Deathwave: Defining a Movement (an in depth look at a new wave of horror)

Unless you’ve been living only on a diet of the usual tried and true formulaic horror films that are regurgitated at an alarming rate, you may have noticed that horror films have become a little different lately. Such as, the tales you are being told start out somewhat realistic, the characters are people you can identify in everyday life, and their problems are just like yours… that’s because independent filmmakers today aren’t following the rules as they’ve been taught. Instead they are diving head long into subjects that strike at the heart of reality, twist in the formulas we know and love, and then drill them into our heads with a serial killer's vengeance. It sounds pretty intense doesn’t it? Well, I would agree that it is when you look past the horrifying veneer and let yourself sink into the reality of what the state of horror has become. We live in an amazing world in which art is ever changing and the world of horror is not immune from evolution. Have you ever had one of those moments when you see the new remake and think “is there ever going to be anything new and original?” I’m here to tell you it has been under your nose the whole time you were scoffing at the news of the latest retelling of A Nightmare on Elm Street and it is chosen to call itself Deathwave. It's ok if you missed it, that’s why I’m here to point these things out.

Alright, so the term Deathwave didn’t even know it existed until a BBQ was attended by a bunch of independent filmmakers. But then we didn’t really know that all these filmmakers were banding together to change the face of horror. It’s possible that even they didn’t know that until Adam Egypt Mortimer (Writer/Director – Some Kind of Hate, Ballistic, Holidays) decided to give it a name. Instead they just kind of infiltrated our normal horror habits with films that mimicked what we expected while taking us deeper into our own rabbit holes as they blurred the lines between the horror that we think we know and the horror that was about to kick us in our collective psyches. But for the moment, let’s steer away from defining Deathwave for a moment and actually consider the films the term is seeking to cover. I am going to do so by testifying about my own exposure to these fringe horror films. It will be kind of a “how I discovered deathwave or how it found me and shredded my brain” affidavit.

To be honest, even as a critic that religiously made independent horror films a regular entree, I didn’t even notice this transition at first. Like everyone else I was conditioned to expect the same old formulas and reported on them as I always did while internally hoping for something else. That something else kind of crept up on me like a serial killer carefully sticking an ice pick in my brain, and twisting. I also can’t quite pinpoint when it happened. Looking back I have a sneaky suspicion that that the desire for something new and mind boggling  might have started to be satisfied with with a film like High Tension (2003). Alexandre Aja introduced us to an entirely believable scenario in which a young Frenchwoman travels out to the country to visit her family and brings along her friend Marie. Soon after they get settled in the secluded home, Alex's parents are brutally attacked by a psychotic truck driver who proceeds to stalk the two women as well. It is a classic horror scenario with in depth characterization that leads to an unexpected outcome. A film that questions sanity, digs into the subject of mental instability, and leaves one a little lost for catharsis when all is done. The true horror in this film is learning everything we thought we knew was wrong. Perhaps it was after experiencing High Tension is when I started to have hope that horror was evolving into something scary.

A few years later a couple of college graduates decided to start a website and podcast dedicated to the horror genre. We had just earned degrees that we believed gave us the knowledge and perhaps even authority to dissect and discuss horror movies, both of us having left with degrees in cinema studies. At first it all seemed normal as we tore about film after film looking for redeeming qualities in the film making as long as the formulas were followed and tropes were obvious. Admittedly this bored me early on as we continued to look outside the box and jump into independent films where we forged still standing relationships with directors, writers, and actors who have surprised us over the years. It was a good thing too because at this time I was scrambling for films that offered something new, not of the cookie cutter variety we had first found so easy to discuss. I was so desperate to explore a different aspect of that we actually recorded a show in which I found myself arguing the reasons why The Lovely Bones (2009) IS a horror movie. Fortunately the show somehow got lost and as far as we know is no longer in existence. Irregardless, I still stand by my assessment especially given the state of horror evolving like it is. NO, not because there is a ghost, but because of what that ghost represents. What I’m taking into consideration the film has very well developed characters, the subject matter (serial killer, ghostly influence, etc) fits the new evolution of horror. But, even if I concede to the arguments that it is not a horror film, what my steadfast belief proves is that I was starting to starve for something different and was able to find those horror elements I’d been taught to appreciate in a thrilling heart break of a film.

