Livvie’s Take:
Let’s Get Political
Media is inherently political. While politics are visible in the world around us, the path to action is often unclear. Horror repeatedly gives us one of the most effective lenses to engage with politics. For a scathing yet beautifully constructed criticism of capitalism, look no further than Mike Flannigan’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Similarly, The Purge offers a scathing examination of corrupt governance and the dangers of unchecked capitalism—though, through its various remakes, parodies, and spin-offs, it’s hard to ignore the irony.
Even in the realm of horror in 2024, we see a distinct pattern: films like The Substance, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Alien Romulus employ grotesque body horror and insane birthing sequences. Louis Peitzman notes that “horror is the most consistent genre for social commentary…you can almost always look to two years prior to see what inspired it.” And if we were to look two years prior in America to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we understand the deeper, unsettling political undertones within these films.
While horror may appear ridiculous, violent, or nonsensical at times, it remains, without question, one of the most potent genres for reflecting the political climate of its time. Never underestimate its ability to expose the harsh truths of our society through unsettling imagery and unnerving narratives.
Nikola’s Take:
Kubrick’s Military-Orgasmic Complex
In 2017, Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK) screened Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (1964) to Vladimir Putin. He studiously observed, as though it were a ministerial briefing, a scene of an American Major riding a nuclear bomb into the ground. Waving a cowboy hat. Yee-hawing. Leaning back into his armchair, inspecting the DVD like a classified document, the Russian President profundly declared, “there are indeed things in this film that make us think.”
No comment needs to be made about the total absurdity of this moment. A blatantly unsubtle Cold-War comedy loaded with so many coarsely ridiculous jokes that it would be impossible to see it as anything but a caricature. And yet, the reality of poltics has become as ludicrous as the gags in the film.
With all the high praise regularly rewarded to 2001 or The Shining, Dr Strangelove deserves a seat at the table. If it isn’t for the unchained ensemble, with the bombastic Peter Sellers multi-roling as three different characters, then it’s for the witty cunningness of its satire. In just over ninety minutes, Kubrick frames American consumerism, military paranoia, and Fascism as belonging to the realm of masculine sexual fantasies. Cigars, missiles, Nazi salutes: in Dr Strangelove, war is inherently phallic.
Audrey’s Take:
The Attraction of Satire
In our society, expressed viewpoints are easily scrutinised, then immortalised into the online void. So, here walks in satire, the ultimate vehicle to tackle political issues under the guise of comedic intention. We’ve seen it successfully received when poking fun at the rich; The White Lotus, Succession, and Triangle of Sadness all offer an envy-worthy glimpse into the lives of the elite, while forcing us to be grateful to not be part of the illusive luxury which weaves pitiful consequences for its inhabitants. Yorgos Lanthimos has received recognition as of recent with a filmography showing off The Favourite and The Lobster, which both use adored actors to satirise the rom-com genre. Unsurprisingly, the first non-English film to win “Best Picture” is Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, a hysterically brilliant satire that bridges dark comedy and thriller to deliver a masterful representation of class conflict. Even retrospectively, The Graduate, Playtime, and The Truman Show, all recognised as classics, show how films can become highly regarded no matter the sub-genre – as long as they are of a satirical nature.
With the regression of society and the bleakness of our futures under the current political landscape, it is irrefutable that satire will continue to take center stage. We all love to use humour as a coping mechanism, don’t we?
Illustration by Rebecca Tate, @rebi_draws on Instagram