Horror movies are often associated with creepy creatures, haunted houses, masked killers and jump scares, but beneath the fear and suspense, many horror films reflect the political and social issues of their time. Filmmakers have used horror to explore subjects such as racism, economic inequality, gender roles, government distrust and class conflict. From the social anxieties reflected in 1970s horror to the racial commentary of Get Out (2017), the genre demonstrates how real-world political tensions can become sources of fictional terror. Horror is more than blood and gore; it can challenge audiences to examine the problems and power structures that shape society.

The 1970s marked an important period in American horror, as filmmakers increasingly portrayed ordinary people confronting violent, unpredictable worlds. Economic uncertainty, changing social values, and declining trust in traditional institutions provided a context for stories in which familiar sources of safety could no longer be trusted. Instead of relying exclusively on supernatural monsters, filmmakers began presenting human beings, families and communities as sources of terror. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) offers an example of how horror can reflect economic and class tensions. The film follows a group of young people who encounter a violent family in rural Texas. These antagonists include characters whose lives are connected to the decline of traditional slaughterhouse work as automation becomes more common. Their circumstances can be interpreted as reflecting anxieties about economic displacement, industrial change, and the loss of social stability. Rather than presenting the countryside as a peaceful escape from modern life, the film turns it into a place where violence and desperation threaten outsiders. These films helped establish a recurring horror trope: collapse of the systems people depend on for security. When family structures, economic stability, or trusted institutions fail, characters are left vulnerable to dangers they cannot easily control. The political significance of this trope lies in its suggestion that terror does not always come from an unfamiliar monster; sometimes, it emerges from the breakdown of the social structures that are supposed to protect us. 

During the 1980s, slasher films became a defining part of popular American horror. Movies such as Friday the 13th (1980) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) popularized stories in which groups of young people faced unpredictable threats. These films frequently used familiar settings, including summer camps, suburban neighborhoods, and schools to turn ordinary environments into places of danger. The slasher genre also developed a recognizable pattern in which characters’ choices, relationships, and behavior could appear connected to their survival. Some films seemed to punish characters who broke social rules, reflecting contemporary debates about teenage independence, sexuality, and changing cultural values. This pattern can be connected to broader conservative concerns about morality and social order during the decade. Under President Ronald Reagan, American political discourse placed renewed emphasis on traditional family values and personal responsibility. Slasher films did not necessarily promote these political positions, but their recurring conflicts sometimes reflected the cultural tensions surrounding them. The masked killer became especially significant within this context. When the killer hides their identity, they often represent an unpredictable threat that cannot be understood through ordinary social categories. The familiar community becomes unsafe, and characters struggle to identify where danger is coming from. 

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent War on Terror significantly changed American political culture. Public discussion increasingly focused on national security, terrorism, surveillance, and the balance between personal freedom and government authority. These concerns also provide a useful context for understanding horror films that depict institutions as threatening or unreliable. One example is The Mist (2007), directed by Frank Darabont. The film follows a group of people trapped inside a supermarket while dangerous creatures surround them. As fear spreads, the survivors begin to turn against one another. The creatures outside are frightening, but the growing divisions inside the supermarket become equally dangerous. The film can be interpreted as a commentary on how fear changes normal, rational behavior. When people believe their lives are in danger, they may turn toward extreme leaders, accept claims without evidence, or blame other groups for their problems. In The Mist, the inability to understand the threat outside creates an environment in which manipulation and conflict flourish. This is a recurring horror trope: the danger is not limited to an external enemy. Fear itself can weaken a community, making people more willing to surrender their judgment to someone who promises certainty or protection. Its portrayal of panic, authority, and social division illustrates how horror can explore questions that become especially relevant during periods of political uncertainty. When someone feels powerless against a large entity, it’s easier to attack their neighbors than accept their powerlessness.

The 2010s saw a rise in horror films that directly addressed contemporary political and social issues. Rather than simply using social conflict as background, filmmakers increasingly placed inequality, racism, and institutional power at the center of their stories. Jordan Peele’s debut film Get Out (2017) is one of the clearest examples. The film follows Chris, a Black man who visits the family of his white girlfriend and gradually discovers that their apparent friendliness conceals horrifying intentions. At first, the family seems welcoming and progressive, if prone to seemingly accidental microaggressions. As the story develops, their behavior reveals a desire to control and exploit Black bodies. The film challenges the idea that racism only exists through open hostility or obvious prejudice. The family members often present themselves as accepting and enlightened, yet their actions reveal a deeper form of racial domination. This makes the horror especially unsettling since the threat comes from people who claim to respect the protagonist rather than from people who openly identify themselves as his enemies. The film transforms social experiences that are sometimes dismissed or overlooked into an unmistakable source of terror. One of the film’s most memorable concepts is the Sunken Place, a state in which Chris loses control while remaining conscious of what is happening to him. Politically, it can be interpreted as a symbol of powerlessness: a person can understand the forces controlling their life while still struggling to resist them. The concept makes an abstract issue, the denial of individual autonomy, into something audiences can experience through the language of horror.

