The Exorcism hit theaters this weekend, and it’s the latest example of a meta horror movie — a horror movie that exists in the world of horror movies and knows very well what it is, playfully pulling on expected tropes in ways that new and fun.
Russell Crowe plays an actor who, after taking part in an Exorcist-style horror film, begins to become possessed. But are his old demons coming back into captivity? Or is there something more supernatural and sinister at play?
And if you came away from The Exorcism in the mood for more self-aware scary movies, TheWrap has compiled a list of five favorites that will have you laughing, screaming, and Googling the horror movie esoterica in it the same measure.
Here are five more meta horror movies to watch after The Exorcism:
“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986)
Looking back on Jason Lives, it feels even more of a miracle. After 1984’s Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, one of the best entries in the franchise, the series took a distinctly pornographic turn with the fifth installment, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, released in 1985. .The sixth entry is almost auspicious by comparison, thanks to writer/director Tom McLoughlin’s approach, which incorporated mythology from Universal Monsters and a familiar tone (it’s also the only entry in the franchise where the camp is open and the campers add some quality wonderfull). The film begins with a riff on the James Bond logo and continues with that sensibility throughout the film. It’s honestly a blast — a series highlight and way ahead of its time, beating Scream to the punch by a full decade.
Where to broadcast: MAX
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Wes Craven was lured back into the franchise by allowing it to go wild—and wild it went. New Nightmare sees Heather Langenkamp from A Nightmare on Elm Street filming a new entry in the franchise, with all sorts of crazy things going on around her (including some of the best kills in the entire series). . Gone are all the things that dug the series after Craven’s departure – the insistence on catchphrases that turned Freddy Kruger into a merchandising con but trumped his elemental power – with a new philosophical bent that goes a long way. At 112 minutes, it’s a bit too long, but it’s always captivating and never boring. (There’s a moment in “The Exorcism” taken directly from “New Nightmare.”) Also: “New Nightmare” feels like the touchstone Craven needed before he was born…
Where to broadcast: Available to buy
“Scream” (1996)
As we head into the seventh entry in the franchise, it’s hard to adequately articulate how revolutionary “Scream” felt when it came out. It was a horror movie populated by people who understood what horror movies were, throwing in the genre movie references and seeing them on screen. It was unlike anything anyone had seen before. And it wouldn’t matter if the film, directed by Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, wasn’t so well-crafted – sharp and funny, scary and exciting. It would also inspire not only the sequels that followed, but an entire industry of spoof movies in the Scary Movie franchise (Scream’s original title, by the way). And yet there were relatively few films that took the torch from Scream in terms of their willingness to play with the form and function of these films.
Where to broadcast: MAX
“The Cabin in the Woods” (2011)
“The Cabin in the Woods” is the alpha and omega of meta horror movies. It takes the frame of a typical horror movie – a group of attractive college students (including Chris Hemsworth, who filmed the role before Thor landed) retreat to a slightly creaky cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun and debauchery. But wouldn’t you know? Ominous forces soon strike. While this all sounds pretty corny, there’s a whole other level of “The Cabin in the Woods,” following a couple of office drones (Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford) as they try to set up the children’s doom. They work for the Facility, a laboratory that ensures horrors are inflicted on various unwitting participants. The Cabin in the Woods is a fun exercise in genre, but it’s also a learned examination of why we watch horror movies, interrogating things like the audience’s relationship to torture and its connection to much older stories. . Consider this your easy nudge to revisit The Cabin in the Woods, a modern classic if ever there was one.
Where to broadcast: peacock
“The Last Girls” (2015)
The Final Girls was written by MA Fortin and Joshua John Miller, who also wrote The Exorcism. It stars Taissa Farmiga as a girl whose late mother (Malin Akerman) was a famous scream queen. She watches her mother’s movies to feel connected to her. And then, in a positively Last Action Hero-y twist, she and some of her friends are immersed in one of her mother’s old movies. They must use their knowledge of the genre to escape a crazed killer, but can Farmiga really walk away from the film if it means never seeing her mother again? It’s as funny as it is scary as it is sweet, and “The Final Girls” has inspired a slew of copycat movies like Prime Video’s “Totally Killer” and much, much more. Forget those Xeroxes, look at the original. It’s a blast.
Where to broadcast: Available to buy
“The Exorcism” is now in theaters.
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