Dave Grohl’s favourite modern horror film: “I’ve watched that movie 50 fucking times”
Music and film have always gone hand-in-hand, from the earliest days of silent cinema to the deluge of high-budget musicals that seem to dominate cinema screenings year after year. It makes sense, therefore, that film can often inspire musicians like Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. The lead singer and guitarist has long since been a devotee of cinema, so much so that, in 2022, he starred in a comedy-horror film, Studio 666, along with the rest of his celebrated group.
Horror is an incredibly broad genre, encapsulating everything from gritty psychological thrillers to gore-fueled slashers. Given the adrenaline-pumping, abrasive, and often loud nature of horror, the style has often been linked to the world of rock music. Many directors over the years have employed dark, fast-paced and distorted rock music to accompany their horror films, adding a sense of dread and danger to the on-screen antics. If you look at the soundtracks to many old-school horrors by directors like Dario Argento, the rock and roll accompaniments are often as enjoyable as the films themselves.
The Foo Fighters, expectedly, are devotees of the horror genre and explored many different examples during the production of Studio 666. Grohl, in particular, holds a special place in his heart for horror, going so far as to say that works like John Carpenter’s Halloween helped to influence much of his music career. Seemingly, though, the frontman does not only have a love for the classics, but he stays up-to-date with the latest trends in horror, too.
Depending on who you ask, modern horrors are either bland, repetitive, lazy, or some of the greatest films of recent years. All in all, it is fair to say that the genre is a mixed bag as of late, but it has not stopped Grohl from discovering some modern classics. Ahead of Studio 666’s release in 2022, the ex-Nirvana drummer shared some of his all-time favourite horror films, including both classic and contemporary efforts.
Among his picks, Grohl placed special emphasis on Robert Eggers’ directorial debut, The Witch. Released in 2015, the film follows a Puritan family living in 17th-century New England who are terrorised by a witch living in the woods near their family farm. Establishing Eggers’ dark and suspenseful storytelling for the first time, Grohl reportedly fell in love with the film instantaneously.
Explaining his utter adoration for The Witch to Entertainment Weekly, the Foo Fighters songwriter revealed, “That film is not only beautiful and a work of great actors and a great director, but, man, there’s something about a good Salem witch possession that will always scare me more than any Saw movie or any Ring movie,” adding, “I’ve watched that movie fifty fucking times; I love that film.”
While Studio 666 did not follow many of the same themes as The Witch, the band’s appreciation for Eggers’ film is evident in their performances. It seems as though a penchant for horror films has been one of the very few constants in the life and musical career of Dave Grohl, and the songwriter continues to explore the genre to this day.