Then something different attacked with a vengeance in 2010 with Kim Jee-woon and the incredibly mind numbing film I Saw the Devil. Sure, its an action/revenge/thriller that just happens to have a serial killer in it. Just happens to have a serial killer? Hey, if we can admit Hannibal Lecter into the horror villains hall of fame simply because he is a diabolical cannibal, than Kyung-Chul earns his place with his first evil grin. Ultimately what causes this film to skirt the line between vengeance movie and horror film is not just in the serial killing. We are invested in Kim Soo-hyeon, the cop who hunts down his wife's killer to make him pay for his horrible misjudgment in victims. We applaud the beginning of the cat and mouse game that creates hell for the serial killer as he learns what it is like to be the prey. A role reversal that eventually started to make me realize that Kim wasn’t the average right is might hero. He is flawed, he has needs that border making him evil himself. Though I thrilled to the vengeance, agreeing the bastard deserved what was coming to him and then some, it dawned on me an old saying I have no clue who to give credit for, maybe it was my Grandma, “I saw the devil and he is me.” Our hero had indeed turned into a monster, a self appointed devil whose sole purpose was to punish this serial killer. Sure, the bastard deserved it, but as a mere mortal man himself, our hero had become the monster and we as the witnesses who cheer him along are just as guilty. Will the hero be able to overcome the temptation of evil in the end or will he somehow redeem himself? How will that redemption come about and will it be satisfying enough to cleanse our own evil earned by proxy? When the movie comes to an end will I find peace? I watched I Saw the Devil over and over again before realizing that their was no catharsis, life doesn’t always have a happy ending or a twist that will lead you into the next chapter. Life is always walking that line between what we believe to be good and what might evil. Especially since he was far from the perfect vengeance machine, a few times arriving too late to really help the bystanders caught up in his lust for punishment. Collateral damage from one man's revenge. This is true horror at its finest folks. Primal and visceral. Definitely something different that defied our preset standards and helped define a new kind of horror film.

On that note, it's easy to give foreign filmmakers credit for pushing horror further into the realm of uneasy realism. Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In (2008) redefined the vampire while exposing the all too real effect of troubled adolescence, being an outsider, our need for acceptance, and unconditional love. While, Guillem Morales’s Julia’s Eyes (2010) takes us on a murder mystery ride with an invisible serial killer. The first was originally labeled a dark romance, the last a murder thriller. Both, are veiled horror films that dig deep into our psyches as we become invested in the tales that unfold before us and both shocked by the final outcomes. There are many more to consider when looking for foreign precursors to an evolution now obviously infecting our films. I don’t want to spend too much time on these films. While the “movement” we are talking about may have been influenced by them the term we are defining was coined by an American filmmaker so let’s switch gears back to on shore and we will avoid talking about the last 2 films American remakes in the process.

Back to the Creepercast biography for a moment…

As previously mentioned, as the Creepercast progressed our relationship with independent filmmakers and actors grew exponentially. We were getting amazing films to review at an increasing rate and forged lasting relationships with folks like Jack Perez (Director) and Ryan Levin (Writer) of Some Guy Who Kills People (and co-star Barry Bostwick who joined us for an episode of the podcast) as well as writer/director Scott Glosserman of Behind the the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Our guilty pleasures were sated by Asylum Pictures alumni Leigh Scott and Nick Everhart, and the list continues to grow from there. Granted, I’m only name dropping here, these are excellent films that we appreciate being brought in on the ground floor with and that you should definitely see, but they do not relate to our subject at all.