Peele continued exploring social inequality in Us (2019). The film follows a family confronted by mysterious doubles of themselves. These doubles can be interpreted as representing the people society leaves behind while others enjoy comfort and security. The film’s underground population raises questions about class divisions, exclusion, and the hidden costs of prosperity. Although the meaning of Us remains open to interpretation, ts use of doubles and underground spaces can be interpreted as an allegory for inequality and injustice in American society. Together, Get Out and Us demonstrate how horror can transform political structures into physical threats. Racism becomes a form of bodily control, and class inequality becomes a conflict between people whose lives are connected but whose experiences are radically different.

In the 2020s, horror continued to explore political questions surrounding race, inequality, institutional power, and the historical consequences of discrimination. These themes have become particularly visible in films that revisit familiar horror stories from new perspectives. Candyman (2021), for example, revisits the mythology of the original 1992 film through a contemporary story about art, racial history, and violence in Chicago. The film connects its supernatural elements to the continuing legacy of racial injustice and challenges the idea that a community can simply move beyond its traumatic past without confronting it. This approach reflects a broader horror trope: the return of something that society has tried to bury. A ghost, monster, or curse can represent unresolved historical violence. The supernatural threat becomes a reminder that past injustices continue to shape the present, even when people would rather forget them.

Another example is the continuing Purge franchise, which began with The Purge in 2013 and developed further throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s. The series imagines a fictional United States in which most crimes are temporarily permitted during an annual period of violence. The government presents the event as a way to strengthen society, but the films repeatedly raise questions about who benefits from the system and who is left vulnerable. The premise turns political inequality into a literal survival scenario; wealthier characters can purchase security, while poorer and marginalized people are left exposed. Political authority is not simply absent; it actively creates the conditions that allow some people to indulge their darkest urges. The franchise demonstrates how horror can question the assumption that laws and government institutions always protect the public equally. By imagining an extreme political system, the films encourage audiences to consider how access to safety, resources, and protection can be distributed unequally in the real world.

Over the past fifty years, horror has developed into a genre capable of exploring some of society’s most difficult political questions. The economic anxiety reflected in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the racial and urban tensions explored in Candyman, the social panic of The Mist, and the critiques of racism and inequality in Get Out, Us, and The Purge demonstrate how horror tropes change alongside cultural concerns. The monster, the haunted house, the masked killer, and the invasion of a seemingly safe home are not simply tools for frightening audiences. Depending on the film, they can represent economic insecurity, racial oppression, institutional failure, or the fear of losing control over one’s own life. These meanings are not always intentional or universally agreed upon, and horror films can reflect the prejudices of their time as well as challenge them. Politics influences horror because the genre gives filmmakers a way to turn invisible social problems into visible threats. Inequality becomes a monster, prejudice becomes a trap, and distrust becomes a physical, tangible threat. By exaggerating the dangers that exist within society, horror encourages audiences to question what they consider normal, whom they trust, and which problems they have learned to ignore. The genre’s greatest source of fear is not the supernatural world itself, but the possibility that the real world already contains the conditions that make its nightmares believable.

As Hollywood continues to scrape the bottom of the barrel for ideas, good sports movies remain uncommon. Here are a few that may have never achieved mainstream popularity, but still deliver the inspiring stories, captivating drama and unrelenting comedy that audiences crave from sports movies. 

“Trouble with the Curve” (2012)

Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake lead in a heartwarming story about an aging MLB scout (Eastwood) and his daughter (Adams) who journey to find the next big star somewhere in the midst of college baseball. The film tells an engaging and cohesive tale about the process of rebuilding familial bonds as well as the woes of arrogance and cockiness in the world of sports. “Trouble with the Curve” is available for streaming on Hulu. 

“Benchwarmers” (2006)

The placement of Benchwarmers on this list may be largely due to nostalgia, but this movie holds up as a classic sports film. Comedic legends  of the early 2000’s David Spade, Jon Heder and Rob Schneider lead this comedy about three unlikely nobodies who band together to prove their bullies wrong about the importance of having fun over winning. Of course, the film’s hilarity and message renders this movie a classic. “Benchwarmers” is available for streaming on Hulu.  

“Invincible” (2006)

Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? This film tells the true tale of Vince Papale, played by Mark Wahlberg, a 30-year-old bartender in Philadelphia that finds his life turned upside down after he lands a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles NFL roster. “Invincible” tells a captivating story of how quickly someone’s life could change, but it is also a well-made film in general with impressive production, cinematography and acting. “Invincible” is available for streaming on Disney+.

“The Game Plan” (2007)

Although I didn’t intend on this list leaning in the PG direction, this movie offers a wholesome message and stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the quarterback of a fictional NFL team. In the movie, a young girl, played by Madison Pettis, shows up to his penthouse door, claiming to be his long lost daughter. Suddenly, the quarterback finds himself having to balance fatherhood and the face of his franchise. “The Game Plan” is available for streaming on Disney+.

