Halloween is here. While there are many films to watch to get into the spooky mood that could be fun and relaxing, there are also horror movies that leave an impression and prompt viewers to grapple with their thematic relevance in today’s society.
Here are three horror movies that balance this aspect well by including thought-provoking takes on the loss and complexity of identity. These conversation starters build suspense from the second the camera starts rolling, leaving you to look back for clues you might have missed the first time.
“The Thing” (1982)
This sci-fi horror classic was based on the 1938 novella “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell Jr. and released to theaters nearly 50 years later as the eighth feature film from renowned horror director John Carpenter. The story follows a group of American research scientists whose base is infiltrated by a parasitic beast that takes different life forms through grotesque transformation, resulting in constant distrust and overwhelming fear among the men at the base.
Paranoia permeates the overall atmosphere of the film, specifically with the “thing” often thought of as a greater representation of the terror of losing one’s own identity. The film instills a fear within its characters and viewers of perishing and finding someone else living the life you had beforehand, watching helplessly as something unfathomable takes your mind and body as its own.
When the beast begins to take larger life forms such as humans, it gradually becomes conscious, warranting theories that the “thing” itself believed it was actually human. That film’s main narrative debate revolves around questioning the parasite’s potential humanity.
“The Substance” (2024)
Directed by Coralie Fargeat, this film follows two distinct versions of Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging actress struggling with maintaining her prominence in the acting industry. Sparkle is introduced to a black-market drug promising the return of her youth dubbed the “Substance,” which creates Sparkle’s younger variant, Sue. Elisabeth and Sue alternate weekly, though as Sue amasses fame through her youthful radiance, Elisabeth gruesomely deteriorates.
Grounded in suspense and body horror, with often gory and uncomfortable scenes, the film encompasses a battle between identity and the risk of upholding the impossible beauty standards in the entertainment industry. Although the two versions of Sparkle become even more separate through the film, they both stem from the same insecurities and desperation, displayed as the story progresses and the serum begins to distort the bodies of both characters.
The goal of their dynamic at first is balance, with each being able to go about their own lives while being two parts of the same person, until they later begin to fight with each other over control and success. This struggle within the story truly speaks to how one can create a different version of themselves that adheres to others’ expectations but still have difficulty grappling with their true identity.
“Him” (2025)
Released to theaters Sept. 19, this film is the latest work of Monkeypaw Productions under director Justin Tipping. It tells a twisted story of young athlete Cameron Cade on his mission to become the greatest quarterback of all time. Cade takes part in a footballing boot camp run by his athletic idol Isaiah White after an enigmatic attack causes him brain damage. As our protagonist is trained by his hero, the camp’s frightening methods expose White’s darker side.
As a subgenre of drama-horror, the film instills fear in viewers more subtly, leaving this unsettling feeling of being watched that slowly builds suspense until the more forward scenes are displayed. What’s most unsettling are the actions that Cameron goes along with during violent training exercises, the odd obstacles he overcomes and how he slowly begins to turn into a completely different person to achieve G.O.A.T. status.
It is later revealed that Cameron had always been surveilled by those he trusted, even from a young age, making for a fitting twist that could be a critique of the demands and manipulation present in football, a sport known for chewing up and spitting out younger male athletes. The center of Cameron’s change is through his willingness to sacrifice what he formerly loved and knew to become something he’s worked to be his whole life, even at the cost of his own humanity.
While each of these films are rooted in engaging aspects of fantastical psychological horror, they carry hints of reality too. Sometimes the best horror films ground a tragic tale in an experience of change that could occur to anybody, making them a perfect fit for a spooky night at home.
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