Horror genre combos are either awesome or questionable. Here are the awesome ones.
Horror is best known for flying solo in its pursuits of terror. However, when combined with the awesome power of these other genres, it can create some of the most memorable pieces of media ever.
5. Horror Musicals
From Sweeney Todd to the recently broadway-bound Beetlejuice, horror musicals take deathly topics and throw cynical lyrics over them. Occasionally, tap numbers as well. While horror is a rare sight in the broadway sphere, when it happens, it’s usually successful. Even David Hasselhoff’s portrayal of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was pretty great.
4. Horror Comedies
Comedic horror, when done right, is a refreshing twist on the horror genre. We have a whole post outlining some of the best films of the subgenre. Comedy and horror seem to mingle a lot in literature as well. Christopher Moore, author of A Dirty Job, tackles this well. Meddling Kids, by Edgar Cantero, a brilliant Scooby-Doo parody, also manages to successfully combine horror and comedy.
3. Romantic Horror
All jokes about sparking vampires aside, this genre is widely popular in YA fiction. There are good and downright terrible examples of romantic horror. Dracula, Candyman and Crimson Peak are excellent explorations of romance with a spooky backdrop. Twilight is a bad example, but the general public (and Stephanie Meyer) has come to that realization already. This genre is rife with uncomfortable sexual tension and some questionable examples of consent… and sparkling vampires.
2. Thrillers
The thriller genre is constantly contested on its place in the horror canon, for good reason. The bloody crimes enacted in thrillers can and have been demonstrated in true crime. Yet, that is exactly why thrillers are horror. The scariest movies are those that reflect our reality. A lot of horror can be brushed off as fantasy, but thrillers can’t be. That’s some unsettling business. For some prime examples of thrillers, peruse Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, and the Saw series.
1. Sci-Fi Horror
Let’s get real. Science fiction and horror were meant to be together. There is no doubt in our minds that the strongest human fear is the fear of the unknown. Science fiction is the complete exploration of the unknown and the unfamiliar. It just makes sense. H.P Lovecraft popularized this combination, despite his terrible values, with his Cthulhu mythos. Alien, a science fiction horror film, is considered one of the best films of all time. It isn’t a coincidence. For that, this cross breed of aliens and gore is one of the best horror genre combos ever.
By John Castro