A glimpse into the world of cinematic horror and sci-fi.
Urban
Author: Serena Debegnach
This Tag assembles films with a magical-esoteric component that tends to draw on elements more akin to sci-fi, all set in an urban milieu whose esthetics echo Gothic literary influences. These films typically feature a contemporary, or at least modern setting in a populous real-world city or metropolitan area, which then becomes the scene of daily confrontation between rational knowledge, symbolized by scientific/technological advances, and the supernatural, represented by mysterious, occult forces (but that doesn't necessarily exclude bizarre mixtures of the two frames of reference).
In this sort of scenario, it's not uncommon to find obscure apotropaic rituals aimed at countering iconic creatures drawn from the historical and mythological traditions of numerous cultures: vampires, werewolves, witches/wizards, even divinities... these are only some of the possible characters who routinely traverse the chaotic streets of urban sci-fi horror films.
Examples
- Cinema/Television: "Night of the Demon" (Jacques Tourneur, 1957), "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Fran Rubel Kuzui, 1992), "Underworld" (Len Wiseman, 2003).
- Literature (fiction): "Conjure Wife" (Fritz Leiber, 1943), "Wolfen" (Whitley Strieber, 1978), "Night Watch" (Sergei Lukyanenko, 1998).
- Videogames: "Devil May Cry" series (2001-present), "The Secret World" (2012), "Unavowed" (2018).
The table below includes only the films we’ve already reviewed, filtered by the current Tag. We know many important titles are still missing: they’ll come in time. Some features are reserved for our Patreon supporters.
| Title | Directors | Year | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candyman | Bernard Rose | 1992 | 6 |
| Dracula A.D. 1972 | Alan Gibson | 1972 | 4 |
| Night of the Demon | Jacques Tourneur | 1957 | 8 |
| Night of the Eagle | Sidney Hayers | 1962 | 7 |
| Tales from the Darkside: The Movie | John Harrison | 1990 | 6.5 |
| The Satanic Rites of Dracula | Alan Gibson | 1973 | 4 |