The Viewer as the Villain: Exploring Meta-Horror, Schadenfreude, and Fourth-Wall Breaks in Funny Games, The Cabin in the Woods, and Nope
Oral Presentation
Abstract
The popular horror films Nope (2022), The Cabin in the Woods (2011), and Funny Games (1997) are all placed in the sphere of meta-horror due to their various references to movie tropes and denouncements of spectatorship. In comparing them to other popular meta-horror films, however, one can see that they are indeed in a realm all their own, not only referencing tropes within film, but also calling to the audience itself, breaking from the narrative to include the viewer as a conduit of the horrific on-screen violence. While there is a slew of articles discussing various horror movies and meta-horror, highlighting these as well-researched topics, this paper is unique in its approach, as it underlines how each movie discussed goes beyond referencing tropes within the realm of fiction to referencing the audience. This paper dissects these references, using the concepts of schadenfreude, fourth wall breaking, meta-referentiality, intertextual casting, and voyeurism to argue that these movies are indeed pulling the audience into the narrative and are villainizing said audience. After establishing this, my argument moves to discuss the hypocrisy that comes with famous horror directors such as Jordan Peele, Joss Whedon, and Drew Goddard, who have aided in the creation of a dedicated horror fanbase, denouncing the same audience they have formed.
Key words: Nope, The Cabin in the Woods, Funny Games, meta-horror, schadenfreude
The Viewer as the Villain: Exploring Meta-Horror, Schadenfreude, and Fourth-Wall Breaks in Funny Games, The Cabin in the Woods, and Nope
Georgia College and State University
The popular horror films Nope (2022), The Cabin in the Woods (2011), and Funny Games (1997) are all placed in the sphere of meta-horror due to their various references to movie tropes and denouncements of spectatorship. In comparing them to other popular meta-horror films, however, one can see that they are indeed in a realm all their own, not only referencing tropes within film, but also calling to the audience itself, breaking from the narrative to include the viewer as a conduit of the horrific on-screen violence. While there is a slew of articles discussing various horror movies and meta-horror, highlighting these as well-researched topics, this paper is unique in its approach, as it underlines how each movie discussed goes beyond referencing tropes within the realm of fiction to referencing the audience. This paper dissects these references, using the concepts of schadenfreude, fourth wall breaking, meta-referentiality, intertextual casting, and voyeurism to argue that these movies are indeed pulling the audience into the narrative and are villainizing said audience. After establishing this, my argument moves to discuss the hypocrisy that comes with famous horror directors such as Jordan Peele, Joss Whedon, and Drew Goddard, who have aided in the creation of a dedicated horror fanbase, denouncing the same audience they have formed.
Key words: Nope, The Cabin in the Woods, Funny Games, meta-horror, schadenfreude
https://kb.gcsu.edu/researchday/2024/all/64