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Horror consists of many different variations of terror. 80s slashers determined to murder high school kids, a supernatural entity possessing a child, or a creepy monster being discovered in the heart of the forest. Despite how incredible or uncanny these horror concepts are, there is one particular horror universe that is the most terrifying. Body horror is truly one of the few horror concepts that scare me, leaving me feeling an eerie dread. Body horror can also have you thinking about the fate of unfortunate victims and the fear they faced until the end.
Body horror is almost like a violation of the human body. The victim experiences psychological horror through nightmare-inducing sequences before having their body completely transformed into a horrifying grotesque image that is no longer human. I have seen so many films pertaining to this concept, and every time; I am felt ‘quaking in my boots.’
Imagine a random person you are watching in a horror film. No matter how far they run or try to outsmart whatever it is that is after them, there is no escape. They become wrapped in a web of terror, as the creature or person infects them; turning their body into something not of this world. Imagine if your body starts to warp in ways that it shouldn't, your limbs bending and stretching in ways that it shouldn’t, leaving you screaming in utter agony. The worst part of this particular horror is a question that has haunted me for decades.
What if you’re still conscious?
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What I mean by this, is what if you’re still aware of what is happening to you? What if you didn’t die from the transformation? What if you’re still there in your mind, begging to die, screaming for help; knowing that no one will ever come? One great example of this that still leaves me with unanswered questions is John Carpenter’s film, The Thing. In this film, there are researchers who are staying at a base in the middle of Antarctica, accidentally inviting an alien creature onto their property. The creature disguised as an animal proceeds to slowly infect the base, killing the majority of the group one by one.
The film is a cult classic, due to the questions that fans have about the film. Trying to study who was possibly infected first and in what order is already a very fascinating discussion that has lasted for years, but for me; my main question is were any of those men still aware? When the victims were literally killed and absorbed by the creature, were they somewhere in the monster; horrified by what they have become? It is a great ambiguous horror film that captures the body horror concept amazingly. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with the film, similar to how I feel about body horror in general.
Body horror is beautiful, a tragedy that always results in one of the most horrible ways to go through in a horror film. I worship each of the amazing films I have seen with this concept. It has always been executed to perfection, my horror heart beating with love and adoration. How I would love to write my own body horror screenplay, to be produced into a horror film. I would want to go all out, revealing the darkest and original transformations that will destroy the minds of all horror fans.
This goal makes me sound insane, but I’ve already accepted this dark version of myself since I was a child. My horror phase never went away, but oh boy; do I love it! The thought of something not human hunting you down and wanting to turn you into a version of itself is so freaking scary, I can’t help but admire these creatures and their stories. It’s amazing, and I hope more great body horror films are released in the future.
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Body horror deserves more credit because it does one thing that many horror films fail to do for me.
It scares the shit out of me.
Thank you for reading! Please send me a response if you have a favorite body horror movie, and what was your favorite transformation? I crave to know the interests of horror fans like a vampire hungry to suck blood from his victims! :D
Emy Quinn
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