About this episode
The episode explores the theme of revenge in horror films, discussing various subgenres and psychological motivations behind revenge narratives.
Sweet, sweet revenge. A subgenre best served cold, with a side of yanked intestines. It is a foundational tool for horror, both from the protagonist and antagonist perspectives. Anger, jealousy, and embarrassment create grudges that stick, and payback, she is a comin’. Listen in to our recommendations for your revenge fantasy satisfaction. In horror movies, sometimes you want to keep it simple. If your plot needs motivation… this is an easy check to cash. There are several sub-tropes here. Psychology Today lists several variants of revenge. As you might expect, revenge and justice are not simple concepts. There are different motivations and complex sources for the desire for payback. We tried to marry up the psychological categories to how they get executed in horror films: Simple or direct Revenge: An eye for an eye. You killed or disfigured me, now I’m back, bitches! MUAAAAHHAHAHAHA! (Slash, slash, slash… screaming ensues) This is the staple of the franchise serial-killer movies. Candyman, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Burning, Slaughter High, Hatchet , Ghost Story , I Know What You Did Last Summer This also applies to revenge for the loss of a…
Topics covered
- revenge horror
- psychological motivations
- horror film tropes
- grudges
- payback
- subgenres of horror
Keywords
- revenge
- horror
- psychology
- film analysis
- subgenres
- grudges
- payback
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Candyman, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Burning, Slaughter High, Hatchet, Ghost Story, I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Saw the Devil, Mandy
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