Sarah Appleton and Phillip Escott captivated horror fans with the release of their incisive documentary The Found Footage Phenomenon in 2021, charting the meteoric rise of the horror subgenre with commentary from some of the leading filmmakers involved in its success. Last year also saw Appleton team up with Japanese horror expert Jasper Sharp for The J-Horror Virus, which premiered at FrightFest 2023. Now, Appleton and Escott are set to premiere their sophomore release Generation Terror, which is sure to be on every horror fan's watchlist.
Screening at FrightFest 2024 on Monday, August 26, the film looks back on the late 1990s film industry and how the turn of the millennium ushered in a wealth of horror films from across the globe, from meta slasher Scream through to landmark found footage flick The Blair Witch Project, iconic disaster franchise Final Destination, and the rise of ‘torture porn' through Hostel and Saw. Generation Terror looks at not only how these films and many more were created, but why and the historical and cultural elements that not only inspired their creation but the audiences that flocked in their millions to see them.
With insight from the likes of Sheri Moon and Rob Zombie, Xavier Gens, Bill Malone, Joe Lynch, Koji Shiraishi, and Srdjan Spasojevic, viewers get a behind-the-lens look at some of the most notorious titles from the noughties and a nostalgic trip back to the often polarising reactions they had at the time. The film also includes commentary from Millenial Nasties author Ariel Powers-Schaub, Ghouls Magazine editor Zoe Rose Smith, Knight Light: A Horror Movie Podcast host Prince Jackson, and Fangoria correspondent Amber T for a nuanced look at the 00s horror boom that goes beyond the camera and delves into the long-lasting legacy left behind.
Generation Terror works through the years and the historical events that shaped cinema, notably 9/11 and the cinema of terror that followed with a much bleaker, nihilistic atmosphere that can still be felt to this day. But it also does something that many other film documentaries shies away from – it looks at how these films make the subjects feel as well as the factual side of noughties horror and creates a palpable sense of reverence and excitement when watching. As the credits roll, horror fans are sure to be diving into their Blu-ray collections for a marathon of each and every title featured as the passion for cinema exuded by Generation Terror is impossible to shake.
Appleton and Escott have once again created a gripping, informative, and passionate documentary that is a must-watch for any film fans – whether they're well-versed in horror or not.
Generation Terror had its world premiere at FrightFest 2024 on Monday, August 26.
