Darren Aronofsky's twisted 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan wasn't d as such, but it contains all the scary ingredients of a proper horror movie. Released to wide critical acclaim, Black Swan stars Natalie Portman as a ballet dancer who becomes increasingly obsessed with her starring role in Swan Lake, and the viewer goes along for the ride as her life deteriorates. Not only was the film warmly regarded by critics, but it also scored Portman the Academy Award for Best Actress on top of grossing over $300 million (via Box Office Mojo).
What makes Black Swan so successful is not only the stunning performances from Portman and co-star Mila Kunis, but also its genre-bending script leaves audiences shocked in the best ways possible. Viewers are not only met with a classic tale of unfriendly professional competition within the world of the arts but are also treated to a fair amount of scary moments that keep them off balance. The ending of Black Swan is appropriately jarring considering everything that has come before, and yet its horror elements don't detract from the movie's gripping drama.
Black Swan Becomes Scarier As Nina's Mental State Deteriorates
Black Swan effectively builds tension throughout the movie, as events begin to reach a fever pitch through the slow deterioration of Nina's mental state. From the outset, it's clear that she isn't on stable footing, as evidenced by the numerous scratches on her back, and her strange relationship with her mother, but the true horror begins as she slips further and further from reality. Peppered throughout Black Swan are several moments of genuinely jolting terror, and those scary scenes would have fit in with any classic horror film.
The scene where Nina mistakes a erby for herself is only the beginning of her slow spiral downward. By the end of the movie, Nina has begun to completely separate from the world around her. Much in the way an actor or dancer falls headlong into the part they are playing, Nina's obsession with her ballet role leads her to construct a narrative that wasn't really there until the film built to the shocking crescendo. As Black Swan goes on, the horror becomes more prevalent, and the scary scenes indicate Nina's complete disassociation from reality.
Black Swan Has Elements Of Body Horror
Black Swan is a unique movie because it not only mixes elements of a psychological thriller with elements of horror, but it also delves into the movies of David Cronenberg, who is well-known for body horror, Darren Aronofsky uses body horror to get the message of the movie across. Subtle elements like the scratches on Nina's back and the prolonged damage to her feet represent the scary reality of being a ballerina, but the movie also slowly ratchets up the body horror as things go on.
The hangnail sequence alone is enough to have viewers squirming in their seats, but things take a decidedly more absurd turn as Nina's body slowly begins to take on the aspect of a bird in the second half of the movie. Destruction of the body is the basis of all horror, but Black Swan's body horror serves a dual purpose by not only freaking out the viewer but also using symbolism to represent the decline of Nina's mental state. Though it isn't as overt as most other horror films, Black Swan is no less terrifying.
