Debate on Gore in Horror Films

“So, I don’t think Hollywood does anything wrong by going overboard with gore, because gore is a subgenre of horror. And these are specific films which are gory for a reason because that’s how the franchise has evolved over the years, like Evil Dead. Even if you see the first one, it had quite a bit of gore considering the time it was released in. And then it kept on growing through the years. But the gore that they're delivering is also very aesthetic, very artistic. And while, of course, it gives a shock value and could feel a bit uncomfortable for some people, for people who really enjoy gore, it is also very entertaining and innovative. So, I don’t have particularly any problem with gore in horror. I feel it’s a great genre. I enjoy the genre and, in fact, I am seeing a lot of Hindi films also use gore in their storytelling. A film like Marco, which was absolute gore, delivered Rs 100 crore at the box office last year. Even a mass film like Dhurandar, in its killings, had some gore in it. They could have just done it with a bullet or something, but they chose a certain aesthetic for it. That gore is justified because of the injustice that was being meted out by the villains.”

“Just yesterday, my wife and I went for Evil Dead Burn, as we both are mad horror fans. Honestly speaking, there are so many films out there, not just horror films, which show violence and gore. Yes, I do believe that if a film demands it, then it makes sense. A movie like the Evil Dead franchise is a body horror film, with people literally cutting each other in half with chainsaws and knives and whatnot. So, that is what the franchise is offering you. So, for a film like Evil Dead, yes, it is required. Of course, there are certain films where the violence is so over the top that you wonder why it was needed.”