Film’s Can Help –
Nov. 02, 2018 – Well, horror movies of all kinds act as harsh morality plays for teenagers. When it comes to helping teens learn to navigate the world around them, I always encourage positive exploration. With this in mind, I like to ask: What can we learn from these time-treasured terror tropes? Teenagers are horror movies’ key demographic, target audience—and subject. There isn’t one slasher film that features middle-aged virgins running from a killer or old people fighting off poltergeists without the aid of children or teens. Whether we’re watching the classic horror films, contemporary reboots, or inventive new slasher films, there is something to learn beyond the fake blood and jump-out-of-your-seat scares. There are messages about addiction, avoidance of warning signs and monsters as well as familiar tropes that seem like it’s not a horror film at all.
