Disability in horror films

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Promotional poster for Freaks (1932). Whilst the film has been praised for its majority disabled cast, it has also been described as exploitative. Freaks (1932) original one-sheet.jpg
Promotional poster for Freaks (1932). Whilst the film has been praised for its majority disabled cast, it has also been described as exploitative.

Horror films have frequently featured disability, dating to the genre's earliest origins in the 1930s. Various disabilities have been used in the genre to create or augment horror in audiences, [2] which has attracted commentary from some critics and disability activists.

Contents

Monsters and villains depicted in many horror films have often had physical or mental disabilities. These evolved from being sympathetic depictions of disabled characters in early monster films such as Frankenstein, to presentations of disabled people as "bloodthirsty and terrifying" in slasher films of the 1970s and 1980s. [3] Horror films have sometimes attracted criticism for their depictions of disability [3] [4] [5] or have been described as ableist. [6] Some films have been accused of reflecting eugenicist views held by the society of their time. [7] [1] Tropes of characters "overcoming" disability, or of disability granting special powers, have been described as harmful. [8]

Tod Browning's Freaks (1932) has been highlighted as a notable example of a horror film for prominently depicting disability, and has received diverse commentary for its depiction of the community, with some labelling it as portraying disability sympathetic and anti-eugenicist and others criticising it for being exploitative. [3] [1] [9] As of 2020, it remains one of few American films to feature a predominantly disabled cast. [1] Independent film Deafula (1975) is notable for being entirely in sign language. [9] Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series and Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre are both violent killers with disabilities, that have been described as depicting disability as fearful or taboo. [3] In the 21st century, some commentators noted a trend of horror films depicted deafness, including A Quiet Place and The Unholy. [8] Lupita Nyong'o's performance in 2019 film Us was criticised by disability rights groups for being inspired by symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia. [10]

The 2016 American horror film Spring Break Zombie Massacre was created by Sam Suchman and Mattie Zufelt, best friends with down syndrome who also starred in the film. [11] The movie was widely praised as refreshing for having neurodivergent minds in charge of the creative process. [12] It was also celebrated for featuring protagonists with down syndrome whose disability was not the main focus of the film. [13]

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

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<i>Freaks</i> (1932 film) 1932 American horror film by Tod Browning

Freaks is a 1932 American pre-Code horror film produced and directed by Tod Browning, starring Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, and Roscoe Ates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazi eugenics</span> Nazi German policy of the murder of "undesirable" persons from the German people

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Deafula is a 1975 American horror film done completely in American Sign Language. A voice over is provided for those who do not understand sign language. The film starred Peter Wechsberg, who also serves as director and writer, under the pseudonym Peter Wolf. It was the first American Sign Language feature film ever made. The film tells the story of a young man who cannot control his urge to kill people for their blood, and the police investigation searching for the murderer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Edgar</span> British film director, screenwriter and producer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leatherface</span> Main character in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Race in horror films</span>

Depictions of race in horror films has been the subject of commentary. Critics have discussed the representation of race in horror films in relation to the presence of racist ideas, stereotypes and tropes within them. The horror genre has conversely also been used to explore social issues including race, particularly following popularization of social thrillers in the 2010s.

<i>Us</i> (2019 film) Film by Jordan Peele

Us is a 2019 American psychological horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele, starring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker. The film follows Adelaide Wilson (Nyong'o) and her family, who are attacked by a group of menacing doppelgängers.

<i>Little Monsters</i> (2019 film) 2019 comedy film by Abe Forsythe

Little Monsters is a 2019 post-apocalyptic musical action comedy horror film written and directed by Abe Forsythe, starring Lupita Nyong'o, Alexander England, Josh Gad, and Kat Stewart. The story centres on a washed-up musician, a children's television personality, and a kindergarten teacher teaming up to protect a group of young schoolchildren during a sudden zombie outbreak.

Lady in the Lake is an upcoming American limited series based on the novel of the same name by Laura Lippman. It is set to premiere on Apple TV+.

A Quiet Place: Day One is an upcoming American post-apocalyptic horror film written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, based on an original story by John Krasinski. It is intended to be a spin-off prequel, and the third overall installment of the A Quiet Place film series. The film is scheduled to be released theatrically on March 8, 2024.

Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o is a 2019 documentary about the actress' journey to Benin to learn about the history and culture of an all-woman army, the Ahosi, referred to by early European historians as the Amazons of Dahomey. The film explores the evolution of Lupita Nyong'o's understanding of the Ahosi, from her glorification of the women warriors at the onset of the film to her ultimate comprehension of Ahosi's complicated history at the film's conclusion.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lopez, Kristen (2020-10-06). "'Freaks' Is the Granddaddy of Disabled Horror, for Better and Worse". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  2. Hall, Melinda (2016-03-08). "Horrible Heroes: Liberating Alternative Visions of Disability in Horror". Disability Studies Quarterly. 36 (1). doi: 10.18061/dsq.v36i1.3258 . ISSN   2159-8371.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "A Brief History Of Disability In Horror". FANGORIA. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  4. Alexiou, Gus. "Hollywood Must Stop Using Disability Imagery Purely For Horror And Cheap Thrills". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  5. Buckley, Cara (2020-11-17). "Scary Is How You Act, Not Look, Disability Advocates Tell Filmmakers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  6. "Villainizing Bodies and Minds: Ableism in Horror Movies – FEM Newsmagazine" . Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  7. Madden, Emma (2019-07-10). "Midsommar's ableism resurrects the dark history of eugenics-inspired horror". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  8. 1 2 "Perspective | Some horror movies take a new approach to disability: Fetishizing deafness". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  9. 1 2 Sutton, Travis (2014-09-09), Benshoff, Harry M. (ed.), "Avenging the Body: Disability in the Horror Film", A Companion to the Horror Film (1 ed.), Wiley, pp. 73–89, doi:10.1002/9781118883648.ch5, ISBN   978-0-470-67260-0 , retrieved 2022-09-30
  10. "Lupita Nyong'o under fire from disability groups for 'evil' voice in Us". the Guardian. 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  11. "These 20-Year-Old Friends With Down Syndrome Made a Zombie Film". Time. 2016-07-14. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  12. Pratt, Mark (2021-04-08). "New film follows 2 zombie moviemakers with Down syndrome". WLUK. Associated Press. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  13. "The Sweet Story of How Two Unstoppable Teen Filmmakers Got an Oscar-Winning Director to Produce Their Movie". Parade. 26 June 2021.