Why are Zombies Such an Enduring Presence in the Horror Genre?
Photo by Elyse Chia on Unsplash.
If you go back through the annals of time, the horror genre has been riddled with zombies. In fact, their persistence and spine-tingling presence has enchanted audiences across various forms of creative arts and entertainment—specifically film, literature, and gaming.
Whether it’s George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) or 21st century box office hits such as World War Z (2013), zombies have a unique profile which feeds human anxieties surrounding a general loss of control through mortality and society. It’s this emotional pull which has kept the zombie theme at the heart of the horror genre, while ushering in a new wave of success in online gaming.
What is the Allure of a Zombie?
In many ways, the zombie character is one of the most versatile you’ll get in any horror movie. The concept is said to have originated in Haiti, with Haitians linking mind control and voodoo practices to zombie culture. There’s also the primal fear which zombies invoke in viewers—the fact that they are humans who’ve devolved into flesh-eating monsters. It makes these individuals relatable and terrifying in equal measure. They are a vision of humanity stripped of all control and reason—mindless beasts, rebels without a cause.
Additionally, apocalyptic zombie tales delve deeper into themes of survival and societal threats, which let you ponder just what life would be like in an environment shredded of your usual home comforts and order. It poses difficult questions, bringing up the issue of the human race battling to thrive in the face of dehumanizing dangers.
Zombies Away from the Big Screen
Photo by Norbert Buduczki on Unsplash.
These feelings that zombies evoke have also been successfully replicated in other forms of entertainment away from the box office. Zombies have long been popular themes in video games and online slot titles.
Video game developers have also long since nurtured the essence of fear that zombies create. It’s apparent in the likes of Dead Space, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill 2. The latter of which is rated the best horror video game of all time by IGN.
The monsters have even bled into casual, more comical games. Titles like Plants vs. Zombies and the revival of the Nintendo classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors prove that zombies have a cultural staying power that extends beyond niche horror films.
Not to be left out, online slot developers have also tapped into the well, transporting players into bleak, sometimes terrifying worlds, hoping to trigger that “fight or flight” response. The slot, “Zombie Destroyers”, for instance, is inspired by a post-apocalyptic world overrun by flesh-eating zombies and quickly established itself as a favorite at Betano,a Canadian casino online licensed by the AGCO. With chilling zombie sound effects and dark animations, it’s easy for players to feel the heat as the reels begin to spin.
Contemporary zombie movies and games are increasingly viewed as metaphors, representing anything from consumerism to bioengineering. This gives zombies a cultural and almost intellectual depth which keeps their fire burning bright within popular culture.
In short, zombies aren’t just creatures of fear in the horror genre. They’ve evolved into symbolic representations of our hopes and fears. With the promise of juddering scares and continued exploration into the darker side of human nature, it’s hard to see the niche dying out anytime soon.
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