Into Film Clubs
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With Halloween upon us, we're digging into horror, one of the most enduring and distinctive genres of film, which can also be a surprisingly effective learning tool. Read on to discover films and resources you can use in the classroom, how the imagery of nightmare has been created through film, and how stories of monsters aren't always what they seem.
Misunderstood Monsters
Our Monsters playlist features highlights from the films The Nightmare Before Christmas, Song of the Sea, Smallfoot, and The Witches, and explores the theme of monsters and how they are depicted in film.
The horror genre explores the many forms monsters can take in our imagination. From skeletons and ghouls, to mythical beasts, we are all made familiar with cautionary tales of creepy creatures from a young age. Many fairy tales feature a monster of one shape or another. This playlist explores how those characters are depicted in children's films and how they are constructed.
The playlist also encourages discussions on anti-bullying, identity and not judging other on how they look, with stories about strange yet misunderstood characters who come into contact with the human world. The highlights included also explore the wider horror genre and how storytelling and filmmaking techniques are used to create suspense.
Monsters
This playlist features highlights from the films The Nightmare Before Christmas (2015), Song of the Sea (2014), Smallfoot (2018), Luca (2021) and...
Highlights4 Highlights
Age Group7–11 yrs
Duration12
Why Horror?
Horror is one of the most enduring and iconic genres in all of fiction, but film is arguably where it truly finds itself at home. From the early days of cinema, filmmakers have used the medium to terrify audiences, utilising their creativity and imagination to challenge and advance the medium, and present audiences with countless celluloid nightmares.
Even way back in the late 1800s, with moving pictures in their very infancy, horror films were being made. It wasn't until the 1930s, though, when the genre truly took on a life of its own. Universal's iconic series of films depicting now-iconic villains like Dracula, the Wolf Man and The Mummy were a huge success, and are still influential almost a century later, while actors like Bela Lugosi, Peter Cushing and Cristopher Lee became household names for playing horror heroes and villains. From British institution Hammer Horror's heyday in the 1950s and 60s, through to seminal works like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, and John Carpenter's Halloween, the genre has continuously reinvented itself, pushing ever-more terrifying visions onto audiences that continue to lap them up.
More than just scary stories, the horror genre has long had the ability to provide incisive social commentary, with screen monsters representing any number of real-life issues throughout history. From Invasion of the Body Snatchers' exploration of the fear of communism, right through to modern classics like Jordan Peele's Get Out, which shines a wry light on the Black experience in modern America, horror films provide a dark mirror with which to look back at ourselves and our world. Beyond Hollywood, horror films like Japan's Ringu or South Korea's Train to Busan, allow us to explore the channelled fears and experiences of different cultures, while the horror genre in Hollywood eventually became so ubiquitous that it spawned its own self-referential sub-genre, typified by films like Scream.
And of course, horror isn't just for grown-ups - it's also a captivating genre for children and young people, with horror-themed titles like Goosebumps and Hotel Transylvania taking a gentler, more child-friendly approach to the conventions and iconography of the genre.
The Into Film Awards always receives scores of horror films, suggesting that the genre's popularity among young people is indeed as strong as ever. Similarly, our Film of the Month competition regularly receives horror films, and to get you in the mood for Halloween, you can enjoy a few fantastic examples of youth-made horror shorts below. Enjoy... if you dare!
Incursion
Engaging for ages 14+
Incursion is a chilling entry to the home invasion horror sub-genre, which sees a group of friends plan to watch scary movies together on Halloween, only for the night to take an unexpected turn. A creative horror short that builds tension through lighting, sound, and camera work.
Incursion is also a winner of our ongoing Film of the Month competition - read an interview with the film's creator.
The String: A Grim Fable
Engaging for ages 16+
The String: A Grim Fable is a psychological horror, told entirely without dialogue, that follows a young man whose life takes a disturbing turn when he wakes up tied to his bed. The film's precise pace and haunting imagery create a suspenseful atmosphere that explores themes of identity and life and death.
Horror at the Into Film Festival
The 2024 Into Film Festival is taking place from 8-29 November, and will bring learning to life for 5-19 year olds across the UK by inspiring young people to watch, understand and make film in new and creative ways.
This year's programme includes several screenings of A Quiet Place: Day One, the latest instalment of the sci-fi horror series that sees creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing invading Earth. And remember - the Into Film Festival is entirely free of charge, so be sure to book your places before they fill up!
Book now to see A Quiet Place: Day One at:
Still seeking further frights and delights? Our dedicated horror page collects together even more horror films for all ages that educators can stream for free* with Into Film+, as well as curriculum-linked film guides, resources and articles exploring horror films both old and new. We've also included a selection of spooky youth-made shorts that anyone can enjoy. Visit our new Horror page now.
* Screenings for an entertainment or extra-curricular purpose require a PVS (Public Video Screening) Licence from Filmbankmedia. State-funded schools in England are covered by the PVS Licence.
The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.
