ABSTRACT
The events of September 11 ushered in a new era in cinema. Films reflected highly emotional responses to the terrorist attacks, unleashing shock at the violence, grief for the victims, horror at the deaths and devastation, outrage against the perpetrators, thirst for vengeance against the attackers, fear of unknown terrorists, and paranoia about future attacks. Films from many genres became colored by these intense collective emotions. Post-9/11 films bear striking similarities in content, style, and mood and help define what I call the post-9/11 film movement. In post-9/11 films most genres rely on one or two dominant feelings. Science fiction, for example, relies on intense fear bordering on paranoia for its dramatic appeal. Horror films rely on revulsion and disgust through fierce antagonists, torture, and sleazy or disgusting settings. Melodramas depict undeserved misfortunes and elicit terror. Superhero films resonate with vengeance against evildoers. Combat films express outrage against a country, organization, or other group to justify warfare. Thrillers, like other melodramas, increasingly resonate with revenge against real or imagined outrages. After 9/11 they began including frank depictions of torture and other forms of prisoner abuse. September 11 affected the general movie culture and increased the popularity of horror, superhero, combat, sci-fi, and thriller genres, each reflecting the intensity of fear following the terrorist attacks and subsequent wars.
