Nothing’s scarier than the thrilling movies and cartoons we watched as kids. Scooby-Doo had some chilling episodes, such as “Nowhere to Hyde,” where Mr. Hyde was true to be feared. And let’s not forget about Ghostbusters, the comedic but scary series with the intimidating Gozer the Gozerian, or the Scoleri Brothers.
Now, as adults, we get anxious about debt, tax-filling, and people who teach you how to buy Bitcoin to make ends meet.
Unfortunately, the phrase “Eat the Rich” is used more and more by regular people to address the need for wealth distribution. Indeed, the housing crisis, increasing food prices, and global conflicts are worrying us since we need to be prepared to withstand challenges by building a safe future.
But since you’re already concerned about that, let’s see what horror movies focus on fighting stupidly rich people by tormenting them in various ways. Let’s dig in!
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The Purge franchise and the hostility metaphor between social classes
The first Purge movie was released in 2013, with the upcoming sixth film to be announced soon as directed by James DeMonaco, who handled the first three movies in the franchise.
The American anthology addresses an interesting hypothesis ―what would happen if people could attempt killing others without being punished once a year?
In the first movie, a wealthy family takes advantage of the yearly event and sells security systems to those who want to protect themselves against perpetrators.
However, a few masked teens trigger a deadly series of events as they try to kill the family but end up exterminated instead.
At the end of the film, we see how things are presented relatively positively, with the stock market rising as weapon and security sales contribute to the country’s development once again.
The following movies put the purging into different perspectives, making you lose faith in humanity or restore it in the search for wealth and security.
Get Out and the Preservation of Rich People’s Lives
You might’ve heard about various billionaires investing in projects meant to extend their lifespan, such as Sam Altman, the OpenAI CEO, who funded such a company with $180 million to find ways to add ten years to people’s regular longevity. Well, that’s one of the most prominent obsessions rich people have – to live forever.
In Get Out, we see how the Armitage family, part of the Order of the Coagula cult, gets to exploit Black people to expand their lives.
The family’s daughter, Rose, is dating Chris, a Black man, and it’s his first time visiting. But as he gets over their weirdness concerning his beauty, he notices another Black person acting suspiciously and somehow makes him go back to reality.
After this event, Chris discovers how the Armitage family lures Black people and hypnotizes them to be able to replace one part of their brain with one from certain cult members.
The terrifying chase of Chris is maybe one of the most anxious-inducing scenes, and the movie might anger you, but this masterpiece is only one of the wonderful works of Jordan Peele.
Parasite and the Fine Line between Poverty and Wealth
Parasite may be one of the best movies of our decade. It’s the first Korean movie to win the Palme d’Or and numerous awards for the original screenplay and outstanding performance.
The two families in the film are entirely different. The Kim family barely makes a living, while the Park family is one of the richest in the area.
Slowly but steadily, members of the Kim family get specific jobs under the Parks, but as things take severe turns, we’re witnessing the ugly truth of how different social classes are, like oil and water.
Parasite is an overall pessimistic movie, and your heart will be broken at the end of the film as it makes you realize how inequality and social mobility affect humans.
It also debunks the idea that anyone can get rich if they study or work hard enough because the existing social order favors wealth as power, not knowledge or wittiness. Besides the horrors of capitalism, the movie contains extreme violence and disturbing scenes.
Snowpiercer and the Loss of Humanity from Striving to be Wealthy
Snowpiercer takes climate fiction closer to reality, as we see how current economic models only lead the planet to early self-destruction. Snowpiercer was directed by Bong Joon-ho, the same genius who gave us Parasite, so you’ll know it’ll be terrifying.
After the planet became a wasteland, we follow the journey of the Snowpiercer passengers, a train in which people are kept alive but separated by class since a billionaire funded the vehicle.
The social hierarchy issue and limited resources for the poor lead to deadly fights due to people’s efforts to rank lower on the train and live a better life.
However, the train triggers a few avalanches since the planet is dying, and survivors are decreasing by the day.
Bonus: The Platform follows a Similar Concept but on levels
The Platform is a Spanish film that addresses a similar issue as Snowpiercer but in a different way. People inhabit a tower-style construction where a moving platform offers them food.
But the platform is filled with delicious meals from the top of the building and will be slowly consumed by residents, leaving people in the last levels hungry and sometimes dead.
However, a satisfying thing about the platform is that people are switched among levels monthly despite their social status.
So, anyone could be at the second level and indulge in the most delicious meals and at the lowest levels in the next month and starve. The movie’s main idea is how the world must address a fairer wealth distribution.
What do you think about these Movies?
Movies are great depictions of reality, but they sometimes reflect what’s underneath social problems. These movies give us a dark perspective on how rich people will always be above poorer communities, as wealth is more than money. Still, they’re the legacy of people’s hopes for better lives.
