Each new decade brings with it a new phase of horror. The late 1970s into the 80s brought about the rise of the slasher film, ranging fromThe Texas Chainsaw MassacreandHalloweento the more iconic duo of Freddy Krueger and Jason in theA Nightmare on Elm StreetandFriday the 13thfilms respectively. The1990sand early 2000s seemed to transition away from the gory and inventive spectacles of slasher films into two contrasting paths: Horror films either went darker and grittier à laSilence of the LambsandCandyman, or they took on a campier, more self-aware tone, like with whatWes Cravendid with theScreamfranchise. Craven is perhaps one of a few horror directors to obtain longevity in the genrethanks to his savvy transitionfrom theElm Streetfranchise into the more parodic take on the slasher movie withScream. The ability to keep changing and subverting the horror genre is a skill that is necessary not only to keep the genre alive, but also for a director to remain relevant and successful.
Another director who has managed this accomplishment is horror director, writer, and producerJames Wan. Although he has hit some stumbling blocks along the way, Wan has managed to remain relevant in the horror genre since his directorial debut with 2004’sSaw. His continued success with launching theInsidiousandConjuringfranchises is a testament to Wan’s talents and investment in horror. With 2021’s wacky, action-horror filmMalignant, Wan seems to be pushing his horror skills into yet another new phase. Of course, Wan isn’t without any competition. Therise of “elevated horror”from A24 and Blumhouse have brought us talents likeAri Aster(HereditaryandMidsommar),Robert Eggers(The WitchandThe Lighthouse), andJordan Peele(Get OutandNope), among many others. However, with his successes, innovations, and involvement in multiple horror franchises over the last two decades, it’s clearly Wan who has cemented himself as the new king of horror.
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Wan’s Promising Start With ‘Saw’ Was Followed by Some Stumbling Blocks
James Wan is probably still best known for his directorial debut withSaw. Nearly two decades later, the horror movie that spawned what some callthe “torture porn” genre(which also includes, among others,HostelandThe Collector) still has one of the most memorable endings ever. Two strangers (Cary ElwesandLeigh Whannell) with shady backgrounds find themselves chained to a dirty, rotting bathroom with a dead man lying at its center. The twist: the dead man has been the person responsible for the strangers’ suffering, and he is revealed to be the infamous and very-much-still-alive Jigsaw killer (Tobin Bell), who makes his victims kill themselves through a series of torture games. This premise might seem absurd and over the top, and certainlythe later films of the franchise come off as unintended campy horror. (Wan would not be involved in these films directly, serving merely as an executive producer.) However, the allure of Wan’sSawis in its limited setting and complex character backstories that supplement the so-called “traps” with substance and intrigue. Ranking #10 onBloody Disgusting’s Top 20 Films of the Decade,Sawis “Perhaps the most influential horror film of the decade … More than anything, this twisted morality tale is a film made by horror fans, for horror fans; it’s gory, it’s depraved, and best of all it introduced a new horror icon in Jigsaw.”
Unfortunately, Wan would not have the same luck with his follow-up project as a director. The 2007 filmDead Silencefollows Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) as he uncovers the mystery behind the hometown legend of Mary Shaw, a deceased ventriloquist. With the help ofSaw II’sDonnie Whalberg, who plays Detective Jim Lipton in the film, Jamie discovers the legend is all too real. Although on the surfaceDead Silencemight have the same elements of what made the firstSawgreat — Wan as director, Whannell as his writing partner,Charlie Clouser’s score, and the same producers — the film would ultimately fall flat with critics and audiences alike. Even Whannelllamented the production and release ofDead Silence, taking to his blog to write an article about his experience on the film.
Unfortunately, Wan’s film afterDead Silencewould fare no better. Even with an A-list star likeKevin Baconleading the film,Death Sentencewould open at #8 at the box office. After these back-to-back disappointments of 2007, it’s no secret whyDead SilenceandDeath Sentenceoftenrank lower in Wan’s filmography. It would seem that Wan’s prospects as a horror director wouldn’t achieve the same heights asSawdid. However, Wan would prove his naysayers wrong, eventually surpassing the success of his directorial debut and leaving his early failures long forgotten.
