Why Horror Is the Most Important Movie Genre

It's a tough time for the world of movies, but even in periods of upheaval, there's been one film genre that has consistently if quietly kept things alive and thriving.

Horror movies are about as old as cinema itself, and over the last century, they’ve proven to be essential to the art and business of filmmaking in more ways than one. But can horror save cinema from its current decrepit state? It wouldn’t be the first time.

We tend to think of horror as disposable, B-tier cinema, made on the cheap full of cheesy effects and cliches. But the genre lies at the very foundation of the art form itself. And since day one, horror films have always been a hotbed of new ideas, techniques and technology.

The genre has always evolved: There was the silent era's Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and then the Universal monster movies of the '30s and '40s. From there we discovered the atomic age and Cold War horror parables of the 1950s, and then the form transitioned to the low-fi and exploitation horror of the '60s and '70s like Night of the Living Dead and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The slashers and franchise horror of the '80s followed, and the meta tales like Scream of the '90s came next, and finally we hit our modern age of horror, which, when at its best, continues to change up what we can expect from the form.

Horror has always been a hugely influential part of the moviegoing world, but we're here to tell you: It's also the most important genre of them all. Watch the full video to find out why!

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