From Witchcraft to Possession: A Study of 'The Witch' and 'Hereditary' in the Context of Elevated Horror

Jensen, Victor Kaj

4. term

English, Master

2023

2023-05-31

49

Denne afhandling undersøger den omstridte betegnelse ‘elevated horror’ gennem en kvalitativ næranalyse af Robert Eggers’ The Witch og Ari Asters Hereditary. Indledningsvis placeres filmene i horrorens historiske udvikling og i aktuelle debatter om, hvorvidt ‘elevated horror’ udgør en særskilt undergenre eller blot en fortsættelse af kendte tendenser. Den teoretiske ramme bygger på eksisterende horrorfilmteori og introducerer centrale begreber som genrehybriditet, affekt, det uhyggelige (the uncanny) og social relevans, samt peger på, at klassiske horrorfilm også kan bære væsentlig samfundskommentar. Metodisk anvendes næranalyse af fortællestruktur, tematikker og stilistiske valg for at belyse, hvordan The Witch og Hereditary arbejder med psykisk terror, atmosfære, symbolik og familierelationers opløsning for at skabe uro og eftertanke. Formålet er at klarlægge, hvilke træk der kendetegner ‘elevated horror’, og hvordan disse film udfordrer velkendte genrekonventioner. Uddraget indeholder ikke de endelige resultater; det opstiller rammerne for den efterfølgende analyse og konklusion, som præsenteres senere i afhandlingen.

This thesis examines the contested label of ‘elevated horror’ through a qualitative close analysis of Robert Eggers’s The Witch and Ari Aster’s Hereditary. It first situates the films within the historical development of horror and current debates about whether ‘elevated horror’ is a distinct subgenre or part of a longer continuum. The theoretical framework draws on existing horror film scholarship and introduces key concepts such as genre hybridity, affect, the uncanny, and social relevance, noting that classical horror can also carry meaningful social commentary. Methodologically, the study analyzes narrative structure, themes, and stylistic choices to show how The Witch and Hereditary deploy psychological terror, atmosphere, symbolism, and the breakdown of family dynamics to provoke unease and reflection. The aim is to clarify which features characterize ‘elevated horror’ and how these films challenge established genre conventions. The excerpt does not present final findings; it lays the groundwork for subsequent analysis and conclusions provided later in the thesis.

[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]

Horror ; Movie ; Elevated Horror ; The Witch ; Hereditary

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