Horror Films by Subgenre: A Viewer's Guide

More horror movies are produced and released each year than any other film genre. While horror enjoys broad popularity, many hardcore fans voraciously consume films from their favorite subgenres while avoiding others entirely. This says something interesting about the films and their audiences.

This primer and reference guide defines and explores 75 alphabetically listed subgenres of horror film, from Abduction to Witchcraft and two Zombie subgenres. Each sizeable entry provides a critical survey of the subgenre, a detailed examination of its characteristic elements and themes, and a discussion of three or four exemplary titles as well as other titles of interest.

Chris Vander Kaay is an author and screenwriter. His most recent film, The Redemption of Henry Myers, premiered on the Hallmark Movie Channel. He has written articles for Bloody Good Horror and Creative Screenwriting Magazine.

Kathleen Fernandez-Vander Kaay co-wrote the script for the award-winning short film Freund, based on the life of cinematographer and director Karl Freund The Mummy and was a contributing writer for the Deseret News.