Modern Takes on Classic Horror

Ghouls. Zombies. Monsters. There are a million to one Halloween tropes dating back to the legend of the headless horseman. Halloween is a week away and instead of re-watching oldies, take your TV to 2018 with these modern takes.

Zombies

iZombie:

Liv Moore was a medical student turned zombie after a zombie outbreak boat-party massacre. She now satisfies her brain cravings working at a morgue for the Seattle Police Department and helps solve crimes with the flashbacks of the eaten deceased. While the show is juvenile as times, the storyline is consistent and fresh for the most part.

Santa Clarita Diet:

Drew Barrymore stars in her new show, Santa Clarita Diet, as a realtor turned zombie after eating a bad batch of clams. The show takes on many morbid topics in a surreal comedic way, which is where the true genius of the show comes for me. For instance, in one scene two characters discuss which microwave button to use to defrost a human thumb.

Witches

AHS Coven:

Love it or hate it, everyone already has an opinion on American Horror Story. It’s one of the biggest shows out right now. I’m not here to change your opinion. I’m here to talk about clothes because AHS’ costume designer is killing it. Gone are the dated Victorian velvet dresses and pointy hats and say hello to the black dress code with Bloomingdale’s lace dresses. It’s smart and everyone needs to update their Halloween costume right now.

Psychological Thriller

They Look Like People:

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho shower scene is one of the most infamous murder scenes in a film. Many films use unreliable mental states as a plot twist near the end of the film to add surprise. However, They Look like People makes the narrator’s unreliable mental state clear but adds suspense with the narrator’s unhinged actions. Near the end of the film, there is one of the most intense scenes I’ve witnessed to date.

Ghost Story

Haunting of Hill House:

Released on Oct 12 by Netflix, Hill House’s narrative was surprising. Walking into the TV show, I was expecting a traditional haunted house with campy ghosts shown attempting to terrorize a family. However, Hill House brings a very sad story following two suicides in the family at different points in time with a ghost story tied in. The real horror in hill house is in the family drama and actions.