic, especially if they're fans of the original series.
2 The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Describing a film like The Cabin in the Woods to someone is extremely difficult. It is a parody of slasher films but it also has so many more layers than other parodies of the same genre. A group of college students travel to a remote cabin for a weekend getaway only to find themselves at the center of a much larger phenomenon.
The five central characters are meant to represent slasher film archetypes and they must all be sacrificed according to typical slasher movie conventions in order to appease ancient evil entities. Scattered all throughout the movie are countless references to what seems like every horror film in existence, and one could spend hours dissecting them all. Identifying all of the Easter eggs is half the fun when it comes to a film like this, but underneath the gory visuals lies a critique of the genre itself.
1 Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
Anthology films are a popular way of telling stories because of their ability to tell multiple tales within one larger narrative. What makes the movie adaptation of Tales from the Darkside memorable in terms of anthologies is the inclusion of a young boy in the wraparound narrative. Little Timmy is the one narrating the three stories making up the film in an attempt to keep an evil witch from killing and eating him. Little does she know, Timmy is more clever than he seems; he gains the upper hand and manages to escape the witch's clutches, breaking the fourth wall in order to comment on the unexpected "happy ending".
While Tales from the Darkside: The Movie doesn't provide anything especially extraordinary, the unique wraparound storyline is enough to garner it a watch.
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