One relationship that does is with actor extraordinaire and our master of creeps one Bill Oberst Jr. We accidentally got hooked up with him due to pursuing interests in his part in Michael Emanuel’s Scary or Die anthology. That allowed us to go into full on stalker mode and get our hands on everything thing this amazing thespian has had even a few minutes screen time in. Now they weren’t all great (some likely gained much just from his presence) but there are a couple that stand out. Children of Sorrow put Bill center stage as Simon Leach, the leader of an isolated cult, that takes advantage of his followers and no one is allowed to escape. It's a great behind the scenes of cult life movie that puts our own insecurities on trial as twisted con-man Leach leads his followers to their demise with glee before moving on to the next weak minded mark. Movies about cults are the best look into the human condition as there are many of us who so badly want to believe there is a reason behind the madness called life. Real cult leaders have maximized on our need acceptance for centuries making it possibly the most horrible aspect of life and the horror genre. When Ti West gave us The Sacrament, an updated fictionalized account of the Jonestown Massacre of 1978 he knew full well that the reality of the horrors embedded in his film, including real accounts from Jonestown survivors, was scarier than any monster he could have created to lead them. The scariest part about this cult leader, and the previous mentioned Simon Leach, is that they both believe their own rhetoric. Ti West’s to the point where even though you can see it in his eyes and actions he’s just as much a  con-man as Leach; even he drinks the Kool-Aid.

Another film that was brave enough to cast Oberst Jr in a pivotal role is one I have spoken of often. Benson and Moorehead’s Resolution is genre-bending whether it was intentional or not. When Bill first brought it to my attention he was very clear as he wasn’t sure it was horror film. Aaron and Justin, when they decided to share it with me, were also adamant that it may not actually be a horror film in the conventional sense. On that, they were absolutely correct. It’s a buddy film, it's a get a grip on reality film, and it’s an addiction film. It’s the story of two best friends that lost touch, one bent on self annihilation, the other that believes he is doing right either due to a selfish need for martyrdom or misguided attempt to righting past wrongs. There’s also something weird and creepy going on as their appears to be watchers initiated conflict. We get some weird camera angles that make you feel like an unwanted participant, a strange backstory of disappearing people and a possible legend of unrest in the area. Than a chance meeting in the middle of the woods with Byron (Oberst Jr) adds a supernatural aspect, the legacy, the possible legend that will likely make or break the friends attempt reconnecting. Maybe it was just the mushroom tea but Byron is a pretty creepy medium. In the end Benson and Moorehead created a very uncomfortable situation in which we, as voyeurs, might start to feel a little dirty before taking away or omniscience and leaving us just as vulnerable as our characters. It’s pretty damn scary! The writing directing trio will do this to us again later in a film that examines mortality and love. But we’ll get to that eventually.

Next is our relationship with IFC Midnight,  Glass Eye Pictures, Drafthouse Pictures, and Blumhouse Productions who are responsible for making this discussion possible. I say Blumhouse are to blame mostly because Jason and crew have not only been integral to reviving the horror genre with new and very talented blood,  but it was their very own Jerry Smith that helped make Deathwave a thing with his 2015 article “DEATHWAVE: The New Movement In Horror Or Just Another Label?” It was that article and my experience with the films that are claimed to fall under that umbrella that, lucky for you all, prompted me to write this article. Now I may be straying a bit from the subject only to provide some background and give an example of how carefully and cleverly these films snuck into our collective consciousnesses and filled a horror void that we probably didn’t even know existed until it seeped into our brains and festered. It’s also giving me the opportunity to chime in on some of those films that have affected my own outlook on the genre. I have seen the future the horror and it is deep, mind blowing, and creepy as hell.

Many of the films and filmmakers that Smith brings into the fold in his article are representative of the best of all three production companies mentioned above. Actor, writer, director Larry Fessenden of Glass Eye Pix  could easily be considered one of the greatest proponents of the idea of realism makes the best horror. Fessenden attacked early with the addiction thriller Habit in 1995 and has seen been a champion of the cause for independent filmmakers. Creepercasts true first experience with Glass Eye came with Ted Geoghegan’s tale of loss in We are Still Here. It’s a film the questions whether death is truly the end. Death being a hugely debated topic in horror as it is, but with a more heartfelt examination despite the creepy monster and town that eventually brings the family involved back together. It’s also delightfully and stereotypical a 70’s homage that successfully hits every beat.

