Folk Horror Cinema's Global Resurgence Confronts Colonial Legacies and Indigenous Trauma

The resurgence of folk horror cinema is highlighting themes of colonial brutality and the experiences of indigenous peoples. Notable works such as the 2021 'Candyman' reboot by Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele, along with Stephen Graham Jones's 2020 novel 'The Only Good Indians', delve into the viewpoints of African American and Native North American communities. Expanding the genre, Kier-La Janisse's 2021 documentary 'Woodlands Dark & Days Bewitched' offers a wider perspective. Pioneering British films from the 1960s and 70s, including 'Witchfinder General', 'The Blood On Satan's Claw', and 'The Wicker Man', laid the groundwork for these themes. The relevance of this genre intensified in 2021 following the revelation of Native children's remains at Canadian residential schools, with Jesse Wente highlighting the colonial anxiety surrounding displacement.