A good horror movie is something that you can go back to time and time again and still get scared. Whether it is The Omen, The Exorcist, or The Shining, these movies don’t rely on modern digital tricks to scare the viewer, instead, they use a terrific storyline and suspense to inflict continued horror on the audience. While many modern movies have had success they have also fallen out of favor quickly. The Blair Witch Project was one horror movie that people were allegedly having heart attacks in cinemas when it first came out. However, returning to the movie now it is clearly a subpar story relying on one trick that has now been overused too many times, the wobbly first-person camera. One area of horror that deserves to be further explored is the Anthology collection. There are many horror movies that come as shorts and as part of a collection of three or four films. While they often contain one or two amazing stories, rarely do all of the films succeed in thrilling the audience. One exception is ‘Tales From the Hood’ – the greatest horror anthology ever made.
As already mentioned great horrors are timeless. That is why Tales From the Hood is the greatest horror anthology ever made. Not only because it packs a good scar, not only because it tells a unique story but because it has an important message. While Get Out received much acclaim recently for combining horror with a message about racism, this is something that Tales From the Hood did first, and Get Out likely took a lot of inspiration from. There are many who say there would never have been a Get Out without a Tales From the Hood.
The movie is now twenty-five years old however the messages about the issues that the black community faces are more relevant than ever. As the Black Lives Matter movement has recently taken the prominence it deserves, this movie becomes a must-watch. The film focuses on three drug dealers who try to buy drugs from a nearby funeral home. There the man tells them the stories of the recently deceased and we get to see stories about zombies, scary dolls, and hell. However, in each story, there is also a lesson.
In one film we see white police officers killing a black man, which is all too relevant today. In another film we see domestic violence ruining a woman’s life. In the third piece, we look at the KKK. Finally, we look at the issues of the prison system in America. It is no surprise that Spike Lee is an executive producer on this series as the movie rings with many of the truths that he pushes in his films.
Aside from a political piece or a movie with a message, it is just a great horror. The issue with many horror films today is that they rely on the same old stories and same old movie tricks. If it is a zombie you know he will slowly walk but someone will trip. If it is a ghost you know he will appear in the background and a door will slam shut. This movie deals with many of the common horror elements but in a completely unique way. This is why it is has stood the test of time for twenty-five years.
If you are looking for a horror movie that will not only give you a scare but leave you with something important to think about then we highly recommend Tales From the Hood. The movie has a score of 68% on rotten tomatoes and despite being undervalued by critics is an excellent watch.
