I am loving the discourse around Zach Cregger's newest movie, Weapons, mostly because I think it's the best movie of the year. And also because it introduced me to a new term, "Basement horror."It's a subgenre of horror that I had never heard of before, and today I want to define it, explain it, and look at some examples. Let's dive in. Basement Horror Definition"Basement Horror" is a subgenre of horror that uses the setting of a basement to create feelings of dread, claustrophobia, and suspense.But this is about more than just a location; the basement itself becomes a character and a symbol of deep-seated human fears.Basement Horror CharacteristicsIn order to identify one of these kinds of movies, there's some special characteristics to look for. They're the tropes of the subgenre and they can clue you in to what needs to be in these stories if you're writing them, and what to keep your eyes peeled for if you're watching them. The Captive: A character is abducted and held prisoner in a basement. The horror comes from their attempts to escape and the psychological torture inflicted by their captor.The Monster's Lair: A creature, ghost, or monstrous human lives in the basement, and the protagonists must either avoid it or confront it in its own territory.The Forbidden Space: Characters are warned, "Don't go into the basement." Inevitably, a character (often a child) defies the warning, unleashing the horror.The Source of Evil: The basement contains an object (like a cursed book or...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday