Suburban Gothic is a subgenre ofGothic fiction, art, film and television, focused on anxieties associated with the creation ofsuburban communities, particularly in the United States and theWestern world, from the 1950s and 1960s onwards.
It often, but not exclusively, relies on the supernatural or elements ofscience fiction that have been in wider Gothic literature, but manifested in a suburban setting. It also more often than not reflects a societal issue or anxiety with suburban life through the depiction of the supernatural force.[1] It also tends to have a human threat, though in some cases more traditional monsters are used.
Suburban Gothic is defined by Bernice M. Murphy as "a subgenre of the widerAmerican Gothic tradition which dramatises anxieties arising from the mass urbanisation of the United States and usually features suburban settings, preoccupations and protagonists".[2] She argues that a common trope of the suburban Gothic is the danger within a family or neighbourhood, rather than an external threat.[3] Teenagers and children are often major protagonists or sources of threat, and characteristic conflicts often focus on issues of individuality and conformity.[4]
Important early works identified with the subgenre includeHenry Bellamann’s Kings RowRichard Matheson'sI Am Legend (1954),Grace Metalious’sPeyton Place,Shirley Jackson'sThe Haunting of Hill House (1959)[5] andThe Road Through the Wall (1948).[1] More recent books identified within the genre areBret Easton Ellis' mock memoirLunar Park (2005),[6]R.L. Stine'sFear Street series (1989) andGoosebumps series (1992)Jeffrey Eugenides'The Virgin Suicides (1993),[1] Suzanne Berne'sA Crime in the Neighborhood (1997),[1] andTom Perrotta'sLittle Children (2004).[1]
Important films includeStanley Kubrick's take onLolita (1962),Wes Craven's originalA Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)[7] andTobe Hooper'sPoltergeist (1982).[8] Works that incorporate environmental concerns includeIra Levin'sThe Stepford Wives (1975),Anne Rivers Siddons'sThe House Next Door (1978),Todd Haynes'sSafe (1995)[9] andDavid Lynch'sBlue Velvet (1986) have been identified as part of the suburban gothic subgenre.[10] An earlier cinematic example of this isNicholas Ray's 1955 classicRebel Without a Cause.[10] Films with threats from a female protagonist, includingFatal Attraction (1987) andDisclosure (1994), have also been identified as part of the genre.[11] In addition, films that feature a more character-driven or dramatic standpoint also inform the genre, notablyPeter Jackson'sHeavenly Creatures (1994),Todd Solondz'sHappiness (1998),[7]Sam Mendes'sAmerican Beauty (1999), andRichard Kelly'sDonnie Darko (2001).[7] Other films described as within the suburban gothic genre includeBrian De Palma's version ofStephen King'sCarrie (1976),John Carpenter'sHalloween (1978),The Amityville Horror (1979),[12]Fright Night (1985),The Stepfather (1987),[1]Joe Dante'sThe 'Burbs (1989),[13]Parents (1989),[13]Tim Burton'sEdward Scissorhands (1990),[13]The People Under the Stairs (1991; also by Wes Craven),[1]John Waters'sSerial Mom (1994),[1]Peter Weir'sTruman Show (1998),Little Children (2006),[1]The Girl Next Door (2007),The Sisterhood of Night (2014),I Saw the TV Glow (2024),The Invitation (2015),[1]Snowtown (2011)[7]Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956),[11]The Virgin Suicides (2000),[1]The Babadook (2014),[14] andThe Lovely Bones (2009).
Peyton Place (TV series) was one of the earliest examples of the genre and inspired bothSecrets of Midland Heights andKing’s Crossing. The works ofDavid Lynch are also seen as defining examples of the genre, notably the television seriesTwin Peaks, alongside the 1992 featureFire Walk with Me.[7] The direct to TV filmAre You in the House Alone also belongs to this genre, diving into sexual dangers of the suburbs. TV series such asBuffy the Vampire Slayer,Supernatural,The Addams Family,The Munsters,Desperate Housewives,Weeds,Riverdale,WandaVision, andAgatha All Along have also been seen as dealing with concerns about hidden Gothic worlds behind the suburban façade.[15] The cult programDark Shadows also gives an interesting spin on the genre. Another televised example is the Emmy-winningAmerican Horror Story.[7]
The genre also is present in radio, with some examples beingThe Witch's Tale,Quiet Please,I Love a Mystery,Inner Sanctum, andEscape.[1] Other examples include programs such asLights Out andSuspense. These programs all dealt with the ways in which elements of the Gothic find their way into the home and family, which is showcased in the personal nature of radio as a medium.[1]
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