Light from a LAMP

As the unofficial term, “Incel Horror”, spreads across the internet for this latest sub-genre of horror films, I couldn’t help but think that the horror genre as a whole has always upheld the idea that the scariest monster of all is a man.

Over the last few months, I’ve been on a horror movie kick. Specifically with movies that I call ‘female rage’ movies; movies where the main character is a woman who typically goes through a traumatic event and decides to get revenge on whoever wronged her. (I say female rage movie, but most of the time, it’s also empowering to watch. You know…balance.)

Think of movies like Hard Candy, American Mary, Pearl, Promising Young Woman which is still a cinematic masterpiece. Most of these are categorized as horror/psychological thrillers, but this new term is describing a specific storyline that we see.

Women who are manipulated by their partner to fulfill their own fantasies of what they want her to be. The villain in these stories appears a ‘nice guy’ and seemingly caring, but as the plot unfolds, we learn that his intentions are driven by the belief that he basically owns her.

Take the movie, “Don’t Worry Darling,” a couple living in a 1950s suburb, white picket fence lifestyle, supposedly living the dream. (I will admit if Harry Styles threw me on a table and ATE DOWN like it was his last meal, I too would be trapped. As a [former] Directioner, that scene was CAH-RAZY.)

The main character, Alice, is the dutiful housewife, enjoying a lavish life and taking care of the home while her husband is away at work. But throughout the movie, we get glimpses that there’s something wrong with this neighborhood and Alice is becoming aware of it. She’s getting hallucinations, people are dying in front of her, and her husband is gaslighting her the entire time. (No spoilers if you haven’t seen it, but Alice is only in this nightmare situation because of her husband.)

Another movie, “Blink Twice,” which kicked off my entire fascination with this subject, follows a young woman as she meets a handsome tech billionaire and he whisks her and her friend away to his private island. (On a whim. They meet and 24 hours later, she’s trapped on this island…I get it though.) Everything is paradise until her friend disappears and as the days go on, she learns what evil resides on this island and how this man trapped her in his scheme. (If you haven’t seen this one, I’m not gonna lie, it’s a hard watch but it was written so well. Someday I won’t be so traumatized from that movie and I would love to watch it again. It was pretty good.)

Art truly does imitate life, and with the times that we’re in…still in…dear god it feels like an eternity doesn’t it?

It’s no surprise that we’re seeing an increase of content in this sub-genre as we’re on the verge on a patriarchal and empiric collapse. (250 is right around the corner, we’re so close.)

Although the term “incel horror” is in use now, you could argue that it’s always been there in most horror movies.

The term ‘incel’ originated in the 1990’s by a woman named Alana. She popularized the word through her personal website, “Alana’s Involuntary Celibacy Project.” (Now pause for a second, homegirl had a website and with it, changed the world and gave us a first look into the manosphere? I love it when women.) Users on the site used it to discuss feelings of shyness and social awkwardness. Over time, the definition evolved, but has mostly been identified as a heterosexual man who adheres to three characteristics;

Number one: an appearance-based hierarchy, where looks are considered key factors to sexual relationships and one’s place in society. Number two: a belief in female “hypergamy,” which is the notion that women are too “sexually selective” and use their sexual privilege for social advancement. And number three: a dislike of feminism.

At one point, people thought of these guys as creeps living in their mom’s basement, or in the case of one of the most famous horror movie incels; living and dressing up as their mom in the attic. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was such a widespread success because suddenly the monsters weren’t fictional. It wasn’t a sea creature or an alien, it could be your every day average joe. That same year, another movie called “Peeping Tom” directed by Michael Powell, was released with a less-than-favorable review. Critics basically said it was too dark. An aspiring filmmaker, who is also a serial killer, films his murders to rewatch them later. (For some reason, that was too intense for the 1960s, but okay.) Both of these movies featured villains that Alana’s 1990s Project would describe as incels. Shy, socially awkward guys who are a little off, but everyone brushes them off as harmless. (I think that’s why the stereotypical idea of an incel became such a compelling thriller character.) Being shut out from the world can create something dangerous, but the recent depiction of incels in media has been showing us the opposite side of the same coin.

Instead of creepy combover-pencil thin mustache guy who doesn’t have any friends, it’s the ‘nice guy’ who’s always out with the boys and thinks he understands what women want and like. It is the guy who will tell you how important you are to him, but will manifest your downfall into existence.

I just watched Obsession and it was truly terrifying for a plethora of reasons. But the biggest one for me was the selfishness of the character, Bear and his actions do play into the second characteristic of hypergamy. Bear doesn’t actually know Nikki, but he’s been pining over the idea of her for a while. Instead of treating her like a person, he maneuvers around her like a Sonic ring that he needs to collect. Having her will give him status and some form of purpose. When he finally gets exactly what he wished for, he’s not satisfied. In fact, he’s not even that interested in her anymore. But still chooses to keep her trapped, tortured in her own mind. He knew what he had done and spent the majority of the time acting like he did nothing wrong and there must be something wrong with HER.

This new evolution of who we consider incels and the behavior that describes them is in conjunction with this period of time where conservative rhetoric and red pill theories are spilling out past their perimeters of the internet. If we’re seeing more of these movies discuss this topic, please heed the warning.

Representation matters and I believe there is a lesson to be taken away from movies like this; many women/people will find themselves in a relationship or situation where they lose who they are. They can feel it, their friends can see it, but no one wants to say the quiet part out loud. That man is draining your soul. Harvesting your energy to fuel his own desires. Whether you believe in spirituality or not, haven’t you ever found yourself around something or someone who just makes you feel like tired, exhausted and annoyed? Even when they leave, you still just want to sleep for a full 24 hours? (Energy vampires are everywhere.)

As we continue to be subjected to the horrors of every day society, I hope you’re encouraged to stay aware and vigilant of who you give your time to, and how they treat you and others.

Trust your instincts and question everything. There really is nothing scarier than an entitled man.