FROM THE SUPERNATURAL TO THE HUMAN: THE TRANSFORMATION OF FEAR IN CONTEMPORARY TERROR

Uriel Barroso

When we think of horror, it is common to imagine haunted houses, demons, monstrous creatures, and supernatural forces that defy human understanding. For decades, these figures occupied a central position in the collective imagination, representing what was unknown, inexplicable and, therefore, frightening. However, when observing recent film production, a significant transformation in the nature of fear is perceived. Contemporary horror seems less and less concerned with ghosts and more and more interested in the threats produced by human beings themselves.

This change does not occur by chance. Fear has always been a reflection of the historical and social context of each era. In societies marked by strong religious influence, the supernatural appeared as an explanation for what could not be understood rationally. Demons, possessions, and curses represented fear in the face of invisible and seemingly uncontrollable forces. Today, however, society's greatest fears are not related to the unknown, but to extremely concrete problems: violence, persecution, psychological manipulation, abuse of power, and fragility of human relationships.

In this context, films such as Obsession (2025) have often explored characters who do not depend on any supernatural element to cause unrest. The danger does not arise from an evil entity, but from ordinary individuals, inserted in everyday life, capable of practicing acts of extreme violence or developing obsessive behaviors. The discomfort caused by these narratives stems precisely from their proximity to reality. Unlike classic monsters, these threats exist off-screen and are part of the contemporary social experience.

More than entertaining, the current horror works as a mirror of collective anxieties. It reveals a society that has come to distrust less of the supernatural and more of the people themselves. In a scenario marked by hyperconnectivity, constant exposure on social networks, and the increased perception of everyday violence, the real horror is no longer in what inhabits the unknown, but in what can be found within society itself.

TERROR AS A REFLECTION OF SOCIAL UNREST

Horror literature and cinema have always been directly related to the fears and insecurities present in each historical period. The witches present in the imagination of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as very well explained by Silvia Federici (2017), should not be understood only as a superstitious figure, but rather as an allegory, as they actually represented the destruction of a communal lifestyle and the violent imposition of the capitalist system on women's bodies and autonomy. In this sense, the so-called witch hunts in the aforementioned period were not an isolated outbreak of religious fanaticism, but rather a deliberate and violent campaign that served very clear economic and social purposes, which included elements such as: the privatization of previously communal lands, the sexual division of labor, and the reduction of female autonomy over the body (mainly from the classification as "magic" of traditional knowledge linked to health and reproduction).

Over the centuries, other figures sometimes considered supernatural have occupied this position of the "new evil" of society, that is, of something that should be purged, prevented, and often only because it presents a social action or critical thinking in relation to the dominant power structure. Thus, we observe the emergence of stories about figures that have become classics for horror: vampires. In the nineteenth century, literature about this creature emerged and was consolidated in Europe, which aroused (and still arouses) curiosity and mixed emotions among the audience of books, films and series. The vampire gave vent to deep social, sexual and economic anxieties of that time, such as: repression and sexual transgression in a context marked by rigid Victorian morals; and the British Empire's fear of the possibility of a "cultural invasion" by peoples that could impede its "civilizing action".

More than simple entertainment, the horror genre works as a mechanism for the symbolic representation of collective anguish, transforming into fictional narratives what a given society perceives as a threat. In this sense, monsters should not be understood only as fantastic figures, but as cultural manifestations of socially constructed fears.

According to Freud (1919), in his concept of "stranger" (Das Unheimliche), horror arises when something simultaneously familiar and unknown breaks the normality of everyday experience. Fear, therefore, is not necessarily linked to the supernatural, but to the feeling that what seemed safe can become threatening. Such a perspective contributes to understanding why horror narratives transform over time, following social and cultural changes.

For centuries, productions of the genre have explored figures associated with the supernatural, such as ghosts, demons, and curses. These representations reflected societies deeply influenced by religion and the belief in transcendent forces capable of directly interfering with human life. As Carroll (1990) observes, horror monsters usually incorporate what a culture considers abnormal, impure or threatening, functioning as symbols of the predominant fears in a given historical context.

However, modernity has brought significant transformations to the social perception of fear. Scientific advances have reduced part of the supernatural explanations for phenomena previously considered mysterious, while new forms of insecurity have come to occupy a central position in everyday life. Issues related to violence, social isolation, the fragility of human bonds, and the instability of institutions have become concrete sources of collective anxiety.

