this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2024
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cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/16332964

Cosmic horror has been established as one of the most chilling sub-genres in horror cinema. With a focus on the unknown, isolation, and the human mind, cosmic horror plays on the imaginations of audiences rather than going all out on gore and jump scares. Instead of ghosts, serial killers, or vampires, these stories focus on the endless possibilities of the universe's fictional horrors.

Early 20th-century author H.P. Lovecraft gave Cosmic horror prominence through stories like At the Mountain of Madness, The Hound, and The Call of Cthulhu. The genre can be challenging to pull off in cinema, but plenty of films have tried to capture the terror of the unknown and unimaginable. Everything from stories of paranoia to questions about reality itself has made up cosmic horror in cinema.

They are:

  1. The Thing
  2. In the Mouth of Madness
  3. Event Horizon
  4. The Lighthouse
  5. Phantoms
  6. The Void
  7. The Mist
  8. Bird Box
  9. Color Out of Space
top 14 comments
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[–] CitizenKong@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

No "Glorious"? For shame! It's J.K. Simmons as eldritch gloryhole, and yes, that's as awesome as that sounds.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I literally thought I was the only person in existence who loves Dean Koontz’s Phantoms.

[–] CitizenKong@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Ben Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms, yo! (Love the book, like the movie.)

[–] MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk 3 points 3 weeks ago

Word bitch, Phantoms like a motherfucker!

[–] IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Sunshine would be a great addition, great cast and fantastic score.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Love that movie! But there's nothing otherworldly, nothing supernatural going on. The captain of the Icarus I is plain nuts, not like he's possessed or the like.

[–] IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

There's a theme in the movie that some of the crew become obsessed with the sun, without any rational reason being given.

"Cosmic horror has been established as one of the most chilling sub-genres in horror cinema. With a focus on the unknown, isolation, and the human mind, cosmic horror ... these stories focus on the endless possibilities of the universe’s fictional horrors."

Seems to fit.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 1 points 3 weeks ago

I don't know the shots constantly try to remind you if that largest and most destructively uncaring monster of them all "The Sun"

I think it absolutely is cosmic horror. Humans up against something so much more than them it's hard to not curl up into a ball at the concept of comprehending what's going on, so they've have to continue.

Plus the ending.

[–] UKFilmNerd@feddit.uk 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 5 points 3 weeks ago

I include it on my list of Lovecraftian films as it's an edge case - Giger's designs definitely have a Lovecraftian feel to them, there's overtones of At the Mountains of Madness (it gets a paragraph on the story's Wikipedia entry) and there's a pervading aura of cosmic indifference.

I also found a paper that touches on it: The Hunter in the Dark: A Formal Analysis of Lovecraftian Horror and Surrealist Style in Alien (1979)

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Haven't seen 5 of those. Got some homework tonight!

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 1 points 3 weeks ago

And some good films ahead of you.

[–] Maven@lemmy.zip -1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Honestly I don't get Event Horizon. It just felt like it was missing a bunch of the movie... And well... It was... But still!

Overall it was fine but definitely not the 3rd best cosmic horror of all time.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 1 points 3 weeks ago

Its unpleasant and doesn't care if you don't get it. Cosmic Horror.

But like that's the actual point. A plot that just keeps happening cause something beyond the realm of human comprehension or comfort just steam rolling the plot while the humans try to keep a grip.

Horror is mostly about the feeling and adrenaline you get from the tension anyways. Hellraiseright be one of the best horror movies as well but it's for a crowd that likes body horror and it nails its vibes perfectly. Like Event Horizon nails "Space is Hell"