The latest documentary from Sarah Appleton and Phillip Escott (The Found Footage Phenomenon) puts its focus on the 21st-century resurgence of horror that was bloodier, nastier, and a lot of fun.

There’s an interesting mix of talking heads recounting their personal journey as well as an overview of the genre’s evolution in the new millennium. This eclectic bunch includes familiar faces such as Joe Lynch, Neil Marshall, and Christopher Smith, but there some people who don’t normally get their time in front of the camera. There’s interesting input from Xavier Gens (Frontier(s)), Srdjan Spasojevic (A Serbian Film), Thomas Fenton (I Spit on Your Grave 2), and Simon Barrett (You’re Next). Some are underused, such as Alice Lowe (Prevenge) and Rob Zombie, but their input is still important.

From Final Destination to ‘torture porn’, the doc covers every element of modern horror. The aftermath of the horrendous terrorist attacks on 9/11 weighs heavy on the start of the 21st century, and there’s the commentary puts a lot of perspective on how the genre reacted and responded to the building fears of the public.

Generation Terror is an engaging and enlightening example of how to do documents right, providing an overview of how the horror genre developed into the slick bloodbaths we see today.

GENERATION TERROR screened at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest.