American Horror 20th Century

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course examines the role of the horror genre in 20th century American film and culture. How is American horror cinema and literature representative and indicative of the cultural, political, and social landscape of America and what is horror’s utility in society? The course considers the complex relationships between history, culture, and consumers through key socio-political events of the 20th century, allowing us to see how America’s horrors are conceived, shaped, and what they attempt to address. The course will also explore the origins of the genre in America and its evolution, both narratively and visually, in an effort to understand how horror works for American viewers and how to critically engage with the genre. The course will engage with film and literature as well as theoretical readings. Films will include (among others), The Wolfman (1941), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Exorcist (1973), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), and Scream (1996).