For anyone who is a fan ofhorror, particularly modern horror, there are two names that most likely stand out among others who work with the horror genre. Two names that belong to two different directors that have greatly influenced horror films for modern audiences. If you haven’t already guessed them, the two names areRobert EggersandAri Aster. If you haven’t heard of them, chances are you have heard of or watched their films. Robert Eggers is the mastermind behindThe Witch, The Lighthouse,andThe Northman. Ari Aster is the visionary behindHereditaryandMidsommarand his new filmBeau Is Afraidwill be coming out later this month.
At a quick glance, both Eggers and Aster seem extremely similar, if not the same. There are good reasons for that since the two filmmakers share a lot of similarities. They both directed their feature-length debuts with the massively successful independent studioA24. Both directors work within the horror genre. They each have now directed three feature-length films. Their films have all dealt with folklore or supernatural forces in some way.
Even with their strong similarities, there are of course differences as well. All three of Eggers' films are period pieces while Aster’s all take place in modern times. Aster seems to take conventional horror and put his own modern spin on it to inspire some genuinely uncomfortable fear in viewers, while Eggers takes conventional horror and throws it out the window to transport viewers to another world with his unique dialogue and cinematography.
One thing is for certain; both Eggers and Aster have greatly influenced modern horror. With their ability to take the horror genre and twist it into something completely of their own creations, both filmmakers have left their mark on the genre forever with only three films each under their belts. Let’s take a look into the ways that Robert Eggers and Ari Aster have each influenced modern horror.
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Artistic Control Over Their Films
One of the main reasons that the films by Robert Eggers and Ari Aster are perceived so well by horror fans is that both filmmakers ensure that they have artistic control over their projects. They purposefully work with people and studios that will give them the opportunity to make their films the way they envisioned them.Working with A24for each of their first feature-length films allowed them the freedom to take their stories wherever they wanted them to go.The Witchwas an odd, unnerving, tense folktale that more than likely would have been watered down and drastically altered if Eggers did not guarantee his creative control or if he worked with a bigger studio. The same goes forHereditary, which is just as strange and disturbing, if not more, thanThe Witch.
By establishing full artistic control over their projects, Eggers and Aster are able to take the horror genre in new directions. They are able to put their own spin on conventional horror characteristics or just abandon them completely. It gives their work the ability to stand out in a genre that has an enormous and dedicated following, allowing horror fans to experience films that feel completely different from the other horror films they have previously consumed. Both filmmakers continue to do so in each of their movies, such as Eggers choosing to haveThe Lighthousebe in black and white in a remote location or Aster choosing to set the story ofMidsommarin an environment that is drenched in sunlight.
Empowered by the Genre That Gave Them Their Start
In an interview withIndieWire, Aster said “Hereditaryhad left me feeling like ‘wow, there’s something about this genre that inspires people to come together as a tribe’”. This is absolutely true. Horror fans have often shown that they are some of the most loyal and dedicated moviegoers out there over the years. Embracing how powerful the genre can be in terms of creativity and exposure sets up a film for success.
Aster had always wanted to make a breakup movie, and when he was makingMidsommar, he realized that combining that premise with the folk horror genre was the best way to tell that story.Hereditarywas very successful and is still talked about frequently nearly five years later, and so by embracing the genre that gave him his start, Aster was able to replicate the discomforting fear invoked by his first film while adding new ideas to the themes of pain and grief.
That can also be said for Eggers. Other than the fact that both films are period pieces that take place in New England,The WitchandThe Lighthouseare quite different. One is about a religious family living at the edge of the woods where witches and temptations lurk. The other is about two men and their descent into madness as they slowly but surely lose their sanity.
Eggers utilized the same slow-burn, thoughtful approach to the horror elements in his first film and then turns it up a notch for his second film. It is idiosyncratic and manic in nature but has the same threat of an evil presence lurking around thatThe Witchhas. Even his third filmThe Northman, which is not categorized as a horror film, makes use of the horror elements from his first two films to create a strange and downright bizarre Viking revenge tale.
Related:How A24 Has Been a Pioneer in Modern Horror
Subverting Genre Expectations
A term that has been attached to both Eggers' and Aster’s, as well as their filmography, is “elevated horror.” The term came about in 2019 due to the wave of modern horror movies that have been released in the last few years, mostly produced by none other than A24. The term itself does perhaps come across as pretentious and has almost become synonymous with arthouse horror, which is essentially experimental and artistic horror films.Elevated horror refers tohorror movies that focus more on psychological themes and metaphors rather than jump scares and gimmicks to get under the audience’s skin. Both Eggers' and Aster’s films are mostly responsible for the creation of this term and the uptick in films that fall under this category.
The two filmmakers have altered the expectations for modern horror movies by instilling fear into their audiences without the use of typical horror movie tricks, as pointed out by Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter in last year’sScreamfilm. They have presented horror fans with intentionally thought-provoking themes that will leave them questioning everything about what they just watched.
Slasher, paranormal, and supernatural horror movies will always be wanted entries in the horror realm because they are responsible for making the genre as a whole popular. They should be, because some of the best horror movies ever made fall under those subgenres and categories. However, modern audiences are also looking for horror films that both scare them and force them to ask questions.
Horror films that truly get under the skin and make a person physically uncomfortable have become more desired by fans of the genre, and that is directly due to the artistic choices of Eggers and Aster. Their original approaches to the genre have subverted the expectation of what a horror movie is now supposed to look like. Even with only three films under their directorial belt, they have irrevocably influenced modern horror.
