sigourney weaver and jonesy the cat in Ridley Scott's Alien.
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This Viral Tweet on Horror Films Set in Space Sets the Internet Ablaze

During Alien month of all months?!
Image of Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea Steiner
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Published: Apr 6, 2021 04:01 pm

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Have you ever seen a take so bad, so breathtakingly wrong, that it defies explanation? A take that inspires the ire and rage of the internet, nay, the world? Writer Elle Hunt set Film Twitter on fire with her take on horror films set in space. Her opinion? They’re not.

Hunt elaborated on her take, tweeting “Yes. Horror is predicated on the fear of the other, the unfamiliar in the world as we know it – space, we already don’t know it,” despite all evidence to the contrary. Her point still doesn’t quite add up. After all, horror is a genre, and space is a setting. And few settings are as ripe for horror and fear as the dark and dangerous frontier of outer space.

Space is cold, unforgiving, and deadly to pretty much everything. Humans cannot survive in space without protective gear and an oxygen supply. And then, there is the vast unknown of space itself: we have only barely begun to scratch the surface of the worlds beyond our own.

Horror fans were quick to point out the obvious examples of space horror, most notably Ridley Scott’s iconic Alien, which set the bar for space horror and is still considered one of the greatest horror films ever made. Others pointed to films like Gravity, Event Horizon, Solaris, Pitch Black, and even the truly bananas Jason X, aka “Jason in Space”. Obligatory insert of the Jason X trailer LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR:

Many people took to Twitter to express their dismay at Hunt’s take:

The bigger issue is that Hunt’s argument completely erases all the subgenres we know and love. Science Fiction Horror is a thing. Horror Comedy is a thing. Sci-fi romcoms are a thing. Space westerns are a thing. There are infinite ways to categorize film and television, which have adapted along with these mediums. As storytelling becomes more complex and genres are stretched and reimagined, there is truly room for any sort of genre mash-up or interpretation. And the numbers don’t lie:

elle hunt

(image: Twitter)

At least Elle Hunt is handling her public thrashing with a sense of humor:

(featured image: 20th Century Fox)

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Author
Image of Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.
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