TRIGGER WARNING: EXPLICIT/SCARY CONTENT AND IMAGERY
We live in a society.
At least that’s how the saying goes. In this post of Scattered Popcorn, I’ll be talking about “Society” released in 1989, directed by Brian Yuzna, and
starring Billy Warlock. Society, like every movie I’ll discuss, is a horror movie. “Society” chooses to criticize the ethics and lifestyles of the one percent and how they feed off of the rest of us 99%. You can probably tell by reading the title that “Society” is very blatant in its messaging and doesn’t try to make it subtle, unlike other horror movies. It
knows that we know the subject matter and says, “Here’s how we made fun of them.”
The movie portrays the higher class and the people in it as inhumane and alien. For starters, Bill, our main protagonist, is an adopted member of a wealthy family. He feels like he doesn’t belong and suspects that he’s not even their son. He acts as our stand-in for the strange and disgusting events in the film. His parents have this uncanny presence whenever they’re on screen. The way they talk sounds almost animatronic, like they’re imitating human speech. Not only do they sound weird, but they also act strangely around each other. They are oddly close for family, a bit too close for comfort. Overall, they seem like they’re trying too hard to be a “perfect” family. This is all supposed to symbolize that the rich folk with mansions are disconnected from the rest of the world and hide their apathy behind fake smiles and well-planned
speech.
The movie is trying to alienate us from the
main cast, like how Bill feels like an outsider in his
environment. His alienation is probably because he was not born into his wealth, and thus, the rest of the rich elite reject him. They literally put him on a dog leash to belittle him in one scene. Eventually, the movie takes it to the next level by revealing that all the members of the movie’s elite class are not literally human, but a different species entirely. This is a literal direct quote of the movie: “The rich have always sucked off low-class [people] like you!”
The way they depict how this mutant species feeds off
the poor is a highlight in practical effects and body horror.
Lo and behold: The Shunt. During this scene of intense
practical effects, each member of the movie’s elite class
comes together and feeds off members of the middle
class by fusing their bodies with the victim’s. Creating a
visual spaghetti of limbs and flesh helps articulate the
theme of the elite taking advantage of lower-class individuals to further their own hunger and
greed. Overall, this movie is a very unapologetically good hit-piece on the life, traditions, and
unethical practices of elite social classes in society. I implore all of you to watch the movie
yourselves and support the original writers.
About the Author
My name is Moses Rahmon. I am a Freshman Majoring in Film and Television with a concentration in Editing. My career goal is to become a film editor for a major Hollywood studio or another prominent film production company. This topic is interesting to me as I find horror movies to be very unique as a genre. I find it fascinating that many horror movies are, in fact, subtle commentaries on real-world issues.
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