Killer apps (and phones) - 5 horror films that bring out the dark side of technology
Halloween is upon us. And so is Countdown, the newly released supernatural horror about a deadly phone app which supposedly predicts how long a person has left until they die...which got us thinking.
The horror genre has a history of playing out society’s technological fears on screen. While in the real world, technology is used to make life easier, in horror films, technology is often to blame for grizzly and untimely deaths (or noticeably absent when needed most!).
So, to celebrate Halloween, we’ve devised a list of the top 5 films in which horror and technology mingle to spook-tacular, spine-tingling effect...
There’s plenty to scream about with these films…
1. RING (1998, Hideo Nakata)
The Crux: After her niece and three friends are found dead having watched a supposedly cursed videotape, reporter Reiko Asakawa sets out to investigate the tape’s origin and solve a decade-old murder that could break the spell.
The Consensus: Influenced by Tobe Hooper's 1982 something-in-the-TV-set nightmare Poltergeist, this is a startling example of J-Horror at it’s best. You’ll never want to pick up the phone again…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcgCM2FyU8s
2. SEARCHING (2019, Aneesh Chaganty)
The Crux: When David’s daughter Margot goes missing, he decides to search the one place that no one else has: her laptop. This hyper-modern thriller, told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, reveals the frightening traceability of our digital footprints.
The Consensus: Achieving an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, Searching’s timely presence and original execution is an unsettling reminder that if our secrets aren’t safe, neither are we.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ro9ebQxEOY
3. CAM (2018, Daniel Goldhaber)
The Crux: This technology driven psychological thriller set in the world of webcam porn follows Alice, a cam girl who discovers that a mysterious girl - who looks just like her - has taken over her channel.
The Consensus: Written by Isa Mazzei, a former cam girl, CAM is an all-too-real depiction of sex workers online and the fragility of digital identity. This is an accomplished psychological debut that will reverberate long after the TV’s been switched off…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN8xZ5WDonk
4. PULSE (2001, Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
The Crux: After college student Taguchi commits suicide, young adults in Tokyo start witnessing terrifying visions across the internet. As more people mysteriously disappear, the internet becomes a breeding ground for evil, murderous spirits.
The Consensus: The second J-Horror to make it on the list, PULSE was critically acclaimed by horror buffs. The repeated dial-up tone heard in the film functions as an aural metaphor for humans trying to communicate - and disturbingly foreshadows an age of internet-induced isolation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfoJpCSs2lU
5. SCARY MOVIE (2000, Keenen Ivory Wayans)
The Crux: Having disposed of a man’s body over a year ago, a group of gormless teens find themselves being stalked by a bumbling serial killer. Although technology isn’t the glue that holds the narrative together, the iconic ‘Wazzup?’ phone conversation between the infamous Scream killer and his victim is enough to justify a place on our leaderboard.
The Consensus: A pop culture parody, SCARY MOVIE was the first of its kind, boldly firing bullets at the most well known horror movies of the twenty-first century. This is a perfect Halloween movie alternative for the faint-hearted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWm_mkbdpCA
By Lara Businaro