In this way, contemporary horror demonstrates that the fears of a society do not disappear, but are reconfigured. Monsters change because historical contexts change. If in other periods the supernatural unknown represented the main threat, today horror finds inspiration in real problems, revealing a growing concern with the risks produced by the social organization itself.

THE CRISIS OF INSTITUTIONS AND THE LONELINESS OF THE CONTEMPORARY INDIVIDUAL

The transformations observed in contemporary horror can be understood from the changes that occurred in the very organization of social life. If for long periods traditional institutions, such as family, religion, community and the State, played a fundamental role in the construction of security and belonging, contemporaneity is marked by a growing feeling of uncertainty in relation to the capacity of these structures to protect individuals in the face of social risks.

For Bauman (2001), the so-called "liquid modernity" is characterized by the fragility of human bonds and the constant instability of social relations. Unlike previous societies, in which identities and community ties were more permanent, contemporary life is marked by the volatility of connections, individualization, and insecurity. In this context, individuals begin to experience a permanent feeling of vulnerability, since the structures traditionally associated with collective protection become less and less stable.

Similarly, Beck (2011) argues that contemporary society has come to be organized around the management of risks produced by modernity itself. The dangers are no longer necessarily related to external or supernatural threats, but to the consequences of human actions, technological transformations and the complex social relations that characterize the globalized world. Fear is no longer associated with the unknown and begins to emerge from concrete threats present in everyday life.

This perception can also be observed in the analysis of Giddens (1991), for whom modernity promotes a reconfiguration of trust systems. As institutions face crises of legitimacy and credibility, the feeling of insecurity in the face of situations that would previously be mediated by structures considered reliable grows. The contemporary individual finds himself increasingly responsible for his own protection in a scenario marked by unpredictability.

In this context, contemporary horror progressively abandons the figure of the supernatural monster as the main source of horror. In its place, narratives centered on persecution, psychological manipulation, interpersonal violence and obsessive behaviors emerge. Fear stems from the perception that danger can arise from ordinary people, inserted in everyday life, that is, the aggressor does not inhabit a supernatural dimension; He frequents the same social spaces (work, school, gym), establishes affective relationships and shares the appearance of normality.

Such a change reveals a significant transformation in the cultural construction of fear. Terror begins to concentrate and problematize the fragilities produced by society itself within it. Here we observe the perception that violence, manipulation and abandonment can occur even in environments previously considered safe; reflecting a crisis of trust not only in institutions, but also in human relations themselves.

THE HUMAN BEING AS A NEW MONSTER: OBSESSION, VIOLENCE AND VULNERABILITY IN CONTEMPORARY HORROR

The crisis of trust in institutions and the increase in the perception of social risks have produced significant impacts on the construction of contemporary horror narratives. This transformation can be understood from the conception that fear is a socially constructed phenomenon. As stated by Bauman (2008), contemporary societies are marked by a permanent state of insecurity, in which individuals live daily with the perception of risks that are difficult to predict or control. In this scenario, the figure of the human aggressor becomes particularly disturbing, as it breaks the expectation of security associated with everyday social bonds, whether in friendship or romantic relationships.

Obsession emerges, in this context, as one of the most significant representations of contemporary fear. Unlike the classic monsters, whose threat was generally identifiable and delimited, the obsessive individual operates within his own social and affective relationships. Its danger lies precisely in proximity. Violence ceases to be an external force that invades the lives of the characters and starts to develop within relationships built on trust, affection and intimacy.

This change can be interpreted in the light of the Freudian concept of the uncanny (unheimlich). For Freud (1919), horror manifests itself when something familiar becomes unsettling, producing a feeling of discomfort in the face of what should be known and safe. The obsessive individual represents precisely this rupture: someone initially perceived as ordinary becomes a source of threat. Fear does not arise from difference, but from familiarity.

In addition, the centrality of obsession in contemporary narratives dialogues with specific characteristics of the digital society. Social networks have significantly increased the exposure of private life, reduced barriers between individuals, and facilitated surveillance, monitoring, and stalking practices. The possibility of following routines, locating people and accessing personal information contributes to the construction of new forms of social anxiety. In this context, terror finds fertile ground to explore the fear of invasion of intimacy and loss of control over one's own life.