James Wan’s Franchise Potential
Although Wan would find himself working in a variety of franchises later in his career withFurious 7andAquaman— both incredibly popular financial successes — his staple has always been horror. After his previous two duds, Wan reunited with Whannell for another new, original horror film – 2010’sInsidious. IfSawwas Wan’s homage toDavid Lynch’sSeven, thenInsidiousis his take onPoltergeistand other horror movies that terrorized the suburban American family.Insidiousgave us a truly haunting film demon (one that kind of resemblesStar Wars' Darth Maul) and gave Wan get to work with scream queen legendLin Shaye(from theNightmare on Elm StreetandCritterfilms, among others). But he also found someone who seems to have become his lucky charm inPatrick Wilson, who would go on to work with Wan on both theConjuringandAquamanfranchises.Insidiouswas a financial success, thanks to Wan’s ability to deliver big horror thrills on a small budget, and it led to three sequels with another on its way.
Simultaneously, Wan would launch another horror franchise based on the real-life lives of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (whose cases also inspiredThe Amityville Horror).The Conjuringis a period piece of sorts, exploring the haunting of a 1970’s Rhode Island family and their residence cursed by a 19th-century witch. The film itself delivers on classic horror tropes of witchcraft and haunted houses, but the real “treasure trove” of the film is the Warrens' collection of paranormal objects, trinkets, and evidence from past cases — the horror equivalent of Odin’s Asgardian treasure room inThor(which teased the Infinity Gauntlet and other Easter eggs across the Marvel Cinematic Universe). While theConjuringseries would continue exploring the mainline story of Ed and Lorraine Warren with powerful and emotional performances from both Wilson andVera Farmiga, there would also be a number of spin-offs that Wan would be involved with as writer and/or producer, such as theAnnabelletrilogy,The Curse of La Llorona, andThe Nun.
Though Wan would continue his work on these various franchises, he would eventually deliver another new take on the horror genre withMalignant. StarringAnnabelle Wallis, the 2021 film left many critics and audiences perplexed. On the surface, the film is about a woman’s psychic connection to a murderer — Gabriel — who is terrorizing Seattle. However, the film’s twist rivals that ofSaw’s original ending and was perhaps even more divisive. Some took it asa great practical joke, while others praised Wan’sgonzo and inventive take on the genre. Speaking with Collider, evenWan himself admitsthatMalignantis a “genre blender [of] a whole bunch of stuff that has sort of influenced me over my years, growing up, loving these kinds of movies from science fiction to science fiction horror to psychological thrillers to monster movies.” IfMalignantis a bit all over the place, that’s the point. Regardless of whether viewers were along for the ride (a wacky, campy, tongue-in-cheek kind of ride), Wan did give us another horror icon to join the ranks of Jigsaw: the highly flexible, kung-fu fighting, bullet-dodging man in black – Gabriel.
Although Wan is currently a bit preoccupied with directorial duties onAquaman and the Lost Kingdom, he is still very much committed to adding to his repertoire of horror. Wan co-wrote and produced the upcoming filmM3GAN, a horror movie about an artificially intelligent doll. The film, which is directed byGerard Johnstoneand releases this coming weekend, definitely builds on Wan’s fascination with the uncanny nature of dolls, puppets, and toys. (M3GAN herself follows in the footsteps ofSaw’s Billy the Puppet, the many puppets ofDead Silence, and to the infamous Annabelle doll of the Warrens' museum of occult objects.) In addition to making a name for himself, Wan has also helped uplift new horror voices. He helped produceDavid F. Sanberg’s theatrical directorial debutLights Out, and Sanberg would go on to join Wan’s other franchises as director ofAnnabelle: Creationand DC filmsShazam!and its sequelFury of the Gods. Wan also served as executive producer of the short-lived yet critically acclaimedSwamp Thingseries on the also short-lived DC Universe streaming service. Across his multiple horror projects and various roles as director, writer, and producer, James Wan has ultimately proven himself the king of the contemporary horror era. He has defined and shaped the genre from the early 2000s into the 2010s. With a strong and genre-bending start withMalignant, who’s to tell what Wan has in store for the rest of the decade?
