Funny Games - Tumblr Posts

Identity can be an ambiguous subject in Horror but increasingly, Horror narratives are turning towards the theory of the “Other”. The Other acts as the antagonist, one that the spectator cannot identify with and that the spectator realises in quintessentially different from themselves. The Other often takes on the form of the foreigner in Horror, thus increasing the xenophobia in modern horror and furthermore, exploiting current xenophobic social fears.

The three films above, The Strangers (2008, Bertino), Funny Games US (2007, Haneke) and The Purge (2013, DeMonaco) all feature the “Other”. All three films use this technique as it places the audience as the vulnerable voyeur, enabling the spectator to fully engage in a cathartic experience with the protagonists. If the spectator does not understand the motives of the antagonist we are forced to constantly ask questions and therefore, continue to become engrossed and interpellated into the film.