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Parents' Guide to

Eli Roth's History of Horror

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

This horror genre deep-dive can get pretty gory.

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What's the Story?

ELI ROTH'S HISTORY OF HORROR is an anthology series in which director (and sometimes actor) Eli Roth gathers a slew of filmmakers, writers, actors, and critics to discuss and dissect all things scary, focusing on film. These "talking heads" examine the socio-political themes that may or may not be present in these films -- like the shopping mall-set zombie flick Dawn of the Dead, said to be a pointed critique of consumer culture -- as well as the way horror has changed and grown over the years. Each episode covers a different topic such as Slashers, Vampires, Ghosts, and Haunted Houses, and dives right in with spooky footage from popular examples of each sub-genre as guests share their thoughts. Language can be salty and there's blood and gore galore, something to be aware of for young and/or squeamish viewers.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1 ):

Say what you will about Roth as a director, but the dude is definitely a horror fanatic and as such, makes an exuberant and knowledgeable host for a project like this. Eli Roth's History of Horror probably won't blow the minds of any hardcore genre buffs, as much of the trivia has been trotted out elsewhere before, but it's still pretty fun to see slasher film stalwarts like Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) and Tony Todd (Candyman) crack wise and pontificate on the iconic roles that made them famous.

The fact that the series switches to a new topic each episode also helps keep things moving, and the discussions can be surprisingly thoughtful but are not so bogged down by theory as to become boring. The jump scares and creepy visuals help keep it popping, too. A more deliberate focus on underrepresented voices in the genre would be a welcome change-up as the series moves forward, so we're not just hearing Rob Zombie tell the same stories over and over again. Overall, this is a decent enough primer for the casual horror fan looking to delve a little deeper into how these films came to be and how they've evolved over the decades.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why people are drawn to scary movies. What is it that's so fun about being frightened?

  • Do you have a favorite horror movie? Do you think it has an underlying social theme, or is it just scary for its own sake?

  • How is violence, particularly graphic violent acts, used as a tool in telling horror stories? What effect does it have on a viewer? Does violent content ever deter you from watching something? Do you find it distracting or instrumental in telling a horror story?

TV Details

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