What is Slasher Horror?

Slasher horror is considered to be one of the most popular horror genres. I think this craze gained a massive following once Scream was released in 1996. Wes Craven's horror movie got so many fans, all because of that cool twist where we got two killers instead of one. The two killers also were so memorable, due to their creepy personalities and their intense desire to kill anyone who stood in their way. 

I felt that slashers before Scream were sort of popular, but I think they lacked that 'special charm' with what made them special. Billy and Stu from the first Scream movie were a team, and they weren't afraid to kill people that they were close to. Billy made his killings personal, because he wanted revenge, and was willing to date a girl that was involved in his scheme. 

Stu killed for pleasure, and to get close to Billy, that he viewed almost in a God like stature. Actual motivations were given to these characters, and it made perfect sense for the story of the first Scream movie. 

The other movies that followed in the franchise did their own motivations with the new killers, but Billy and Stu were the first ones, and will always be seen as the 'best killers' in the franchise. 

Another factor that made the slasher genre special was the term of the 'final girl.'

The slasher genre has always been known for the mystery of who the killer is, along with a lot of gory kills that have become memorable over the years for horror fans. And there is always that one girl that is always left alive, to face off against the killer. 

The final girl became so famous through the slasher genre, and even though this trope has gotten old, it's always so entertaining to watch. It's empowering to watch the final person left alive be the one to defeat the killer, because despite all of the heavy loss, that one person is going to end the evil once and for all.

One of my favorite ideas is when the movie makes us believe that the final girl is going to survive. I have seen very few horror films that suddenly trick the audience, making us believe that this particular character is going to be the final girl. One of my favorite subversions is the young woman that is killed by Norman Bates in Psycho. 

The woman that we see interacting with the killer was hinted to be the final girl, and she is instantly killed by Bates from out of nowhere. It's a great twist, and I love it when horror movies go for original ideas like this.

Another idea that I adore, is when we get a final boy instead of a final girl.

I'm so surprised that the final boy isn't as popular as the final girl trope in horror. I feel that final boys are always overlooked, and I'm not the only one who feels this way. From the research I have done, many horror fans feel that the final boys deserve their own term, like the final girls do. 

We have gotten so many final boys that strongly deserve this title, such as Ash Williams from the Evil Dead franchise. His character became a huge hit, with the original trilogy and the TV show that followed. How Ash was stable throughout all of the chaos with the demons he fought left and right was a miracle. Dude went through so much in this franchise!

The slasher horror genre is awesome, and while it's not my favorite genre, I think it definitely deserves the popularity from horror fans!

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Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn