Throughout history, we have seen many periods of conflict represented through art. One of the most effective genres for depicting these periods is the horror genre. Simply put; it is often possible to understand from a particular historical period what society was going through at the time. The horror genre, more than many other genres, is full of sociological implications and the foundations of the Hollywood horror industry have always been considered metaphors for what haunts society as a whole. In this thesis I will try to find out how the horror genre has its finger on the pulse of contemporary social unrest and how these fears are portrayed in contemporary horror films. In the introductory part of the thesis, I will start with an overview of the different historical periods and the films that were released during this time. After reviewing the history, I will ask my research question: what are the biggest fears of society at the moment and in what forms are they portrayed in horror films of today? Here I will focus on the topic of grief and trauma within the family.
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