Horror Films FAQ: All Thats Left to Know About Slashers, Vampires, Zombies, Aliens, and More

Everyone has an opinion about horror films. Whether you love them or avoid them like the plague, horror films are visceral, engaging, and incredibly influential. But what if you’re just getting started with horror movies? Where do you begin? What defines a horror movie? What are the best, the worst, and the most controversial? And what makes one film great and another underwhelming?

John Kenneth Muir tackles these monumental questions with Horror Films FAQ, an impressively thorough and accessible guide to a century of cinema’s best scares and shockers. Exploring franchises, characters, directors, and subgenres across decades, Muir displays a familiarity with the genre that should dispel any fears about the thoughts and opinions expressed in the book. He knows the big strokes and the hidden gems alike. But what’s most intriguing about the book is Muir’s willingness to delve into what makes a film effective, highlighting not only the classics, but worthwhile moments in otherwise derided works. (His analyses of Last House on the Left and I Spit on Your Grave, two very controversial pieces, are thoughtful, scholarly musings on important themes.) This is not only a terrific primer for horror newbies, but an interesting read for devotees as well.