It’s the start of a new decade and we’re all busy exploring what it means to truly feel helpless. Before the existence of COVID-19 and the restrictions that came with it, writers and authors would develop their scripts and story plots by putting themselves into the make-believe shoes of fictional characters. Even movies and books that were based on true events required them to do a little digging for accuracy. However, with the turn of events at the start of this new decade, most of us are now able to mildly relate to the transgressions of a somewhat apocalyptic world and this may be a factor that changes the makeup of future horror installments. After all, we’ve all had a small taste of what it means to live through a pandemic!

While the coronavirus isn’t quite the same as the blown out of proportion, zombie-like viruses that cause end-of-the-world narratives in popular horror movies, it does explore forces that are beyond societal control and reinforces the cause and belief system of the general population. Nevertheless, horror may be starting to give out new senses of comfort and suffering as 2020 continues to explore what it means to feel truly helpless and how it feels to follow the aligned rules set out by many governments without having an end in sight. So, it looks like horror could be looking inward to these real-life concerns and re-writing them to create a famous subgenre that will be remembered by the generations that lived through COVID-19.

It’s difficult to be living at a time where things are uncertain

We’ve been living in this age of small gatherings, consistent hand-washing, and masked errand running and for the most part, we’re trusting that our lives will eventually get back to normal. But, since pandemics have a way of making us think twice about external threats like visits from a stranger and the germs of those around you, this could change the makeup of films to come because we will suffer from this warmth of familiarity. While we’re all trying to make sense of what’s going on in the world in any way that we can to keep our grip on reality, this means that we’re more open to sharing our anxieties, depressive states, and overall sense of madness with those around us. So, thank goodness for well-developed technology becoming an appendage and keeping us communicating with those outside of our social bubbles.

On the other hand, we’re told to follow the rules and regulations that are set out by the top health authorities, and that if we’re upstanding citizens, those in charge of protecting us will do their best to keep us safe. However, horror movies have refuted this idea in the past by portraying governments as corrupt and experimental, distorting the reality of the flip side with the incompetence of those in charge of decision-making. How can one fix things without knowing how to even start making the changes? It will be interesting to look back on all we have learned when we settle into our new normal.

New decade, new rules, and new horror memorabilia

We expect that this decade will deal with the scariness of ineptitude because 2020 has broken down the fourth wall. How can writers go back to just depicting typical ghosts, goblins, monsters, and strangers, when we know the potential for the unexpected to lurk around the corner? After all, 2020 has become the ultimate jump scare!

Nevertheless, spooktacular fans won’t be able to forget the classics, which makes horror memorabilia from the old normal more sought after and valuable. Get your claws on the latest and greatest horror memorabilia from nightmaretoys.com and start a collection that is the envy of everyone you know!

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December 07, 2022 — Nightmare Toys