Twilight: Oh The Horror!

Why are people so surprised to find the film Twilight in the horror section? I can only put it down to the fact that this particular franchise has attracted a new wave of fans that have otherwise never given the horror genre a second thought. Twilight is a romance film. It tells of a bizarre love triangle and fits most of the regular romance moulds. But it is also a supernatural tale with the age-old theme of good verses evil. It’s a horror formula that’s been doing the rounds for eons, ie Vampires Vs Werewovles (Nosferatu Vs Lycan). 

The same people who are surprised to find the Twilight films in the horror section would not hesitate to tell you that Dracula is a horror story and yet it holds a romance far greater than that of Bella, Edward and Jacob. The great horror stories are often grounded with an emotional anchor, which serves the purpose of engaging the viewer emotionally. The people who would rather see Twilight put into the drama section should also (by their own logic) request that The Exorcist, Interview With The Vampire, The Shining and The Omen be categorised as drama also. But the simple fact remains that they are all horror. Horror is a theme and because a story may not be terrifying, it is no less horror as its themes of the supernatural and the underworld do very much put it proudly within these realms. 

So to those whinges who have a sook about having to look in the horror section for Twilight, I suggest you browse that section and educate yourself on what horror actually is. Its not always gore, ghosts and zombies. Sometimes it’s aesthetic and sometimes its psychological, but when the film centres around a pack of vampires and werewolves then I don’t know how the hell you can mistake it? 

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