“Kicking and Screaming” (2005)

As a chaotic comedy, this movie is a shining example of how hilarious sports films can be. Comedy legend Will Ferrell starts in this film as the coach for his son’s soccer team as the means of obtaining bragging rights over his own arrogant father. However, he soon discovers that he may be more similar to his father than he thought. “Kicking and Screaming” is available for streaming on Hulu.

Released in late 2021, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” was a hidden gem. The film was produced by A24, the same studio responsible for films such as “Midsommar” and “Uncut Gems.” Fans of A24 know that some of their films can be hit or miss – the indie company releasing films that sometimes end up being a little too weird for the mainstream. But “Macbeth” slid under the radar, and is a film I consider to be truly a masterpiece.

The film follows the story of William Shakespeare’s play of the same name and features Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth. The acting in the film was phenomenal, and it had to be. As a film based on a play, much of the story is dependent on the dialogue and subtle actions of the characters. There was a lot of potential for the film to get boring due to the sheerpure amount of dialogue and seemingly lack of action, but the action is in the subtleties of the film. Overall, and the actors do an amazing job of keeping your attention. 

It was also just a great film to watch because of the visual experience. “Macbeth” was minimalistic, with the whole film shot in black and white. Because of the lack of color, there was a higher emphasis on shadows and light, punctuating the film in a unique way and providing a beautiful cinematographic experience. The general aesthetic of the film was also given great attention. It didn’t feel old or difficult to watch. While it was obviously a Shakespeare play, there was a modern spin on it with the minimalistic attributes of the sets adding a crispness to the film. 

“The Tragedy of Macbeth” was extremely enjoyable – one of my favorite movies I’ve seen in a while. For those who can’t enjoy a Shakespeare play, it may be hard to get into. But for those curious about it, I definitely recommend giving it a shot.

When discussing movies that channel an array of emotions, you find yourself with a few select genres. Add in an underdog, and you have yourself only one genre: sports. There are many different sports movies and approaches that directors and producers take to them, but some are just better than others. I asked for your opinions, and this is my un-definitive list of the top 5 sports movies of all time 

1) “Remember the Titans” (2000) 

“Remember the Titans” has to be one of the most inspirational movies ever, especially when you talk about sports movies. “Remember the Titans” is about a football team at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., in 1971. Within the team are racial disparities that have to be overcome in order for the team to succeed. Coach Boone (Denzel Washington) takes his new team to a camp at Gettysburg College. The team comes together and overcomes their differences to eventually win the state championship. What makes this movie number one is that it is based on a true story, which makes it even more special. Definitely worth a watch. 

2) “Rocky” (1976-2018) 

I could not decide whether to put “Rocky” or “Creed,” but then I realized that without a “Rocky,” there’s no “Creed.” The “Rocky” series is regarded as having some of the most influential boxing movies ever. The series focuses on the up-and-coming career of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Rocky was always the underdog – fighting opponents like Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and the Russian Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). The series shows that you need a lot of hard work, dedication and grit to be the best of the best. You could also throw “Creed” into the series as spin-offs, which adds more success to the already great series.

3) “He Got Game” (1998) 

“He Got Game” has to be the best basketball movie ever made. This movie tells a story of Jesus Shuttleworth (Ray Allen), who is the No. 1 high school prospect in the country, and his strict father Jake (Denzel Washington). Jesus has to decide where to play college ball without any proper guidance. “He Got Game” also looks at the gray areas of recruiting and the tense relationship between a black father and his son. Jesus is also trying to make a decision without being swayed one way or another. This movie gives a look into the pressure of a top recruit in high school sports. 

4) “42” (2013) 

Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) is signed by Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) and the Dodgers in 1946. Robinson and Coach Rickey catch hell for the signing, due to the well-known color barrier at the time in the MLB. They both receive hate and threats from everyone, including teammates and the press. Robinson, with the help of Coach Rickey, remains composed and lets his game and talent do the talking. Jackie Robinson’s number, 42, was retired across the entire MLB in 1997. This movie shows the struggle Robinson had to overcome to be in Major League Baseball. The true definition of an underdog is when you’re the only one of your kind. 

5) “Blind Side” (2009) 

Michael (Quinton Aaron) grows up with a drug addict mother and gets taken away from her at the age of seven. Michael remains in the system and always runs away to his father’s friend’s house. A father’s friend uses his connections to get Michael into Wingate Christian School, where he eventually meets his new family, the Tuohys. With the help of the Tuohys, Michael gets better academically and learns of his natural talent. Michael goes on to Ole Miss, and from there goes on to be drafted by the Ravens in the first round. This movie tells a story beyond the sport, just like “He Got Game,” but more raw. This movie shows the reality of a lot of people from the hood: talented, but without the right connections, they go nowhere but into a broken system. 

When selecting sports movies it’s hard to narrow it down to five. It would still be challenging to narrow it down to ten. But each of these stories inspire people that are not as fortunate as others and helps them realize that there’s a chance to succeed as a team or an individual athlete even if the odds are against you. Sometimes being the underdog is the biggest motivator for greatness.