What’s Queer for Fear about?
Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural has released the trailer for Shudder Original documentary series, ‘Queer for Fear’, ahead of its premiere on the platform on Friday 30 September. Executive produced by Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) and Steak House (DisneyLaunchpad, The Mustang).
The four-part series looks at the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the horror and thriller genres. From its literary origins with queer authors Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde to the pansy craze of the 1920s that influenced Universal Monsters and Hitchcock; from the “lavender scare” alien invasion films of the mid-20th century to the AIDS obsessed bloodletting of 80s vampire films; through genre-bending horrors from a new generation of queer creators; ‘Queer for Fear’ re-examines genre stories through a queer lens, seeing them not as violent, murderous narratives, but as tales of survival that resonate thematically with queer audiences everywhere.
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Queer for Fear Trailer Breakdown
Weaving the statements of interviewees over the top of iconic horror imagery quickly establishes the thesis of this four-part documentary series, that queer people were there for the start of the horror genre and have followed it since. It really brings into focus the fact that horror as a genre has allowed LGBTQ+ people a way to express their voice they may not have found elsewhere.
There are numerous interesting insights throughout, including readings of the werewolf and Dracula through a queer context as well as the reason that queer people have a stronger affinity to horror due to both being seen as ‘outside’ of society. I especially found the touched upon idea that queer people often associate with the monster of the piece more strongly to be particularly interesting and am keen to see how that idea is explored in the series.
I think that some people who see this trailer may be surprised by some of the horror given highlight, that they may not consider that there could be any kind of queer text or subtext to the film in question. This series looks to be a truly fascinating look into the history of horror on the whole, let alone the deeper look at how queer people have played into it. Especially given how much the community is often ignored or outright erased from such histories. This really does look to be required viewing for anyone with a keen interest into the genre of horror and/or LGBTQ+ history.
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What did you think of the Queer for Fear trailer?
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