‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’ Recap: ‘Mad Scientist’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season three finale of ‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’.
​
It is definitely safe to say, that mankind has a complicated relationship with science. Because on the one hand, few can dispute what science has done for humanity since it has taken us into space, given us cures for diseases and extended our lifespan. Plus, without science, you wouldn’t be reading this article on your phone or tablet or laptop, wirelessly… and this writer most certainly couldn’t have written it and published it with ease. Yeah, it’s meta. But at the same time… despite everything science has done for us… we genuinely fear science, and its exponential potential and the possibility that it could be abused and well, that’s allowed for the horror genre to team up with the science fiction genre to create stories that explore those fears and it just so happens… that the season three finale of Eli Roth’s History of Horror examined how those two genres have pulled that off throughout the years.

As it turns out, the easiest way to explore our fears of science, is to centralize them into one key character. Specifically… a ‘Mad Scientist’, since that kind of monster can properly create a scenario that puts those fears on display. But rather than just spotlight the wonder of this type of character and its illustrious history, this finale opted to really dive deep and explore what kinds of fears they force us to face. And in some instances, their work relates to our fear of how science could in fact, interrupt the natural order. Which is why the world of Dr. Frankenstein (who is arguably the most infamous mad scientist to ever grace the genre) has been revisited time and time again, since his work toys with the natural order of life and our fundamental beliefs that death and the prospect of an afterlife are paramount to the human experience, and ending either one… would bastardize who we are and what we stand for. 

Which is some supremely philosophical stuff to explore and that isn’t something that every mad scientist horror movie holds to. For there is of course, just a general fear from the public that science moves too quickly and does so because of scientists that don’t think before they leap and just want their creation and their greatness to be known. Which is why films like Ex Machina and The Fly (1958 and 1986), and Altered States exist. To put those fears on display and oddly to give us hope and reassurance. Because while the mad scientists in these films do indeed bring forth some stunning inventions, the kind that could change and harm the world… their egos and their belief in their brains over anything else… allows for their outcast standing to destroy them and their creation. Which does indeed provide the audience with a sense of calm, since there is comfort to be found in knowing that ethical demands and standards force guys like Seth Brundle into isolation and oblivion.

But while it is nice to find a touch of comfort in this type of story, there are plenty others that put our greatest fear of science on display. In that, being insulated by technology, as we appear to be headed toward, will remove all vestiges of our humanity and our empathy, and turn us into outright monsters. Which is why stories revolving around The Invisible Man or Jekyll and Hyde are so iconic. For they genuinely serve as cautionary tales for such fears. Since both stories feature men that make revolutionary creations that do indeed motivate them to lose sight of their humanity and embrace our most primal and darkest desires. Speaking of desires, our fear of that is something this sub-genre has also worked to examine… in a more subtle and satirical manner, as evidenced by how The Rocky Horror Picture Show commented on the sexual revolution and the fears that some had and still harbor about a sexually open society.

If anything, that film and all the others mentioned here, really do help us to understand that the mad scientist is quite the diverse monster. One that can stand in and explore as many fears as the equally versatile zombie and much like its living dead counterpart, the mad scientist isn’t going away anytime soon and for proof… just look at the past year around the globe, where something as simple and as a safe as a vaccine, sparked a dangerous surge of fear mongering and well… that really does make the mad scientist the perfect horror villain to wrap up another year of quality examination from this series. Since this was a timely and relevant reflection, one that hopefully engenders a fourth season from this show, since it really is one of the best horror documentaries out there and there is still so much to explore about a storytelling universe… where things always go bump in the night.    

---