A Companion to the Horror Film

This cutting-edge collection contains 30 original essays on one of cinema’s most dynamic and enduringly popular genres. With contributions by many of the best-known scholars of film horror, A Companion to the Horror Film offers a critical survey of the art and practice of horror movies covering everything from craft and technique, historical developments, and modern-day trends, to broader topics opening onto the socio-political dimensions of the genre. The volume begins with essays devoted to the theoretical methodologies used to study the genre, from cognitive and philosophical approaches, through audience reception and psychoanalysis, to those approaches that examine gender, sexuality, race, class, and (dis)ability in relation to the horror film. Subsequent sections cover horror film aesthetics, the history of the genre, and specific subjects including distribution and the relationship between horror, art house movies, and the documentary impulse.

Combining wide-ranging analysis with nuanced commentary, A Companion to the Horror Film synthesizes key concepts related to the genre and presents original research reflecting the latest trends in horror film scholarship.  It speaks to fan and scholar alike and will deepen the appreciation of those well-versed in horror film as well as newcomers to the subject.