{"id":1988872,"date":"2025-08-30T21:01:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T21:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1988872"},"modified":"2025-08-30T21:01:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T21:01:04","slug":"elevated-horror-has-a-head-smashing-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/elevated-horror-has-a-head-smashing-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Elevated Horror Has A Head Smashing Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Head smashing is starting to become a problem in elevated horror, and I don\u2019t know how much further the concept can be explored before it becomes old hat. It\u2019s quickly becoming the new jump scare, as seen in films like <em>Hereditary, Longlegs, <\/em>and most recently, <em>Weapons<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On one hand, I get it. Watching somebody get their dome caved in with a blunt object is such a visceral way to depict the destruction of a mind on screen that it\u2019s an easy way for filmmakers to get their point across while shocking their audience to the core.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But like jump scares, we start to get desensitized to them. Personally, I\u2019ve had my fill because the sound of gray matter and bone splatting against the floor triggers the same kind of discomfort people pretend to feel when they hear the word \u201cmoist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Funny enough, the word moist and a smashed head aren\u2019t mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\"><strong>The Literal Destruction Of A Mind\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Peter Graham\u2019s head-smash in <em>Hereditary<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Self-inflicted head-smashing in elevated horror serves a very specific purpose: to show the audience that a character has lost control of their faculties. This happens twice in 2018\u2019s <em>Hereditary.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The first instance involves a nearly catatonic Peter Graham, who starts face-flopping onto his desk and shrieking in the middle of philosophy class. There\u2019s maybe a one-percent chance he took the \u201cpunishment brings wisdom\u201d message on the blackboard too literally, or that he was just hungry and protesting the only way he knew how while waiting for the lunch bell. But by this point, the film has already established that the demon Paimon is slowly taking over his being.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Was the head smashing necessary, or could Peter\u2019s mental state have broken down in a less literal way? The most likely reason is set up for the film\u2019s final sequence, when his mother Annie, fully possessed, jackhammers her skull against the attic door in one of the movie\u2019s most jarring sequences.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\"><strong>Longlegs And Weapons<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Dale Ferdinand Kobble pre-head smash in &lt;em&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;link &quot; href=&quot;https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/longlegs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noopener&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; data-ylk=&quot;slk:Longlegs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas&quot;&gt;Longlegs&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/em&gt;.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/.UBRiJEZWfSty79wJ_Y7fA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/2399d729d9debf100db4046e5905338b\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\">Dale Ferdinand Kobble pre-head smash in <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/longlegs\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Longlegs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Longlegs<\/a><\/em>.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Similar to Peter Graham, <em>Longlegs\u2019<\/em> title character meets a more final fate during the interrogation scene, when he reveals that he works for \u201cthe man downstairs\u201d before smashing his face into the table until he delivers the fatal, self-inflicted blow. Having been a conduit for a satanic force since the 1970s, Dale Ferdinand Kobble may very well have been freeing himself from the mental torment that hollowed out his mind decades earlier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I thought <em>Longlegs\u2019<\/em> interrogation room sequence was the cinematic peak for head smashing in elevated horror because it was so unnerving that I\u2019m still talking about it. That is, until I saw <em>Weapons<\/em>. Playing with our fear of the unknown in similar ways, <em>Weapons<\/em> saves its head-smashing for its third act. This time, it\u2019s not one person slamming against a table, but two heads colliding repeatedly on the kitchen floor until one of them stops screaming.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\"><strong>The Popularization Of Head Smashing\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If I had to pinpoint when head-smashing became a go-to plot device, I\u2019d look at <em>The Walking Dead\u2019s<\/em> Season 7 Premiere, \u201cThe Day Will Come When You Won\u2019t Be.\u201d This is the episode when Negan kills Abraham and Glenn with his barbed-wire-wrapped Louisville Slugger named Lucille. Not exactly elevated horror, but its impact on audiences was massive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe Day Will Come When You Won\u2019t Be\u201d is one of the highest-rated episodes of the series, and Glenn\u2019s grisly end remains one of the most polarizing moments in modern TV horror. I never watched a single episode of <em>The Walking Dead<\/em>, but I still heard chatter the second the episode aired because of how upsetting it was to its fanbase back in 2016. When I finally looked it up to see for myself, it ruined spaghetti night for a week.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\"><strong>Glenn Finally Gets His Flowers\u00a0(Sort Of)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Glenn Rhee in happier times on &lt;em&gt;The Walking Dead&lt;\/em&gt;.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/cbYEKEkic0cQ87faUK9nxg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/76d2007381df2dc087f2fbcb8088b255\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Glenn Rhee in happier times on <em>The Walking Dead<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It makes sense that filmmakers would want to chase the same reaction Glenn\u2019s death got. The entire sequence is horrifying and lodged itself into our collective consciousness, one wet splat at a time. Elevated horror thrives on those reactions; head smashing is a reliable way to get them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I don\u2019t see the trope going away anytime soon. It does too good a job of dropping jaws, even if the effect weakens each time. At some point, it\u2019ll lose its edge, but until then, Glenn, I\u2019m sorry this is what you\u2019re remembered for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Head smashing is starting to become a problem in elevated horror, and I don\u2019t know how much further the concept can be explored before it becomes old hat. It\u2019s quickly becoming the new jump scare, as seen in films like Hereditary, Longlegs, and most recently, Weapons. On one hand, I get it. Watching somebody get [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1988873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[358804,358806,358805,358803],"class_list":["post-1988872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-elevated-horror","tag-ferdinand-kobble","tag-head-smashing","tag-peter-graham"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Elevated-Horror-Has-A-Head-Smashing-Problem.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1988872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988872\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1988873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1988872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1988872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1988872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}