What Is Horror? Defining the Genre Through Fear and the Uncanny

Introduction: Defining Horror and the Uncanny

According to Sigmund Freud, das unheimliche—or the uncanny—can be defined as something that is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. In horror films, the uncanny can be achieved through the depiction of a series of events that lead a character into a dangerous situation without the explicit description or portrayal of what the danger actually is. Horror is far more effective when danger and violence are left to the viewer's imagination, because the imagination is then shaped by an individual's personal fears. If a director explicitly shows danger or violence, the viewer is forced to accept the director's depiction without psychologically engaging in the suspense as deeply as they could have had the danger been only implied.

Horror vs. Terror in Gothic Literature

In terms of horror as a genre, the true masters of horror are the writers of Gothic literature, who helped to define and differentiate between horror and terror. In Gothic literature, horror is often defined as the psychological reaction an individual has when confronted with something evil or fearful. Terror, on the other hand, is the physical reaction—whether it is the chills that run down one's spine or the compulsive need to shield one's eyes from the screen.

Writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker can be considered the forefathers—and foremother—of the horror genre. While horror films force the viewer to picture situations and characters in a certain manner, Gothic writers relied heavily on the images conjured in the reader's imagination, simultaneously forcing their readers to explore and come to terms with their own psychological fears and reservations. It is only when one understands what drives and motivates individuals at a psychological level that horror and terror can be meaningfully defined.