Horror, especially, gothic horror literature has captivated me since childhood, forming an essential part of my childhood memories. Its influence has seeped into many of my other passions, from reading and writing to the way I travel and explore the world. I have always preferred horror literature over movies as I feel movies limit the viewer’s imagination and forces someone else’s imagination onto the viewer. That said, I do enjoy horror cinema and have watched my fair share, from black and white classics of the 1960s to the latest releases. It’s been a while since I last shared my favorite books and movies, my previous posts date back to 2015 with an update on movies in 2021. This post is a recap of the movies/TV shows I have watched and books I have read over the past year or so.
Cinema/Screen
The Fall of the House of Usher
This was easily the most fun I had while watching a show this year. As the title suggests, this show takes its inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe’s stories but reimagines them in unique ways. There are tons of references to Poe’s works throughout the show, from the names of characters to their backstories. Having read many of Poe’s works, I had a lot of fun trying to catch these references and trying to guess what happens to each character. For me the best of the lot was the character of Arthur Gordon Pym whose name comes from the Poe’s short story The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Throughout the show Arthur hints to some episodes of his life which were taken from this eerie short story.
Midnight Mass
This was a great watch, but what stood out most for me was the character of the priest. The actor delivered a phenomenal performance, portraying a charismatic person who lures the simple village with promises of miracles. One scene stands out from the rest where the -SPOILER ALERT- the creature reveals itself fully in front of the villagers. This was unexpected. The viewer shares the shock with the villagers. Also, this show has a prominent practicing Muslim character which was refreshing to see.
The Haunting of Hill House
My friend Divu recommended this show, but at first, I kept putting it off thinking it wouldn’t be my kind of horror. When I finally watched it, I was blown away by how good it is. Horror mixed with riveting drama always makes for a great watch and this show delivers both.
The Terror
Although I first watched this show years ago, I rewatched it recently and I felt it deserves a place in this recap. This show, which has become one of my all-time favorites, combines two of my favorite things, exploration and horror. The story takes the real-life mystery of the disappearance of the Franklin expedition in the Arctic in 1845 and adds a supernatural twist to it. The setting is hauntingly atmospheric, and the character development is exceptional, especially the evolving dynamic between the Captain Francis Crozier and commander Captain James Fitzjames. What begins as a tense exchange of insults gradually transforms into a bond of mutual respect and gallant support. Captain Francis Crozier has become one of my favorite characters ever. High quality with superb acting, soundtrack, dialogues and character development, its a must watch for Franklin buffs. One commentator on Reddit described it best, “it scratches an itch”.
Kingdom
My most recent watch was this Korean show. The cinematography in the first season is absolutely stunning, especially the scenes in and around the palace. One particular shot, overlooking the palace courtyard, reminded me of Dario Argento’s Suspiria where a man is attacked in a similar courtyard shot. I am not a huge fan of zombies, but this show does a great job of using them in a Joseon era backdrop, blending historical drama with supernatural. Also, the costumes are stunning.
Nosferatu
Having watched the original 1922 classic, I was eager to see the new remake and went to watch it alone in a theater. While the story has become familiar after so many adaptations both official and unofficial, this movie stands out for its stunning cinematography. One of my favorite horror scenes is the carriageway sequence in the snowfall. The dark, gloomy day, the snow covered landscape, the falling snow with its eerie electric hum and the desolate crossroads all combine to create a scene of absolute gothic beauty. Another scene which I loved was when the lead character gazes into the camera and a single tear slides down her cheek. Its a quiet, haunting image.
Literature/Books
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
A fellow horror fan colleague at work recommended this book and I am so glad they did. I like to think of it as the beginning of Phase 3 of my horror journey. Phase 1 was in school when I used to read classic horror stories many of which were set in the Victorian era. Then Phase 2 was when I started reading H.P. Lovecraft much later during my first couple of jobs after which I really didn’t try anything new until now. ‘Uzumaki’ is a Japanese horror manga (graphic novel) from the legendary Junji Ito. “Uzumaki’ means spiral. I had never read a Japanese Manga before and this was my first. I was simply blown away from the artwork by Junji Ito. The story itself is not exactly my type of horror, as most of the horror is around body horror, but this was absorbing. Like the spirals of the story itself the book draws you in and compels you to get to the end. The Lovecraft influence is clearly visible by the end. Link to my full blog post here.
Tomie by Junji Ito
I picked up this book after I completed ‘Uzumaki’ which I loved. This was also suggested by the same colleague who suggested I read Uzumaki. The artwork and illustrations are stunning and the horror element in it is top class. It has many disturbing moments which are sure to make the reader squirm in the seat. If you are a fan of body horror (I am not) this would be a great read! Link to my full blog post here.
The 13 Best Horror Stories of All time Edited by Leslie Pockell
This is a collection of classic horror fiction written by some of the greatest writers of horror including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood (who is my favorite). Spanning from 1872 to 1948 these stories represent the classic age of horror. My top 3 from this collection are Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker (about a traveler lost in the woods on a wintry evening), The Beckoning Fair One by Oliver Onions (about a writer moving into a new house and slowly descending into horror) and The Willows by Algernon Blackwood (about a canoeing trip gone wrong). Link to my full blog post here.
We are where the nightmares go by C Robert Cargill
This is a compilation of 10 horror short stories by the writer of horror movies like Sinister and The Black Phone. I was reading Fiction after a long time. My last Fiction read, At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft was almost 4 years ago. So, this was a breath of fresh air, a break in my then current routine of Non-Fiction books but having said that I am not a fan of horror stories of this type. The writing is impeccable with amazing imagery and world building which I enjoyed but beyond that I did not enjoy the more fantastical elements of the story. Now, cynics might scoff at me questioning what’s the difference between fantasy and supernatural? Well, I like my horror to be rooted in reality in a fundamental sense and then build the horror elements on top of that. This way the supernatural elements have more weight and elicit a feeling of dread and tension. As opposed to entire worlds or places existing somewhere in the universe with uncertain connections to the real living world. Link to my full blog post here.
Horror : A Literary History edited by Xavier Aldana Reyes
This book, as the name suggests, is a history of horror fiction i.e. horror in the written form; short stories, novellas, novels etc. It starts from the first gothic horror novel which was published in 1764, The Castle of Otranto (which I have read and written about here) ends with the horror of modern times which is dominated by one author, Stephen King. The book does a good job of tracing the evolution of horror and how horror has always been a reflection of the fears and tensions of what the world was going through. For a horror fan like me who has been reading horror stories from my childhood, and who could recognize (having read) many of the works mentioned in the book, it was a revelation to understand the real-world influence behind those works. Link to my full blog post here.
All Links to horror related posts on my blog:
- About The Castle of Otranto, the first ever gothic horror novel
- Horror: One of my favorite genres. Part 1 (Short stories, novels and books)
- Horror: One of my favorite genres. Part 2 (Movies)
- My Top 5 Horror movies
- About the graphic novel Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror
- About the horror graphic novel Tomie: No use escaping
- About We are where the nightmares go
- Phenomena (1985) Another of Dario Argento’s classics
- About At the Mountains of Madness
- The 13 Best Horror Stories of All time Edited by Leslie Pockell : A Book Post
- Horror : A Literary History A 10-Point Book Review
- A Ghost Tour
- A Cemetery Tour