Bret Easton Ellis opens up about the state of modern horror movies
American writer Bret Easton Ellis has created an extensive and fascinating body of work, but he is primarily known for his third novel, American Psycho, due to its cultural impact. While the novel became controversial due to its subject matter, Ellis’ work was immortalised through a fantastic film adaptation starring Christian Bale.
In an interview with Variety, Ellis opened up about the current state of big-budget horror movies. The writer cited classics such as Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, claiming that 1970s horror was more efficient because films retained their intrigue.
He explained: “You could go on and on with the mystery of these movies, and what made them so much more frightening was that they weren’t explained. I often find now when a horror movie goes way too far into backstory, in terms of explaining why these people do what they do, or why this monster does what it does, it really minimises the horror.”
Ellis also pointed out how this ambiguity works in Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, declaring it as “the perfect example”. When asked about the recent fan-favourite horror film Barbarian, Ellis admitted that he liked the film, but he was disappointed by the final act.
He commented: “I thought it had a great, slow buildup that had that epic shock in the middle of it, and then it becomes this totally different movie. We’re very intrigued on how these two movies are going to merge and inform us as to why this thing has happened. I had a friend who liked it too, but also thought that in its third act it over-explains.”
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