Summer of Horror: Thoughts From Watching Various Horror Films for the First Time

Spooky season may be upon us, but at least on my end, the summer has been full of spooks as I delved into watching quite a few horror films for the first time. The past year or so has felt like a key moment for the horror genre, as it has propelled original and/or unique stories in ways that have been otherwise nonexistent in other genres as of late. From last year’s buzzed about Sinners and Weapons, to this year’s Backrooms and Obsession, there’s been a lot to go around.

Personally, I’ve never been that into horror. I don’t like the idea of consuming a story for the sake of being scared. But this moment for horror films has been undeniable for me to look completely away. While there are some horror stories that I do like — Sinners being one of them — I decided to really dive into the genre this summer, where each month, I watched one horror film I’ve been curious about for a while, but had never seen before.

June: The Lost Boys (1987), Dir. Joel Schumacher

It’s interesting to see a “modern take” on the vampire lore, in a time where a bulk of prior representation of it in films were from the likes of Dracula. Maybe it’s because this was in a time where vampire stories weren’t as prominent that that’s why the lore in the film felt a little underdeveloped.

Same could be said for the characters as well — notably Michael and Star. I didn’t understand Michael’s motivation for wanting to join the local gang of vampires beyond wanting to be close with Star — one of only two female main characters in the cast who didn’t really add much to the overall story.

The Lost Boys makes its setting in the ’80s loud and clear from the hairstyles, wardrobe, soundtrack, and the predominantly white cast. In fact, if you didn’t catch it, I previously pointed out how the notable maggots scene — whether intentional or not — has a lot of racist undertones towards Asian people.

The Lost Boys is an overall campy time that exudes more feelings of that over horror. Also, the fact that the film was shot in Santa Cruz was a delightful discovery for this NorCal native. It is a film that, for all its flaws, I actually wouldn’t mind seeing again. Also, I’m curious how the new Broadway adaptation of it compares.

July: Queen of the Damned (2002), Dir. Michael Rymer

For a vampire flick released 15 years after the previous title, it could be easy to assume this would be a better made film. In my opinion, it’s not.

While I think it’s a unique concept to have a vampire reawaken in order to have a social life, the execution was overall bad; in the writing, the performances, the overdone special effects, etc. This film was arguably just as campy as The Lost Boys, and I’m not sure if that was intentional or not.

Really, Aaliyah’s performance as Akasha was the only thing making this film watchable at all, which might sound strange, seeing that she’s only in about a third of the film. One could tell she gave her all to the role, which is disheartening knowing that not only did she not live to see the final version, but also that she was the only BIPOC actor in the main cast. The way Akasha’s death is done was so unnecessarily outlandish and downright distasteful, especially knowing how Aaliyah died in real life.

Unless if it was a supercut of just her scenes minus the death scene, then Queen of the Damned is not a film I feel compelled to see again anytime soon. Out of the two films Aaliyah did in her lifetime, it’s Romeo Must Die I wouldn’t mind rewatching.

August: The Craft (1996), Dir. Andrew Fleming

It’s been 30 years since this cult classic dropped. I definitely see why it has a cult following, with the witchcraft and mysticism seamlessly inter-weaved into the dynamic between the four girls. They’re all very nuanced, as they each are multidimensional enough to feel empathetic for in one scene, and scathing enough to flat out cancel in another.

That said, that’s not to say the development of each of the girls were well executed, as I think the writing for Sarah and Rochelle could have been a lot stronger. Sarah’s backstory didn’t feel well fleshed out, and I don’t know how I feel about how the issue of Rochelle — the sole Black girl of the group — is one outside her realm of control (which is racism).

There are so many aspects of the story that would be either handled more delicately or not be done at all if it were made today. The scene where Sarah is being encouraged to slit her wrists was trigger warning-worthy, and it didn’t sit right with me how the girl from the broken home, Nancy, was the one who wound up in a straight jacket in the end.

There’s an undeniable charm to The Craft, but charm can only go so far. It’s because of the aspects that haven’t aged well that I feel uneasy about rewatching anytime soon.

September: Lisa Frankenstein (2024), Dir. Zelda Williams

Out of all the horror films seen over the summer, Lisa Frankenstein is the one that comes out on top for me. Despite its Rotten Tomatoes score, I think that’s more so to do with that we’re not used to seeing films made with as much camp and earnest-ness these days as this one was. Add the fact that it’s set in the ’80s, and there’s an endearing nostalgia to it as well, for an era filled with a lot of camp in its pop culture. It’s on par with The Lost Boys, but with stronger writing. (The fact that this was the only film on here written and directed by only women, with Zelda Williams also being the only director of color, probably adds quite a bit.)

All the characters have a charm to them, which is undeniable even when they do horrible things to each other later. The performances are done in a way to where none of it is meant to be taken too seriously, which can be hard to do when dealing with otherwise dark subject matter like axe murderers and zombies. Liza Soberano — in her first Hollywood production since returning back to the U.S. from the Philippines — is a particular standout as Taffy; a character that very easily could have been an unlikable stereotype. Yet even by the film’s end, it’s hard not to be empathetic towards her, in all that she’s been through.

That’s not to say this film isn’t without its flaws. No matter how much camp there is, there’s only so much to be used to put a filter over the fact that Lisa winds up taking her own life in the end. There is also the fact that some of the supporting characters such as Dale and Doug really don’t add much support to the story in the grand scheme of things. Also, this may be a nit pick, but as lively as Carla Gugino was as Janet, why wasn’t a Filipino actress cast instead to the play the mother of Taffy?

Overall, this is a film I’ll definitely return back to. There just aren’t a lot of films like these made nowadays, and that’s what makes Lisa Frankenstein a standout in not just in this era of movie making, but on this list.