The Most Creative Ways That Movie Directors Have Added Terror to Ancient Civilisations
Finding a new angle or a new setting is a constant challenge for horror movie directors. All the most obvious ideas have been extensively covered, so it’s good to see that ancient cultures have sometimes been used in highly creative ways to produce moments of terror.
Greek Mythology in a Found Footage Thriller
Its Name Was Mormo is a 2024 found footage horror film that was written and directed by Mark Andrew Bowers. While we join the police watching images of the family being tormented by an unseen presence, the demons from Greek mythology run deep in the story. Mormo is a frightening character from Greek folklore that is related to a phantom sent to terrorise by Hekate, the Goddess of witchcraft and magic.
We might be more used to seeing Greek mythology in action movies, like 2004’s Troy, where Brad Pitt plays the legendary warrior Achilles during the Trojan War. However, across popular culture, the use of Greek mythology as a theme shows no sign of slowing down. Television shows based on the theme have recently appeared, seen in Jeff Goldblum’s portrayal of Zeus in 2024’s dark comedy Kaos. In another sector of entertainment, iGaming, there are multiple mythological themed games in this British casino site, including Age of the Gods Roulette and Age of the Gods Spin a Win, which include the deities as part of their key features. This shows how the theme continues to appear in new formats across the entertainment sector.
Egyptian Mummies and Shocks
Many of the earliest horror movies were based on Egyptian mummies, with 1932’s The Mummy starring Boris Karloff one of the earliest examples. It was successful enough to lead to several follow-ups, such as 1940’s The Mummy’s Hand, which used some footage from the earlier film. There have been some attempts to create a modern reboot of The Mummy, with Brendan Fraser in the 1999 version. Tom Cruise starred in the 2017 movie of the same name, with this scathing review helping to explain why it never kick-started the Universal Dark Universe.
A more modern touch was added to 2014’s The Pyramid, which has a supernatural plot and uses found footage to crank up the tension. It’s built around the premise of a team of archaeologists exploring an underground pyramid and being chased by a mysterious creature. The secrets of Ancient Egypt can also be found in other ways, with Tutankhamun: The Immersive Experience, a travelling exhibition that has shows lined up in London, Glasgow, and Norrköping.
Aztec and Maya Mysteries Brought to Life
The Aztec and Mayan civilisations left behind mysteries such as pyramids, the death whistle, and crystal skulls, although the so-called Aztec skulls have been described as fakes by some experts. So it’s no wonder that we feel so enthralled by them. The success of 1957’s The Aztec Mummy led to a series of films. This Mexican production features an ancient warrior who guards a tomb and is sent to attack modern-day scientists. More recently, The Ruins is a 2008 movie from director Carter Smith that’s based on a book of the same name, where a group of tourists are attacked by a carnivorous vine while visiting a remote Mayan ruin.
These movies all take some of the best-known elements of these civilisations and add a lot of creativity to produce something new and shocking to thrill audiences.
