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I vividly recall watching the documentary, In Search of Darkness, which as the name suggests is about searching for dark mysteries. The film is four and a half hours long and it tries to cover a plethora of movies and directors from the 80s. After watching the documentary, it made me realize that there is a lot of interest in modern horror movies too that needs to be explored more. As a documentary film director, Ruben Pla seemed to have read my mind because his new project, The Horror Crowd, aims to do exactly that. In the film, Pla interviews people who are well-known in the horror genre and aims to shed more light on the industry as well as the fans that make it popular.
While In Search of Darkness was focused on the cinema, Pla documents the people who created them. It is a docu-drama focusing on the fans of horror films who also happen to work in the business, so many films are stereotypically referenced, but the emphasis here is on the people rather than the products. The films are like the skeleton, and the people who did the violence the flesh and blood that has been padded on to mold the documentary into something genuinely different. What distinguishes The Horror Crowd from other films of the sort is that Pla has limited himself to the audience of his friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, so there is a greater chance of intimate conversations. In these contexts most of them are recorded in rather casual settings like their homes and nearby pubs etc there is no doubt that they are both at ease and discomforted, both of which are great for revealing more of oneself. Pla’s friendly connection with each of them comes across effortlessly and the audience is drawn into the room with them. It is like sharing some drinks with friends.
We managed to interview some interesting people like filmmakers Mike Mendez, and Oren Peli, actors like Greg Grunberg, Brea Grant, horror legends, and Blumhouse’s producer and writer, Ryan Turek. Moreover, it zeros in on the underappreciated contributors of most genres the writers. It includes interviews from a few like Jeffrey Reddick, the legend of Final Destination. These interviews cover a large set of people, hence every one or every role that interests people is sure to be there. From their favorite scary movie, to how they have been or are to live with, even their experience in the industry. There’s clearly a lot of trust between the interviewer and the subject. Because of that, a lot of refreshing facts come up as people look back to their troubled past, childhood, alcohol, and more. All of these details make the film a lot more engaging.
Taking center stage amidst everything else is Laura Bousman, who happens to be the wife of Saw II-IV and Spiral director Darren Lynn Bousman when she divulges why she chose him. There is a dog involved, so she definitely wins the conversation. Moments of this type allow the subjects of Pla’s interview to penetrate deeper into the narrative, which in turn makes the viewing more pleasant than the very usual sequences of rigid, marker-like, talking heads monologues that infested the landscape, from which we are all too familiar.
The film might lack some appeal since not a lot is known about the folks in the video. As fascinating as the talent is, it is less clear how interesting the movie will be to people who don’t already know some of the subjects addressed. For those of us invested in the horror Industrial complex, Mike Mendez is a well-known character, and as such, the average horror viewer might not have a clue, and therefore not feel the need to watch The Horror Crowd. However, after the first couple of minutes, it simply does not matter. All a viewer is concerned with is that by the end of Ruben Pla’s film, he or she will feel as if they’ve gained multiple best friends.
The Horror Crowd is an intriguing yet casual analysis of the horror genre today. It feels like enjoying a drink with friends. It is a heartfelt and detailed documentary that contains the voices and distinct characters of the people within the horror community. There’s so much detailed and personal content available that a new friend from this genre community is bound to emerge and you will be desperately wishing to be one of the horror enthusiasts.
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