IFC Midnight (Magnet Releasing) has actually produced some of the most talked about films related to this subject. Leigh Janiak’s Honeymoon is on the top of everyone's deathwave list because it takes you deep into the suspicions of a new husbands insecurities as his wife's actions become more and more questionable, sinister, and ultimately leading somewhere much worse than what he was prepared to handle. Ti West’s The Innkeepers superseded Honeymoon with a look at death again using the paranormal investigators get dragged into hell motif. Adam Wingard’s The Guest is intentionally structured as a horror film with the pace of a thriller. Borrowing heavily from Hitchcock for suspense, feeding our hopes that the protagonist is not as bad we expect him to be because that would be cliche, ultimately teaching us something about our own insecurities and the creep that may be a connection to a lost love one. Trust is the scariest gift to give anyone, especially when you don’t really know them. Ultimately the lesson is age old, don’t trust strangers, as The Guest feeds our paranoia.

Drafthouse Films may have become our newest and greatest ally when it comes to producing and promoting awesome new wave horror. Last year alone they gave us two of the best entries starting with Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation in which a man thinks his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister intentions for their guests. The second is a film that we at the Creeperast can not rave enough about. It’s one of those films that when you tell people about it they aren’t so sure they’ll be interested. But Benson and Moorehead more than make up it for it with character building, what if scenarios, and a monster of a love story. I am of course talking about Spring, a horror film that defies all standard conventions by being a romance film. Spring is true love in bloom with an appetite for human flesh.  Spring is a modern love story, that takes place among the backdrop of ancient history, and just happens to have a very hungry monster. It's an intriguing story full of mystery and blood that uses every tool available to them to push the story along. All this said, Spring is a horror lovers love story. Benson and Moorehead have managed to stretch the bonds of horror again (see previously mentioned Resolution) but they've also blended it seamlessly with foreign romance, and maintained  the horror element while intriguing us with history and humanity. Spring is a labor of love for every horror lover and it couldn't have come at a better time. It's almost like they planned it that way. The film is an homage to the classic monster film that digs deep into mortality, literally (ok maybe figuratively).

Now the point of all this name dropping and listing of films is to get to the root of the discussion that has been caused by coining a name for these films under one horror sub-genre title (it's also a great way to bring all these films to your attention). These films have very little in common other than stretching the bonds of horror and taking us deeper into our own fragile psyches. Which may be enough to classify them, although I think each one manages to maintain their own originality enough to defy even this classification. The term Deathwave is admittedly silly. Even Mortimer, mentioned at the beginning of this article, admits it was a term he invented while hanging with colleagues in a likely alcohol infused situation (and who knows what else with those artsy types). It's also enveloping several sub genres under one flag which is hardly fair considering. According to Mortimer in “DEATHWAVE: The New Movement In Horror Or Just Another Label?” and most of his cohorts, the term is defined as "It’s like death, really dealing with death and grappling with the idea that death is 100% going to happen and it’s the worst thing that you can imagine. So in Deathwave, it can be silly and fun, but we can’t help but address the true reality that death is on its way." Graham Reznick (Actor/Director/Sound Design – Until Dawn, I Can See You, V/H/S, The Sacrament) goes on to add “Death' in this case means change, transition, metamorphosis.  Over the last two decades we’ve reached an oversaturation point of passionless studio horror films, artless remakes, and bland cash grabs all made for the wrong reasons... DEATHWAVE is the death of the cynical model, and it is the wave of passionate, sincere filmmakers and storytellers who want their work to have meaning and impact."

