The Ghosts of Grief: An Exploration of Gothic Influence in 2010s Horror Cinema

Conclusion

Gothic elements appear consistently throughout horror film history. The influence of gothic novels is still apparent while some films operate internally in the gothic horror genre, and other subgenres of horror simply reference motifs established by previous gothic narratives. Regardless, these films are engaged in an intertextual dialogue that has spanned generations of filming. Representative Theory and Genre Study help to understand the process of forming this dialogue and how it leads to the creation of a genre. Horror is a reactionary genre that acquires meaning through the cultural understanding of the filmmaker’s message and response from audience members. Theories for studying genre and the operation of gothic horror specifically, are crucial for analyzing The Babadook, The Invitation, and Crimson Peak. I will be considering these theories in the methodology described in the following chapter, chapter three. 

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