It’s the moment you’ve all been dreading, fear fans: The resurrection of the long lost horror haiku!
That’s right, this is yet another post where I indulge in a bit of verse. Why? Because sometimes I’m bored. And sometimes I get tired of writing long-form content and I just want to spew out something quick and easy, but meaningful (at least to me). Either way, it’s a catharsis of sorts.
Most of the haikus I’ve written over the past year have been heavily edited or cut or deleted because the first drafts were trash, but I’ve managed to winnow a few of the best ones from the stack of sporadically written lines I’ve accumulated.
I also have to mention that I was inspired by a couple of people who’ve contacted me on Facebook recently who have read my previous horror haiku posts and who have also shared some of their own material with me.
(Those posts, btw, can be found here and here).
So at the moment I’ve got enough left to edit, at least of my own verses, to warrant a fourth post in the near future, but we’ll see how that plays out.
For now though, this is the newest bunch and I hope you enjoy them. But if you don’t, be brutally honest in the comments and vilify me at your leisure.
So what can you expect? Well, there are some pieces based on cult-favorite movies from my youth, but also some verses written about newer films that have floated my boat of late.
So what do you say, fright fans? Are you ready to leap into the horror haiku mire with me again, to see if this form may hold sway over your imagination? It certainly does over mine.
Without further preamble then, here is the latest bloody batch…
Wake and see a stranger’s face
Humanity lost
The creeping dread of this sci-fi horror gem is unmatched. Pods replace loved ones with eerie precision, leaving you questioning reality and clutching your seat in paranoia. A favorite. And, I still miss you, Donald Sutherland!
Strange neighbors and the dark gate
Eternal torment
This forgotten treasure delivers a bone-numbing tale set in a New York brownstone hiding the gates of Hell. A perfect blend of atmospheric horror and psychological dread. Plus, it has Burgess Meredith!
Demon’s whisper, twisting child,
Faith battles pure dread
This masterpiece redefined horror with its shocking intensity. The tale of an innocent girl possessed by a demon and the ensuing battle of faith? Terrifyingly uncomfortable, but also terrifyingly unforgettable.
Pages of the damned unfold,
Fiction warps the real
A Lovecraftian descent into madness where fiction bleeds into reality. John Carpenter’s underrated classic still has me questioning the very fabric of my sanity.
Alien whispers “Consume”,
Truth’s unsettling glare
With its iconic sunglasses reveal, this film is a sharp critique wrapped in a sci-fi horror shell. Alien overlords controlling humanity never looked so cool or felt so chilling, right?
Carpenter strikes again with a tale where science and ancient evil collide. The creeping sense of doom as Satan awakens (in liquid form no less) is pure, apocalyptic terror at its very best.
Warriors face Freddy’s scorn
Sleep can kill again
Freddy Krueger returns to haunt the dreams of Elm Street’s children. This entry stands out with its creative dreamscapes and the fierce fight back from the Dream Warriors who, sadly, have a high fatality rate.
Television’s hidden cost
Foul realities
David Cronenberg’s eerie exploration of media manipulation and body horror. It’s a mind-bending trip where flesh meets signal, leaving you hideously disturbed. Thanks for the nightmares, Dave.
Darkness, severed flesh reveals
Mystery’s cruel heart
Beneath the surface of a quaint town lies darkness and twisted secrets. Lynch’s surreal and sinister tale, where a severed ear leads to a world of deep, unsettling mysteries, still enthralls to this day.
Redrum whispers in the night
Madness echoes loud
Kubrick’s snowbound maze of madness at the Overlook Hotel is a masterclass in psychological horror. Redrum whispers and Jack’s descent into insanity lie etched in horror history forever.
Fate entwined in cursed bloodlines
Grief births pure horror
A modern horror masterpiece where grief and family secrets intertwine. The unsettling atmosphere and shocking revelations make it a haunting experience that lingers long after the credits roll. It also has one of the most disturbing child-death scenes ever.
Innocence lost to forest
Family undone
A slow-burning descent into puritanical paranoia and dark folklore. The black goat’s silent stare and the unraveling of a family’s sanity in the woods is hauntingly captivating. Well done, director Robert Eggers.
Underneath, dark motives lurk
Flight a forlorn hope
A brilliant blend of social commentary and horror. Jordan Peele’s debut sees perfect facades crack, revealing sinister motives and a chilling fight for survival. It’s highly re-watchable too.
Red blooms in the academy
Dark magic’s embrace
Dario Argento’s vivid and bloody ballet of witchcraft at a dance academy. The dazzling colors and unsettling score create a mesmerizing nightmare. I love it!
A monster whispers at night
Embrace or be doomed
Grief’s shadow takes the form of a sinister children’s book character. This psychological horror weaves dread and emotion into a tale of a mother and son facing their darkest fears.
Rituals of blood and fire
Love burns in daylight
A daylight nightmare in a Swedish village’s unsettling festival. Ari Aster’s folk horror masterpiece blends beautiful visuals with a disturbing undercurrent, leading to a shocking climax.
Guilt and fear, the black curse binds
Old gods demand pain
A haunting journey through the Scandinavian wilderness, where a group of friends encounters ancient Norse horrors. The eerie atmosphere and chilling creature design make it one of my favorite modern horror films.
And that’s it for this batch of horror haikus. Please let me know in the comments what you thought of them (be honest). If you have any of your own that you’d like to share, you may do so, and I will feature them in a subsequent post along with your credentials and social media profile. And remember to subscribe to the Longbox of Darkness newsletter for updates on all things horror.
Thanks for reading! Until next time, dark travelers, I’ll see you in your nightmares.
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