A new wave of horror films is embracing obsolete technology and pre-digital aesthetics, with recent hits 'Obsession' and 'Backrooms' leading the trend. These films, directed by Gen Z filmmakers Curry Barker and Kane Parsons, opened this summer's movie season, each grossing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Both 'Obsession' and 'Backrooms' feature a steady stream of analogue props and production design, immersing viewers in a bygone era. 'Obsession' includes characters working in a music store and driving a vintage station wagon, while 'Backrooms' depicts self-help cassette tapes and a character adjusting a fuzzy TV signal.
Jane Schoenbrun's upcoming film, 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma', further explores this trend. The movie follows a young director attempting to reboot an 80s slasher franchise, with the plot largely taking place on a deserted summer camp set.
Filmmakers are reportedly leaning into this vintage vibe because modern aesthetics, characterised by sleek and minimalist designs, lack the texture needed for horror movies to thrive. They suggest that horror settings require the long shadows and creaking elements that older, more cluttered environments provide, contrasting with the 'ordered and empty' feel of contemporary spaces.