Primal Screens

Horror cinema began almost immediately. Nosferatu (1922) turned Dracula into a plague metaphor for post-WWI Germany. Frankenstein (1931) explored the terror of uncontrolled creation. These early horror films tapped into anxieties that polite society refused to discuss.

Each era's horror reflects its fears. 1950s horror featured radiation monsters (nuclear anxiety). 1970s horror targeted the family (social breakdown). 2000s horror used surveillance and torture (post-9/11 paranoia).