Written By: Bob Gordon
Okay, here’s a headline from a Christian publication we did not expect to read:
“Did You Know One of Horror’s Most Influential Filmmakers Is a Christian?”
A recent article in Relevant shares the spiritual story of filmmaker Scott Derrickson, the creative force behind a number of horror films, including hits like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, and The Black Phone.
The article says he’s had a “career-long fascination with the thin line between evil and redemption. … For Derrickson—a graduate of Biola University and an outspoken Christian—that tension isn’t just cinematic. It’s theological.”
A producer, writer, and director, Derrickson has been making movies since 1995. In the Relevant article, he’s quoted as saying,
“The more frightening and sort of dark and oppressive a movie is, the more free you are to explore the supernatural and explore faith. The two just somehow go hand in hand really nicely. I became very interested in it for that reason, and The Screwtape Letters was the beacon.”
It’s really pretty fascinating when you think about it. The questions we’d like to know your answers to are: do you go to see horror films? Why or why not? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section, but for now, we’ll give the filmmaker the last word:
“I think the great gift of horror is that it’s one of the few genres that lets you explore moral truth in a raw, visceral way. You can’t fake it. When people are afraid, they’re honest. And that’s where you can actually talk about good and evil in a way that feels real.”
