Queer as folk
Supernatural stories rooted in local lore get right under your audience’s skin, says Alex Davis
FANTASTIC REALMS
Alex Davis
Without a doubt, of the many subgenres of horror, folk horror is among the most difficult to define. Psychological horror, body horror, extreme horror… these are all areas that are a little easier to pin down due to clear tenets and expectations. That’s not to say there are no grey areas and overlaps in those genres, but folk horror seems to be more swathed in greyness than most.
A typical definition will refer to it as horror fiction with a strong reference to the European pagan tradition – which of course to Western writers certainly retains a strong kind of power. The ethereal, earthy nature of religion pre- Christianity remains a fascination for scholars and casual readers alike, and has been typified in a wide range of texts and movies. Surely HP Lovecraft’s ever-popular Cthulhu Mythos must be one of the most famous examples in the written word, and among the best-known films would be Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man, as well as its British predecessors Witchfinder General, Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Devil Rides Out.
That’s not to say that the phenomena is uniquely British – one of the most famous recent entries into the subgenre would be 1999’s The Blair Witch Project, and you could easily add Stephen King’s Children of the Corn to the US pantheon. And the movie that has probably brought the area back to the wider consciousness is Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015), which won widespread acclaim upon its release for its stunning use of imagery and atmosphere.