My Horror Anatomy: Dead Method savors spookiness

Welcome to My Horror Anatomy, a terrifying series in which artists and creators dissect their five most influential horror films.

“Don’t you know you’re hurting me,” he cries. Tears stain the devilish melody, and his vocal appears as a tortured spectre through the smoke. Dead Method has a way of totally destroying your heart, taking it in his fingers and crushing it until there’s nothing left. His debut album, Queer Genesis, out September 30, seeks to dismantle generational trauma around the LGBTQ+ community and somehow manages to crawl under the skin with sheer musical excellence steeped in haunted, macabre sounds.

“As an adult, I have had to tear down many walls I built to keep me safe and societal structures that oppressed me into hiding many parts of myself,” he notes in press matericals. “These songs are a way for me to explore my identity and deal with the trauma that came as part of the package when growing up gay and coming out of the other side as a human being who embraces and celebrates their unique identity.”

Below, Dead Method walks us through five horror films which have impacted him the most, from genre classics to fairly new releases.

5. Underwater (2020)

This is a fairly new entry for me that spoke to a very carnal fear I hold of the ocean and an affinity for anything H. P. Lovecraft-inspired. And I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I watched it. The premise is relatively simple (until the end) but they caught that feeling of claustrophobia and entrapment perfectly. This movie is quite literally a recreation of my worst nightmarem but I was able to enjoy it, pick it apart, and appreciate it for what it is.

4. Hereditary (2018)

When I watched ‘Hereditary’ for the first time, I had somehow managed to avoid all of the spoilers and went in with no expectations. What I found was a powerful character study of how people deal with bereavement and Toni Collette displaying some of the best acting I have ever seen. On the horror side of things, I was completely caught off guard thinking Charlie was the protagonist and really enjoyed the subtext and the lore that’s packed into the background of this movie.

3. [Rec.] (2007)

I. Fucking. Love. This. Movie. The SFX, the cinematography, the fusion of zombies and demonic possession. I remember the first time I saw this, I was completely terrified and floored by the twist at the end. The last ten minutes of this movie, in the attic, is one of the most terrifying pieces of film ever. Hats off to Javier Botet for really going there and bringing this iconic creature to life.

2. Pet Semetary (1989)

I’ve watched this movie so many times since I was a kid, and it stands the test of time as one of my favourite movies. There’s something so chilling about the cinematography and the characterisation that really gets under my skin. And can we talk about Zelda? The way she’s portrayed on screen is pure nightmare fuel. I wish they had incorporated more of the book into the movie, but it’s still a fantastic adaptation. Undead Rachel returning to the house at the end never fails to make my skin crawl.

1. Alien (1979)

This love letter to female empowerment with some of the best body horror ever committed to film is quite possibly my favourite movie (franchise) of all time. The cinematography, creature design, characterisation are all perfection. This movie kickstarted my love of horror movies back when I was a kid, and I re-watch it a LOT – it never gets old. Sigourney Weaver is such an icon and Ripley was a huge role model for me growing up.

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