Issues such as gender violence, persecution, harassment, emotional manipulation and abusive relationships began to occupy a central space in public discussions, becoming concrete sources of collective concern. In this way, contemporary horror reveals a profound change in the way society understands danger. Fear is no longer concentrated on the unknown or the inexplicable, but on what can be found in the most common relationships of everyday life; the real monster does not inhabit abandoned castles or supernatural dimensions; it arises from the human capacity to control, manipulate, persecute and violate the other. By replacing fantastical creatures with human threats, contemporary horror not only accompanies social transformations, but exposes the fragilities and insecurities that characterize the experience of modern life.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The analysis of contemporary horror demonstrates that the transformations observed in the genre cannot be understood only as aesthetic or narrative changes. They reflect profound changes in the way society perceives danger, safety and human relations. As discussed throughout this work, terror has always functioned as a mirror of collective restlessness, adapting its monsters to the predominant anxieties of each historical period.

If at other times the supernatural occupied a central position in the construction of fear, contemporaneity is marked by the growing concern with threats produced by individuals themselves and by the fragilities of social institutions. The contributions of Freud (1919), Bauman (2001), Giddens (1991) and Beck (2011) allow us to understand that current fear is less associated with the unknown and more related to vulnerability, insecurity and instability of human relationships.

In this context, the film Obsession (2025) proves to be a significant example of the recent transformations of the genre. The work does not depend on the presence of supernatural entities, curses or inexplicable forces to build its atmosphere of horror. The viewer's discomfort arises precisely from the possibility of recognizing in the narrative behaviors that exist outside of fiction. Obsession, the invasion of intimacy, control over the other and the inability to interrupt cycles of psychological violence are elements that find concrete parallels in contemporary social reality.

From this perspective, the film highlights what Freud (1919) defined as the uncanny (unheimlich): the fear produced when something apparently familiar becomes threatening. The horror is not in the unknown, but in the transformation of everyday relationships into spaces of insecurity. In the same way, the narrative dialogues with Bauman's (2001) perception of the fragility of human bonds in liquid modernity, in which relationships marked by instability can become sources of anxiety and suffering.

More than presenting a horror story, Obsession symbolizes a broader shift in the cultural construction of fear. The film demonstrates that contemporary monsters do not need to inhabit supernatural worlds to provoke unrest. They arise from human relationships themselves, from fragile social structures and from the perception that violence can be present in spaces considered safer.

It is concluded, therefore, that contemporary horror represents an important tool for interpreting today's society. By progressively replacing the fear of the supernatural with the fear of human action, the genre reveals not only new forms of horror, but also the tensions, insecurities, and crises of confidence that characterize the contemporary world. In this sense, works such as Obsession demonstrate that the true terror of the twenty-first century is not in the impossible, but in what is perfectly possible.

REFERENCES

BAUMAN, Zygmunt. Modernidade líquida. Tradução de Plínio Dentzien. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, 2001.

BAUMAN, Zygmunt. Medo líquido. Tradução de Carlos Alberto Medeiros. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, 2008.

BECK, Ulrich. Sociedade de risco: rumo a uma outra modernidade. 2. ed. São Paulo: Editora 34, 2011.

CARROLL, Noël. The Philosophy of Horror: Or, Paradoxes of the Heart. New York: Routledge, 1990.

FEDERICI, Silvia. Calibã e a bruxa: mulheres, corpo e acumulação primitiva. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Elefante, 2017.

FREUD, Sigmund. O estranho (Das Unheimliche). In: FREUD, Sigmund. Obras completas. Rio de Janeiro: Imago, 1996. v. XVII.

GIDDENS, Anthony. As consequências da modernidade. São Paulo: Editora UNESP, 1991.

HAN, Byung-Chul. Sociedade do cansaço. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2015.

OBSESSÃO. Direção: Curry Barker. Estados Unidos: Focus Features; Universal Pictures, 2025. Filme.

Uriel Barroso

International Relations Specialist, with legal training in progress and international academic experience in France. Works at the intersection of culture, commerce, and diplomacy, focusing on multilingual strategies and intercultural negotiations. Developed projects centered on mediation, arbitration, the environment, and academic hosting, alongside offering private tutoring with an emphasis on immersive and personalized methods. Possesses experience in geopolitical analysis, technical translation, and academic content creation, as well as proficiency in digital tools and team organization. Collaborated with institutions in multicultural environments across South America and Europe, connecting theory and practice with a critical and interdisciplinary vision. Participated in academic and social initiatives focused on inclusion, education, and sustainable development. Combines technical and interpersonal skills with communication excellence and strategic thinking.