“In the early-to-mid 2000s, mainstream horror was dominated by series like Saw, Hostel, and Final Destination, each telling stories of torture and mechanized death that mostly repulsed critics, but reflected the darkening mood of the country more than other studio films dared.
“Look past their can-you-top-this grisliness and they tap into the common fear that young people have no control over their own destiny, that they’ve given themselves over to some faceless, malevolent force that’s really pulling the strings.
“When the haunted-house cycle eventually took over, starting with Paranormal Activity, at least there was the possibility of expelling demons from your life. But for a few years, audiences were freaked out by their own sense of powerlessness.”
Read more at NPR
