It’s finally spooky season! To get into the festive Halloween spirit, one thing I like to do on top of enjoying horror movies is watching video essays. If you’re not familiar with what they are, video essays combine images and recordings with a cohesive essay that’s orated by the creator. They operate as in-depth analyses that speak on a wide range of topics, and at the same time, they’re incredibly entertaining to watch. While some are extremely niche, I’m sure you can find a video essay on almost anything.
Today, I gathered a handful of video essays that are perfect to watch for Halloween, and since the topics can be broad, I narrowed it down to topics that revolve around film and media. I hope you decide to check these videos out, because they’re all especially thought-provoking and compelling!
- Femininity IS Horror: Horror Games, Girlhood, & women
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This is one of my all-time favorites! Posted as part one out of four, Vv Chadain analyzes various horror games including Silent Hill 3, Alice Madness Returns, and Little Nightmares, and she discusses how the female experience is often used as a device to project fear and vulnerability onto its players. From menstruation, to childhood trauma, to motherhood, the essay analyzes how female protagonists add another layer of nuance to the horror genre in terms of motifs and even the game narrative itself. The video also mentions SA, harassment, and violence, so please be wary when watching.
The video is about an hour long, but the content of the essay itself is what really captured my attention. Vv Chadain does a great job at explaining her points, and her selection of video games suits the themes she touches on perfectly. I look forward to her next upload, and I hope you get the chance to watch it, too!
- THE STRANGE WORLD OF GHOST HUNTING (AND ITS HISTORY)
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This was a really interesting essay on how the fascination with ghosts came to be. I enjoyed the background information provided on how the entertainment industry has influenced our general perception of spirits and how we’ve monetized it through shows like Ghost Adventures and Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural. I think Kaz Rowe is a great storyteller, and I found this to be both entertaining and informative regarding paranormal investigations. The video is about forty minutes long, but time seems to fly by when watching. Really interesting stuff!
- THE MONSTERS BENEATH US: THE MONUMENT MYTHOS
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Bear with me…this video essay is part one of two, and it’s THREE hours long. Daunting, I know, but if you break it down into segments, it runs like its own mini series. Wendigoon offers an incredibly thorough explanation and analysis of the series The Monument Mythos, and he does so with great passion and the voice of an engaging storyteller. The TV series he analyzes is an alternate history conspiracy theory where the U.S. government — and possibly other parts of the world — is hiding the existence of supernatural figures from the general public.
I am not one to believe in such conspiracies, but I have to admit that this video was really interesting and captivating. Wendigoon has a lot of great content in general, so if you really liked this series, I’d recommend you check out his other work as well!
- Tim Burton’s World of sadboys
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I love a lot Tim Burton’s work, especially movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. Burton is known for his unique style, and is especially applauded for his claymation productions. However, there are plenty of things to critique about him. For example, Burton’s movies lack diversity and have poorly written female characters — which is exactly what Infinite Snow Productions touches on in her video. She provides a wonderful analysis on the fatal flaws of his narratives and how he finds ways to insert himself into the narratives as the pitiful “outcast” archetype.
While the video is an hour long, I thought the video provided a lot of insight that I hadn’t really thought about before, and I especially appreciated the critiques when it came to The Corpse Bride segment, despite it being one of my favorite movies. Make sure to check this video out — it’s definitely a must!
- WHY CATHOLICS ARE SO CONNECTED TO HORROR MEDIA
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As a person who went to Catholic school for elementary, I’d say I’m definitely intrigued when it comes to the combination of Catholicism and horror. Short and sweet, the HippieCatholic delves right into an analysis of classic horror films like The Exorcist and The Conjuring and explains what makes Catholicism such an intriguing concept for American horror. I thought the video was entertaining to watch, and I would love it if she created a separate video on one of my favorite shows called Midnight Mass. When you have the time, PLEASE check this video essay out!
- What the internet did to garfield
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I saved the best for last! This was one of the most recommended video essays that I’ve seen on TikTok — and for good reason. Super Eyepatch Wolf does an AMAZING job at analyzing how Garfield’s character has been reinvented on various online forums, and he even does an interesting breakdown of the comic and its history as well. From his exploration of Garfield comes existential questions and unsettling revelations about this famous piece of media, and it had me thinking about it long after I finished the video.
Running at an hour and fifteen minutes, this video essay provides entertainment with some exceptionally thought-provoking content. I hope you check it out!
I hope this list of video essays calls to you, and if not, please look into finding some that spark your interests! There are plenty of videos that touch on really specific topics, so I’m sure you’ll find something out there that caters to you!