‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’ Recap: ‘Infections’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 302 of ‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’.
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One thing that every horror fan is aware of when they settle in to enjoy a story from the genre, is that said story is going to prey upon one’s darkest fears. For horror is all about exploring what keeps us up at night, and that’s allowed for the genre to tackle some incredible topics throughout the years, the kind that definitely give us pause. But what we don’t discuss enough when it comes to horror, is that it is so good at preying upon our fears, that its elements manage to sneak their way into other genres. Often times, such a twist is labeled as a thriller, but at its core, the elements in question are horror and that in turn has allowed for the genre to expand and examine some of our other fears.
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Such as say, falling prey to a virus or illness. Since that is scary for certain, largely because we have no control over infection and how our bodies will handle it and well, that particular aspect of the genre is of note today, because it served as the focus of last night’s episode of Eli Roth’s History of Horror. For ‘Infections’ dug deep into the history of horror/thriller/science fiction hybrids that examine our fear of getting sick and boy did they cover some fascinating films in regard to that. Take for instance what the show had to say about The Andromeda Strain. Since it pointed out how this movie truly plucked upon our fears of being unable to control what the universe sends our way. For there was no cure for this fast-acting nightmare, rendering our silence useless. Which in turn leaves the audience feeling helpless and that is a place that none of us enjoy residing within.

But while the thought of being at the mercy of the universe is scary enough, there are other fears to explore in regard to infection, such as say… what we stand to lose if a genuine doomsday virus were to break out. Which is why zombie films are so popular since they explore that to a tee, but so did several of David Cronenberg’s early works. For while George Romero gave us plenty to fear by having living death conquer humanity, Cronenberg was eager to zero in on the end of societal norms via infection and how losing the barriers that keep us safe would be a horrifying experience to watch and Shivers and Rabid, definitely accomplish that feat. Since they show modern man giving into his savagery and most primitive instincts because of infection. Making us shells of our former selves in a way… the kind that are uncomfortable to watch on screen.

However, where infection films truly shine, is when they strike a chord and hit close to home. Since that reminds us to take inventory and thank whatever deity we believe in for our second chance and well, Outbreak and Contagion are a pair of movies that do just that. Because in the (hopefully) waning days of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we can now reflect upon just how accurate these movies are. Since they both did a phenomenal job of showing us how little mind people pay to something as powerful as viruses and how we struggle at working together to combat threats because of political nonsense and our outright arrogance and ego and those movies definitely provide us with pause now. Since they leave us wondering if we will learn any of the lessons these movies and the past two years, presented us with.

In the end however, this really was quite the brilliant episode for certain. Since it really did do a wonderful job of pointing out how horror extends well beyond things that go bump in the night since these infected themed movies are filled to the brim with elements of terror that you normally only find in the genre. Plus, they’re just as relevant as any ghost or vampire or zombie story out there since they have plenty to say about our modern world and the missteps of mankind and well, if anything, this is an episode that leaves the viewer quite curious. Specifically, about what lies ahead for us in season three of this series, since it is branching out into new corners of the genre that we simply don’t think about and well… the only way to discover what surprises await us, is to continue this harrowing and fascinating journey. Until next time.

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