History of Pyschological Horrors

1930s: Gothic sub-genre
Cultural changes that influenced this sub-genre: Great depression, War, Technology 

Frankenstein



• "monster movies"
• for example: Dracula & Frankenstein
• 'The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari'
• 'Nosferatu'
• 'King Kong'

1940s: Wartime
Cultural changes that influenced this sub-genre: Adolf Hitler, WW2

• 
• The wolfman (Adolf means noble wolf in German)

1950s-1960s: Science fiction & Creature features
Cultural changes that influenced this sub-genre: Post-war effects, cold war, first sighting of a flying saucer, Roswell incident, Technological change, Atom bomb

• threats from the 'unknown' - aliens, mutations of plants and insects (effects of nuclear radiation)
• low-budget films. B-movies aimed at teenage audiences
• zombies for example: Night of the living dead
• demons, the devil for example: Rosemarys baby
• non-supernatural psychological horror for example: Psycho
• 'Godzilla' - monster mutation



Night of the living dead

 1970s-1980s: 'Occult' themes & Disasters

• explicit gore
• symbolism
• for example: The Exorcist
• religion, evil children, reincarnation
• ''body horror''
• slasher films for example: Halloween

1990s: Irony

• mockumentary for example: Blair Witch Project
• ironic, comic
• fictional horror and real-world horror



Saw

 2000s:

• re-releases for example: The Exorcist
• teen centred horror for example:
• zombie films for example: Dawn of the dead