So what has made these filmmakers so eloquent at telling a story and taking us along for a mentally draining spin? In the independent filmmaking world, and that is where you will find them all until Hollywood finds some way to formulate and mass produce it, the answer begins with “necessity”. How full the purse is has a lot to do with where the story is going to go. When you compare these films with the big Hollywood productions they are made for next to nothing. Honeymoon was made with 1 million, The Sacrament managed to come in at 4 million. The Guest pulled off their production with 5 million. We’re comparing this to 20 million or higher budgets from the major motion picture makers. Working within these boundaries forces a filmmaker to compensate somewhere else in the production. Like by billing fantastic lesser known actors that seem to be doing it mostly for the craft. A.J. Bowen of Ti West and Adam Wingard fame is an excellent example. Since films like Ti and Adam’s have proven themselves at the box office and among cult followings these films have also become attractive to B and A list actors as well. Thus the Blumhouse connection with those like Ethan Hawke. Absolutely a great portion of this attraction is writing. Actors are especially drawn to scripts to explore stifled or uncharted areas within their repertoire. The stories have substance that don’t rely on spectacle. It doesn't hurt that these directors are true fans of horror, life, and experimenting with tried and true methods of storytelling. All of the films mentioned in this article are prime examples of when it works. Without this love and dedication for the genre and the story they’d be just another Asylum film. Sharknado was made for 1 million, most of it going to talentless talent and swirling sharks. Not that there’s anything wrong with that when the lack of talent and goofy CGI sharks are integral to your appeal. But as stated by Reznick above, this is not want these films strive to be.

O.K. so we have a good idea of what Deathwave is according to those who created the term. I’ve also given many examples of those films that would therefore seem to fall under that umbrella. But can we be so bold as to put all these movies into a category or subcategory that seems to defy the concept of categorizing? Zombie films are categorized as such because they are about the many incarnations of zombies. Body Horror is derived from the graphic destruction or degeneration of the body, which can include zombies. But to say that the films we’re talking about here is all about death is redundant. Horror films are ALL about death. Though I do agree they explore the subject on a more visceral level. Death is not just a result, or something to fear, it is inevitable. It is dealing with the fear and inevitably makes these films so horrible. So maybe it's true their concentration on death is deeper, it does not exclude them from the general horror populous. They can be zombie movies like Maggie and Contracted, or body horror like Bite and It Follows. They are especially psychological and pull you deep into the dark recesses of your own paranoia. But again that’s what horror is supposed to do. They just do it better with more talent, better characters, a stronger story, and out of necessity.

Given everything we’ve learned about these films they are definitely part of a new wave of horror. You might even call it a renaissance of elevated horror designed to make you think. That is not to say there’s anything wrong with the good old get straight to the point slash and bloodbath horror that is cranked out on a regular basis to gross us out and move on to the next. There’s a time and a place for mindless horror and this new wave recognizes that as well. There’s plenty of gore in many of the above films, but all are seeking a deeper meaning that oft times leads us down the path of mystery. But one thing is certain, Deathwave is not a movement, it is not even a scene as others have attempted to call it. It is evolution. These films are not just causing us to become invested in these characters. They are making us uneasy voyeurs, manipulating our responses, and ultimately showing us the truth about ourselves, exploiting our own natural fears, and those that bombard us every day of our lives. Life is pretty damn scary, even with recognizable monsters running around. These films force you to look into a mirror and walk away realizing there is no certainty except death. How you meet yours is up to you, until someone else decides it for you.

Til next we bleed,

Jeff

More articles on Deathwave...

http://www.blumhouse.com/2015/10/28/deathwave-the-new-movement-in-horror-or-just-another-label-part-one/ http://www.blumhouse.com/2015/10/29/deathwave-the-new-movement-in-horror-or-just-another-label-part-two/http://birthmoviesdeath.com/tag/deathwave http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/10/28/deathwave-this-aint-an-arms-race-its-a-scene http://halloweenlove.com/deathwave-a-silly-label-with-a-great-message-horror-is-really-good-right-now/