The 2020’s have been a unique decade for horror. Gone are the days of jumpscare and extreme horror that dominated the noughties and 2010’s, what’s left is a unique blend of “elevated” horror and the seemingly unkillable slasher sub-genre.
Everybody’s heard of Micheal Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruger, they’re all cultural landmarks within the slasher sub-genre. These three greats have had their fair share of films, with Myers specifically receiving a whole new trilogy which spanned into the 2020’s.
They’re all iconic to a fault. Due to their high status many would-be slasher icons are left in the dust. Who remembers Victor Crowley in Hatchet? The trio from The Strangers? Or even My Bloody Valentine’s Miner?
There’s been many more slashers throughout the decades that have been lost to time, but the 2020’s have been a unique decade for slashers as there’s been an abundance of new slasher icons.
The Grabber: Freddy Kruger-lite
The Grabber, Art the Clown, Pearl and M3GAN. These four modern icons stretch the slasher sub-genre to its limits by embodying different aspects of what it means to be a slasher.
Most recently the Grabber returned in Black Phone 2, shedding the human flesh he was confined to in the first film to become something more akin to the finger-bladed legend himself Freddy Kruger.
The similarities between the Grabber and Kruger are plain to see. Both occupy a space between life and death, haunting their victims’ dreams. They’re similarly disfigured from brutal death, and just like Kruger, the Grabber also has a knack for theatrical terror.
For some the similarities may make the Grabber seem the lesser of the new bunch of slashers, as he is in many ways a spiritual successor to Kruger. But in many ways this familiarity is a good thing.
There’s not been a new Nightmare on Elm Street film in a decade and a half, Freddy Kruger’s days are long gone, so why not let the Grabber take his place? Ethan Hawke puts on just as good a performance as Robert Englund did for Freddy, and he’s got a timeless look that can be easily emulated.
Art the Clown: Disgustingly Memorable
Moving past the Grabber and onto some of horror’s other recent icons we’ve got most infamous of all, Art the Clown. There’s no doubt about it, if there’s one slasher that’s going to be remembered decades from now just as Freddy, Jason and Micheal have been for almost half a century, it’s going to be Art.
Originating from a short anthology film, Art has gained infamy for being one of the cruelest psychopath’s put to screen in recent memory. Terrifier is now a household name mainly due to how disgustingly memorable Art’s gory hijinks are.
There’s no other iconic slasher that is quite as brutal as Art, and that’s what makes him a joy to watch. You never know what he’s going to do in any of the films, maybe he’ll pull out a gun from his sock, or he might just pull out a hacksaw from his binbag of brutality.
David Howard Thornton goes above and beyond when performing as Art. Art never speaks so Thornton uses his facial expressions and mannerisms to communicate what the psychopath is thinking.
With a final Terrifier film in the works, it won’t be long until Art returns to the big screen to cement his legacy as the 2020’s most iconic slasher.
Pearl and M3GAN: Dance Till You’re Dead
Finishing off the 2020’s list of slashers is Pearl and M3GAN. Ti West’s X trilogy introduced audiences to Pearl, a woman that wishes to be a star and won’t accept a life she doesn’t deserve, but after her dreams are shot down in flames, she spirals out of control.
M3GAN is an AI controlled robot that seeks to protect a child no matter how many people she needs to kill to keep her safe. Both characters are iconic for different reasons but they are linked for their shared love of dance.
Pearl is a more serious film than M3GAN, but both are great examples of the vast variety the slasher sub-genre offers. The 2020’s have shown that technicolour dramas like Pearl can be slashers, sci-fi concepts like M3GAN can bridge the gap into slasher easily, and traditional slashers like Art and the Grabber are great new fits as old icons fade into the past.
Slashers aren’t going anywhere, and horror is only getting more popular. Even if Freddy and Jason aren’t Hollywood’s top slashers anymore, there’s plenty more on their way to take their crowns.
Featured Image Credit: Blumhouse
Fourth year Film and Journalism student
Deputy editor
Contact - deputyeditor@brignews.com
