‘Horror’s Greatest’ Recap: ‘Animal Attacks’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Joe Hill in Season 2 of ‘Horror’s Greatest’. (Photo Courtesy of Shudder.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Two Premiere of ‘Horror’s Greatest’. To revisit the Season One Finale, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say that the Shudder series, Horror’s Greatest, is one of the most unique horror documentaries to hit the airwaves in recent memory. Simply because it is designed to do more than the average horror doc. For it not only offers up suggestions for those who adore the genre and follow it closely, but it also serves as a gateway series for those new to the genre. Who want to learn about its wonder and that has given rise to a magnificent hybrid series that celebrates the genre and educates and thankfully, a new season of this refreshing series has returned to Shudder’s lineup.

For Tuesday saw the season two premiere of the show drop and ‘Animal Attacks’ did not disappoint. For once more, the series took the time to explore a vast overview of this subgenre of films. By of course, offering up a unique history lesson regarding what early animal attack films looked like and what gave rise to their creation. Which as it turns out, relates to the fact that there was a chance to offer early commentary on how we were transforming our world in a shockingly fast manner and that nature might opt to fight back in ways that we could not imagine because of that. An idea that was a little ahead of its time and led to a bevy of animal attack films that really didn’t offer up stunning scares.

But of course, that all changed in 1975, when a movie about a man-eating shark hit theaters. For Jaws figured out how to really tap into our primal fears regarding animal attacks and explored new horizons for scares, and that of course… became the watermark for the subgenre. Wherein every story that followed did its best to tap into that primal fear and thanks to that, we’ve been treated to some stunning animal attack films for decades on end. Some of which are quite camp, such as Piranha and Alligator, while others embrace the fun and the thrill of scares, such as Arachnophobia and Deep Blue Sea. But what matters most, is that these movies now harbor a structure that is impactful and having so many of these movies out there has helped us to understand their popularity and importance to us.

Which is related heavily to the fact… that they remind us of how fragile we are. Because despite being at the top of the food chain and literally being masters of the world, our bodies are not invincible and are easily damaged and we are cognizant of that fact, and that nature can surprise us at any moment, and inflict great harm upon us, physically. Which is scary, but such fears can be explored safely in these stories. Since they let us face our deep-rooted fears of spiders or giant sharks swallowing us whole, head on. Which in turn allows for us to process those long standing fears and worries, and potentially overcome them, and that makes these movies essential viewing and their own unique form of therapy, and that’s why we love them so.

If anything, this was just the perfect way to kick off the new season of the show. Because this is a subgenre of horror that honestly, we don’t pay enough attention to, despite the fact that animal attack movies are a huge part of horror and have been around for far longer than we often recall. So, it was great to see this series spotlight that and have some fine horror minds explore the meaning of these films and share some fine memories about their own encounters with them, and it does leave us eager for more of this show. So, that salty veterans can see what other corners of the genre are overlooked or learn of new films to watch, while the newbies get the chance to explore more of the majesty of the smartest and most dynamic genre out there. Until next time.

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