The horror genre is ever-evolving, as are all its subgenres, and there is an increase in popularity in one subgenre: psychological horror. Not a new subgenre; in fact, it has been a notable part of horror since Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto in 1764, which is considered the first horror story and helped establish the horror genre as a legitimate literary form.
We also cannot overlook Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Telltale Heart” (1843), which introduced the basic elements of an unreliable narrator and questionable sanity, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886, which included themes of duality and morality as they dug into an individual’s psyche.
With the month of October and “spooky season” in full swing, we can see a significant interest in both books and movies of this subgenre lately, as seen in film releases like Weapons and The Long Walk. Although not all are based on a book, they all deal with the discomfort that a good psychological horror story brings forth.
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Early Psychological Horror Tales
As with all horror stories, there are the expected jumps and scares, but psychological horror offers more than the usual unstable mood; it explores the human psyche and delves into mental illness and the fine line between reality and the imagined. It evokes a sense of discomfort and terror.
Psychological horror in films existed as early as the 1920 title The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which introduced audiences to distorted realities and unreliable narrators, thus creating a precedent for stories down the road like Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island.
However, it wasn’t until Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, based on the 1959 novel by Robert Bloch, that the focus shifted from monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein to the regular-looking guy next door being the monster. This concept became firmly established, giving rise to books and films that followed suit.
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The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, also published in 1959, is largely considered as crafting the foundation work for modern psychological horror novels, as it influenced the entire era.
It was later turned into a radio play, two separate films, and, of course, a wildly successful TV series in 2018, which was named Netflix’s best show by Entertainment Weekly.
After this came Rosemary’s Baby, a book by Ira Levin in 1967, and the movie in the same year, written and directed by Roman Polanski, which depicted the psychological turmoil experienced by a pregnant woman carrying a child who is not human. The list continues with such tales as The Collector by John Fowles, without forgetting The Shining by Stephen King, and so many others in between.
What Does Psychological Horror Offer Its Readers?
We know that horror films and books offer escapism, but psychological horror remains with us long after the credits have rolled out or the cover has been closed. Most traditional horror relies on external threats or monsters, but psychological horror explores internal feelings such as trauma, paranoia, and even emotional breakdowns.
They offer insights into internal conflicts by peering into the characters’ minds, their emotional experiences, and vulnerabilities. We are presented with unreliable characters who are often unstable and disturbed, causing the audience to question their perception of reality in the given situation.
There is tension and suspense built up throughout the unraveling of the events, as opposed to the jump scares or explicit violence. This way, there are exploration fears such as madness, guilt, paranoia, and even dread that are part of the darker side of the human mind.
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In these stories, there is disorientation as the audience and characters struggle to distinguish fact from hallucination, delusion, and the breakdown of reality. In psychological horror, we emphasize the uncanny and utilize familiar elements to create unease and distrust, prompting the reader or viewer to question their own sense of security.
They rely on suggestion, leaving much to the audience’s imagination, thus intensifying the feelings of fear and distress.
What Does The Future Look Like?
Yes, psychological horror is on the rise as part of a larger increase in the popularity of the horror genre, which has doubled its market share in the last decade and continues to attract audiences with its ability to blend complex themes and unsettling atmospheres with innovative storytelling.
All of these points demonstrate the rise of psychological horror, as evident in the doubling of market shares between 2013 and 2023. What we are seeing now is critically acclaimed novels and films that push the boundaries, become commercial successes, and are culturally relevant.
They present timeless themes, reflect modern anxieties, and employ innovative storytelling by pushing boundaries through unconventional narrative structures. For films that utilize immersive technologies, this approach more effectively captures the audience’s interests and reflects contemporary fears.
Consequently, what does the future hold for book-to-movie psychological horror? Last year’s Incidents Around a House by Josh Malerman is getting an adaptation from Rob Savage starring Jessica Chastain.
December of this year will see the release of The Housemaid based on Fredia McFadden’s best-selling novel, and 2026 will see the release of Victorian Psycho, based on Victoria Feito’s novel.
The future of psychological horror is clearly bright and promising, and let’s not forget dark and thought-provoking. The perfect combination.
