Monsters in horror films usually represent social anxiety metaphorically. Horror movies feature all types of fears that people might have in society that lead to the constant emotional pressure that individuals experience. For example, monsters that come out of the darkness represent symbolically dark emotions that individuals suppress when communicating with others (Albers 23). In general, people watch their fears on the screen, associate themselves with the movie’s protagonists, and overcome their anxiety with them. It is possible to regard horror movies as a method of stress relief and an effective way of coping with different concerns with alienation from emotions (Faucher 61). The horror movie “Lights out,” directed by David Sandberg, features the imagery of darkness where all fears live and from which the monsters come to torment people.
The protagonist of “Lights out” is the young girl who leaves her parental house where mystical events did not allow her to live normally, but they return when the night falls. The same fears torment her younger brother, and in both cases, the supernatural horrors are connected with the girl’s mother and the immortal ghost (Sandberg). From the psychological perspective, the spirit that suffers and cannot die represents the fear of all people’s pain and death. The darkness that hosts ghosts is also a typical symbol because it is associated with the unknown (Greenberg, Goldman 337). This movie uses images and storylines that are traditional for this genre. Though, the tension in the film does not allow the audience to think about the common metaphors (Hoffmann). With traditional imagery representing social anxieties and emotional tension, the movie “Lights out,” directed by Sandberg, is a high-quality horror.
Works Cited
Albers, Robert H. Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families. 1517 Media, 2019.
Faucher, Kane X. Social Capital Online: Alienation and Accumulation. University of Westminster Press, 2018.
Greenberg, Leslie S., and Goldman, Rhonda N. Clinical Handbook of Emotion-Focused Therapy. American Psychological Association, 2019.
Hoffmann, Jordnan. “Lights Out Review – Half-baked Horror Gropes Around for a Point.” The Guardian, 2016. Web.
Sandberg, David F., dir. Lights out. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2016.