YouTube: a viewing guide for horror fans YouTube is an almost inexhaustible resource for any self-respecting horror fan. From award-winning short films to engaging documentaries, the streaming site has […]

YouTube is an almost inexhaustible resource for any self-respecting horror fan.

From award-winning short films to engaging documentaries, the streaming site has much to offer those obsessed with the genre.

Bite-sized terror

YouTube probably boasts the most extensive and diverse library of short horror movies in existence, with talented amateurs and seasoned professionals regularly uploading their creations.

Right now, completely free, you can enjoy the imaginative, award-winning work of British horror collective Bloody Cuts, for example.

Ranging from the darkly comic to the genuinely chilling, their videos showcase assured direction, impressive creature effects work, and creepy, spine-tingling concepts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1y2NI7VLX8

Other ‘ones to watch’ include Michael Evans and Andres Borghi, and the superbly unsettling Vicious, while the extensive back catalogue of Daywalt Horror is also well-worth a look.

The channel’s most notorious short film, Bedfellows, went viral several years ago.

From YouTube to Hollywood

The influence of YouTube’s horror offerings is also being felt in the movie industry at large.

Talented filmmakers are being plucked from obscurity and handed the reins of major studio chillers after landing viral video hits.

Ghostly 2013 thriller Mama started life as an impressive short film of the same name, which caught the attention of Guillermo Del Toro, among others.

Lights Out The original Lights Out short was shot in a single evening with a budget of zero. The feature film has made $150 million at the Box Office ~ Lights Out: How I turned my short film into a major movie

Likewise, Swedish director David F Sandberg helmed this year’s critical and commercial feature hit Lights Out after his original 2013 short caught the attention of Hollywood.

Sandberg’s wider body of work, filmed in collaboration with his wife and regular actress Lotta Losten, is also available to watch on YouTube.

Exploring the wider culture

In terms of video content that examines and celebrates horror at large, YouTube offers copious binge-potential for enthusiasts.

Fascinating channel RagnarRox, for instance, takes a detailed look at the origins, influences and impact of a host of cult horror creations, from films like Jacob’s Ladder to video games like Silent Hill, and most recently the deliciously twisted creations of Japanese comic book visionary Junji Ito.

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Film analysis in particular is booming on YouTube right now. The site has become a hotbed of interesting and insightful video essays on the medium, often delving deep into the techniques and touches that make horror movies work.

The Discarded Image takes an in-depth look at the craft of classic slashers Halloween and Psycho, as well as a pivotal suspense sequence in Jaws

Now You See It offers insight into what makes films scary, and the trouble with jump scares

The increasingly renowned Tony Zhou of Every Frame A Painting has tackled key moments from the likes of The Imposter, Se7en and Silence Of The Lambs.

Elsewhere, YouTube is overflowing with engaging explorations of horror’s wider culture.

You can find everything from a music expert analysing the synth soundtrack of Stranger Things, to an in-depth talk to students from Stephen King, and a feature-length documentary on the work and influence of HP Lovecraft, with contributions from John Carpenter, Neil Gaiman and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg9VCf5einY

Audiobooks and long-form serials

Fans of audiobooks and original horror writing will be pleased to learn that a number of channels have sprung up where a narrator atmospherically reads out scary fiction – perfect for a quiet night in with the lights off and the curtains drawn.

MrCreepyPasta is probably one of the most well-known, but there are plenty of others to be found.

YouTube has also proven itself as a viable platform for long-form horror filmmaking, with some channels spinning extended runs of episodes over many years.

Marble Hornets is perhaps the most high-profile example.

A found-footage serial spanning five years, it is available to view in its entirety. Enjoy: