The Terror of the Old Ways
Folk horror is a subgenre that draws its terror from the deep, dark soil of the past. It is a cinema of ancient traditions, forgotten rituals, and the sinister power that lies dormant in isolated rural landscapes. The central conflict in a folk horror film is often the clash between the modern, rational world and a closed-off community that still adheres to ancient, pre-Christian beliefs. The horror arises from the protagonist’s dawning realization that the quaint local customs are not harmless traditions, but part of a terrifying and deadly pagan system.
The landscape itself is a key character in folk horror. The fields, forests, and standing stones are not merely a setting; they are imbued with a malevolent, ancient power. The horror is in the suggestion that beneath the thin veneer of modernity and Christianity, older, darker forces are still very much alive.
The Unholy Trinity
The term “folk horror” was popularized in the 21st century, but it is used to describe a cycle of British films from the late 1960s and early 1970s that are now considered the foundational texts of the genre. This “Unholy Trinity” consists of:
- Witchfinder General (1968): A brutal historical horror film about a real-life witch hunter in 17th-century England. It establishes the genre’s interest in the persecution of folk beliefs and the violence lurking beneath the surface of the English countryside.
- The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971): A tale of a 17th-century village whose children fall under the influence of a demonic, pagan force, forming a cult and committing ritualistic murders. It perfectly captures the theme of a resurgent, ancient evil.
- The Wicker Man (1973): Considered the masterpiece of the subgenre. It tells the story of a devoutly Christian police sergeant who travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate a missing girl, only to discover that the island’s inhabitants are a community of modern pagans with a terrifying secret.
Key Elements and Themes
Folk horror narratives are defined by a recurring set of elements:
- The Isolated Community: The story is almost always set in a remote village or rural community that is cut off from the outside world.
- The Outsider: The protagonist is a representative of the modern world (a police officer, a tourist, an academic) who enters this closed community.
- Sinister Traditions: The community’s folk traditions, which initially seem charming or eccentric, are gradually revealed to have a dark and deadly purpose.
- Paganism and the Occult: The horror is rooted in pre-Christian belief systems, witchcraft, and blood sacrifice.
The Modern Revival
After lying dormant for decades, folk horror has experienced a major revival in the 21st century. A new wave of filmmakers has embraced the subgenre’s themes and aesthetics to explore contemporary anxieties. Key films in this revival include Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015), Ari Aster’s Midsommar (2019), and Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England (2013).