Princess Horror Movies

Thirty years ago, it would have been considered a crime to twist the sweet, gentle princess archetype into a cold-blooded murderer. Times have changed. Today, the type of violent nature required for horror movie leads is not so far off from how modern princesses act. That's why it's not too surprising that the niche fairy tale horror genre has increased in popularity over the past couple of years. In 2024 alone, there have been three gruesome, twisted princess films, two of which were based on the same fairy tale. Cinderella's Revenge, Cinderella's Curse, and The Little Mermaid all take a beloved protagonist known for her kind-hearted nature and turn her into a killer. Is there an audience for this growing trend, or is it merely a passing fad?

The concept of combining the traditionally family-friendly fairy tale genre with the darker, more adult horror genre is not entirely novel. Original versions of fairy tales had many dark elements before they were Disney-fied. Earlier attempts at combining the two genres, such as 1978's Beauty and the Beast and 1997's Snow White: A Tale of Terror, focused more on enhancing these elements rather than changing the nature of their protagonists. It wasn't until The Curse of Sleeping Beauty in 2016 that a movie dared to take a beloved princess and turn her into a villain. Even then, it was meant to be a shocking twist for the film's climax. Since that time, Disney's paint-by-numbers live-action remakes increased in quantity, creating a demand for more original fairy tale content that isn't a carbon copy of an animated classic. That caused the recent spike in the horror trend, which is a niche genre produced by small and independent studios due to its lack of family-friendly appeal.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that none of these movies hold much appeal for the majority of fairy tale and princess fans. They are not particularly beloved by fans of the horror genre either, who generally don't mix with the "family-friendly" crowd. Therefore, this niche genre is likely a passing fad meant as a way for indie filmmakers to provide something different while Hollywood experiences a dearth in creativity. For the most part, these films are painfully slow and dull due to the lack of humor or levity that Disney was known for incorporating into their adaptations. Many of them are not particularly bloody or violent and rely more heavily on the shock value of characters who are known for having impeccable morals commit unforgivable crimes than on gore. An exception to this is Cinderella's Curse, which was released by the same production studio as the infamous Blood and Honey, and is a horribly disturbing piece that showcases all the worst atrocities humans are capable of committing for practically every frame of its short runtime.

While the concept of using well-known princesses as horror movie protagonists may have been intended as an original idea, it is merely an extension of Hollywood's lazy trend to rehash pre-existing intellectual properties instead of coming up with new concepts for horror movies. Just as there are classic princesses, there are also classic horror movie characters, and little to no new ones for either genre have been created in recent years. Instead, these small niche studios are relying on the shock value of combining innocent princesses with gore, but the shock value won't last if they keep doing it. The most creative movie about princesses and murder from this decade is the Japanese 2023 movie Once Upon a Crime, which is presented as a murder mystery rather than a horror movie, making it more palatable to princess fans, who tend to have delicate sensibilities.

The recent surge in fairy tale horror movies, particularly those featuring beloved princesses as killers, may be a fleeting trend. While these films offer a dark twist on classic stories, they often rely on shock value rather than genuine creativity or horror. As the novelty wears off, this niche genre will likely fade, leaving room for more innovative storytelling. For now, fans of both fairy tales and horror may find themselves caught between appreciating the originality and being put off by the conflicting genres and clashing target demographics. Meanwhile, films like Once Upon a Crime show that there's potential for more nuanced explorations of princesses and crime, ones that might appeal to a broader audience.