Halloween and The Creation of the Slasher Genre

No movie can be held more accountable for the modern horror film than 1978’s Halloween, a movie which redefined the genre for many years to come and essentially birthed the slasher sub-genre, a sub-genre characterised by its violence and weapon-holding antagonists which was birthed from various films in the overall horror genre. There were various slasher films released beforehand, with 1960’s Psycho and 1974’s Black Christmas, but Halloween is the film that really laid down the foundations of the sub-genre, creating the various tropes that multiple slashers would one day copy.

There’s a reason of course why every slasher sought to copy Halloween, and that’s because of how much of a success it was. Directed by John Carpenter, the film was relatively low budget, with the score being composed by the director himself and the screenplay being written by Carpenter and producer Debra Hill. Even through its low budget, the film still managed to be a massive success, launching a franchise that is still releasing entries to this day. Carpenter has made a name for himself in the horror genre, becoming one of the most recognisable directors involved in the genre, with such iconic releases as 1988’s They Live and 1982’s The Thing. Halloween is his most important release however, it’s the film that really put his name on the map and where he got his start to make the rest of his recognisable films.

The film follows a regular high school girl named Laurie Strode (Jaime Lee Curtis) who is thrusted into danger when deranged serial killer Michael Myers escapes from the sanatorium. The plot is rather simple, but this adds to the terror, many other slashers would try to adopt the realism displayed by Carpenter here. Michael is a killer who would inspire many others, not just through his actions but by the way he is presented, with point of view shots being used to look through the killer’s eyes, an artistic choice that would become a staple in the sub-genre.

Jamie Lee Curtis’ debut performance as lead Laurie Strode is a strong aspect of the film, she feels like a realistic everyday person, adding to the severity of the horror. This debut performance would also create a new trope for the horror genre, with this being the first real account of a final girl, a trope which was very commonly placed in various horror films released soon after. Even the victims of Michael featured throughout the film can be placed in tropes, with this film clearly inspiring 1980’s Friday the 13th, with most victims in both films being substance abusers or sexually promiscuous.

One of the most well-known aspects of the film is the presence of John Carpenter’s chilling score, a score which has become iconic because of its connection to the villainous Michael Myers. The score adds so much to the tension built by the film, giving the villain his own musical motifs would become a common trope, with music becoming as important as an aspect of horror films as the horror itself.

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