The depiction of hell in western society is strongly upheld in film and media. However the idea of hell being an inferno of eternal damnation isn’t all that impactful in the horror genre. So what is hell in relation to horror? Within the genre, religious, often Christian audiences are frequently targeted, therefore hell must pull on the most horrific thoughts, scenes, or people said audience can imagine. This bears the question, what specific films and sub-genres of horror do this best, and why do they choose to do it?
In visiting the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, I dove into horror in all its glory. Their exhibition of horror artifacts, interviews, and general facts and figures highlighted the often unseen underbellies of the genre. One specifically caught my eye, a wall depicting each type of horror villain, their origins, dangers, and goals. As someone well versed in the use of zombies in media, I enjoyed learning more about their history. Zombie origins trace back to voodoo practices in West African and Haitian cultures. It’s common knowledge that one defining trait of being a zombie is having no soul. This very trait defies one of the most vital Christian beliefs; souls end up in heaven, purgatory, or hell. The sub-genre that zombie and apocalyptic films fall under is supernatural horror. The zombie is a supernatural entity, reanimated to preserve only its body, not its soul. Something soulless, even if it is physically on earth, cannot end up in heaven, hell, or in between. The time after death is essential to Christianity, but media such as Frankenstein, World War Z, The Walking Dead, and even Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video, completely disregard the afterlife, thus creating a horrific hell for a religious audience beyond that of satan and torture.
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Vampires are directly associated with Christianity in almost every form of media. Every culture has some creature that drinks human blood or feasts on human flesh. Vampires just happen to take shape as something almost human, adding to their fear factor. Often vampires are referred to as a supernatural being that mirrors Christianity and reminds us of our mortality in an unholy way. Jesus himself has even been compared to the vampire. “Eat my flesh and drink my blood,” is a quote any Catholic or Christian should be familiar with, Jesus having famously said it to his disciples. Having a Catholic background myself, I understand that in mass, the actions we take equate to eating the flesh of Jesus Christ. The idea that vampires directly reflect these specific aspects of Catholicism is not only frightening, but is also a call to action for the audience of any film that uses vampires in relation to religion. Vampires happen to be one of the more mainstream ways of targeting a religious audience and even pulling the faithless into the faith.
Films like The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, The Conjuring, and more, are directly associated with religion and even act as a sort of propaganda. William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist said, “I made the film as a believer.” His faith in Christianity and God massively contributed to his ability to make the film so impactful to the audience religious or not. In the film, the horror prevails over everything in its realm impacting the audience enough to believe in God, as he was the only saving grace. The Exorcist is only one of many examples of religious themes in horror films. Characters, monsters, sub genres, and even simple slashers can manifest religion in similar ways.
Why do these filmmakers choose to integrate religion into their films? For some it may be a strategy to spread their faith. For others, to add relief to their supernatural horror. Either way, or any way for that matter, religion is a constantly reoccurring theme in horror. Religion grounds characters and offers something for a villain to defy. More importantly it is a powerful vessel, adding meaning, depth, and a reminder of mortality to the genre.
