At the end of Tasha Robinson’s article, Modern Horror Films Are Finding Their Scares in Dead Phone Batteries, she raises an interesting point that what she has been describing may be eventually flipped on its head. As we become more uneasy with technology’s adverse side effects, she says that “maybe that unplugged phone or stolen battery will eventually be seen as an attempted helpful intervention for horror movie characters.”
This point made me realize how I’ve noticed a shift in society that almost romanticizes going without your phone. Leaving your phone at home when grabbing dinner with friends is seen as an act of loyalty. Resorts now advertise not having internet access for a rustic appeal. This desire to be less dependent on technology could play a role in horror movies. Soon, movies may soon be able to realistically rely on the setting of an isolated home that lacks technology. Viewers would understand why the characters would want to go there because they realize that it can be a relief to escape the technologically-saturated world.
Technology can also be disruptive and hard to ignore – things that could put horror movie characters at risk. When hiding in a closet from a murderer, the last thing that you want is for your cell phone to go off. A moment like this in a film could be terrifying, but also comedic in its plausible stupidity. Soon, a common trope may be for characters to put their phone on airplane mode to neutralize the threat it provides.
In the examples I’ve given, the developments that Robinson predicted do not seem as far-fetched. As society’s relationship with technology changes, horror films will have to adapt to stay relevant.