Societal Reflections in Horror Movies

Unfortunate Mishaps in the Warped Mind

Can anyone truly know what goes on in the mind of a serial killer, without being a little mad themselves? It is hard to believe that any one could commit such heinous crimes without a trace of repentance or remorse. The more contemporary movies featuring such pressing ideas are less focused on the blood and gore effects that make our toes curl, but instead gets into our heads. 

As humans we base things off of what we already know, and while aliens and zombies are frightening, it’s much more unnerving to think a deranged serial killer is really out there waiting to capture us. J.P. Telotte, film critic and journalist, states that one of the newer focuses in horror films is, “the way in which we see ourselves and others and the consequences that often attend our usual manner of perception” (Midterm 1). This statement holds much validity and ideas and themes such as this can be found in a surplus of movies now a day; three movies in particular are The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. 

What these three films allow us to capture is a sense of not only the fear, anger and complete terror from that of the victims or prosecutors; but also a glimpse into how these criminal minds have worked. A main theme that runs through all of these movies is the dilemmas of the main psychotic killer. It appears as if they all are attempting to be someone else and have an unquestionable misconception of the world. 

In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface and his bizarre and deranged family are living in this surreal life style, detaining these young adults and using their bodies and skin for different purposes; one of which is to give the main killer a different looking face. The world-view dilemma in this movie I think lays a lot in society in general. High pricey flashy and beautiful people are what grace our every magazine cover.