A Comprehensive Review of Every Film in my American Gothic Classincluding Psycho, I Saw The TV Glow, and The Blair Witch Project
In addition to reviewing the gothic books on my American Gothic class reading list, I’m also breaking down the accompanying films!
Here’s a collection of movie reviews intended for viewers interested in gothic and horror films. While this list primarily includes classics, I Saw The TV Glow is the most interesting contemporary film that raises questions about the affects of fandom while The Blair Witch Project is the most artful in its use of genre. Think positing fiction as fact through a film that presents itself as a documentary. Psycho (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Secretary Marion Crane steals $40,000 from her employer and flees until she forced to stop for the night during a heavy rainstorm at the ramshackle Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates, the hotel proprietor who has a difficult relationship with his mother. ⭐️⭐️⭐️: Marion’s motivations in stealing the money remain largely ambiguous. Though some viewers claim she intended to run away with her boyfriend, this is never strongly depicted or implied. Tension decreases dramatically after the midpoint of the movie. Recommend to: viewers who enjoy watching the classics and who want a horror mystery. Halloween (1978) directed by John Carpenter
21-year-old Michael Myers escapes from Smith's Grove, where he has been imprisoned for the past 14 years for murdering his sister. He returns to his idyllic hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, and hunts for his next victims. ⭐️⭐️: while likely suspenseful during its time, has aged to the point of being slightly comical due to exaggerated acting and questionable character decisions. Recommend to: viewers who enjoy slasher films and who want to watch a classic slasher. Also good for watching around Halloween. Dawn of the Dead (1978) directed by George A. Romero
As hordes of zombies swarm over the U.S., radio-station producer Francine, and her boyfriend, Stephen, escape in the station helicopter, accompanied by Pete and Roger, two renegade SWAT officers. The group flees to an enclosed shopping mall and begin a bid for survival where they are threatened both by the zombies and themselves. ⭐️⭐️: four adults engage in glorified shopping in the mall against the backdrop of the zombie apocalypse. Romero’s commentary on consumerism is successful, but pacing is often slow and ending is abrupt. Dated in comparison to the zombie movies we have now. Recommend to: viewers who want a classic zombie movie. I Saw The TV Glow (2024) directed by Jane Schoenbrun
Solitary teens Owen and Maddy bond over Maddy’s favorite TV show, The Pink Opaque. Maddy feels the TV show is more real to her than real life and one day disappears. She comes back into Owen’s life years later with a story that determines the rest of Owen’s life. ⭐️⭐️⭐️: slow pacing distracts from the viewing experience and the expanse of time that passes in the film does not feel fully encapsulated. Recommend to: viewers interested in weirdly colorful films, coming-of-age, and the queer experience. The Blair Witch Project (1999) directed by Eduardo Sánchez & Daniel Myrick
Found footage tells the story of three teens who head into the woods to film a documentary about the seven murdered children who disappeared from a small town in the 1940’s. The project takes a turn for the worse when the group becomes lost in the forest and begin hearing noises. ⭐️⭐️⭐️: the incompetence of the characters quickly becomes irritating. The Blair Witch is never explicitly posited as the focus of the documentary as the first location the group hikes to does not seem to have any connection to her, and the man who killed the seven children in the 40’s also seems separate from the Blair Witch. However, handheld cinematography creates an unsettling effect, the group dynamics slowly devolve artfully, and the film as a whole is a worthwhile horror watch that spins an ambiguous and thus more disturbing ending. Recommend to: viewers of horror who enjoy films that don’t explain the supernatural elements to the point of reason. There is also a remarkable amount of lore around this movie, as it was marketed as fact at the time of its release with missing posters of the actors and an website presenting the project as real promoted as part of the marketing campaign. You're currently a free subscriber to Letters By Layla. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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