Are Hollywood Horror Films Like Evil Dead Franchise & Others Going Overboard With Gore? Filmmaker Vishal Furia & Actor Mimoh Chakraborty Discuss

I’ve always been an avid lover of scary movies, however, with one strong exception: I’m strongly against gore. I find it unnecessary and mindlessly disturbing. A simple argument being, the central aim of a scary movie is to do exactly that—scare, and of course introduce us to some magically evil beings who, for that particular time period, take us away from reality. Of course, over the last few years, most paranormal activities seem to hover around 30-something females possessed in a 3 BHK, while I personally prefer the kind that have monsters and spirits which are a bit more imaginative.

Low budgets, lasting horror legacy

Obsession seems to have given the Hollywood horror genre a revving up, with the main talking point being the meagre budget on which it was made. Which takes us back to the cult horror movie series of all time—Evil Dead, the original ones that were made in the ’80s and ’90s, that is. Director Sam Raimi’s 1981 horror classic The Evil Dead was shot on a shoestring budget of just $375,000. Corn syrup was used for blood, and the shooting was primarily done in a cabin in Tennessee, along with the innovative ‘shaky-cam’ tracking shots. The result? A sleeper hit which grossed over $29 million globally, leading to one of the most enduring horror franchises. While it did have solid gory scenes, the humour instilled in the franchise made it enjoyable.

Bollywood horror avoids excessive bloodshed mostly

Bollywood horror, mostly, has been minus gore, whether you see films such as Bhediya, Munjya, Stree 2 and others, much to my relief. The new Evil Dead movie, however, has brought back the discussion on gore, sparking several debates along the lines of: How much gore is too much? So, we thought of asking the same question to some experienced horror filmmakers from Bollywood.

Vishal Furia defends gore in horror

First up is director Vishal Furia, whose latest horror outing was the Kajol-starrer Maa (2025). However, he’s got an entire horror CV which comprises Lapachhapi (2017), Chhorii (2021) and Chhorii 2 (2025), so it won’t be surprising if ghosts send him audition reels to get cast in his movies.

“So, I don’t think Hollywood does anything wrong by going overboard with gore, because gore is a subgenre of horror. And these are specific films which are gory for a reason because that’s how the franchise has evolved over the years, like Evil Dead. Even if you see the first one, it had quite a bit of gore considering the time it was released in. And then it kept on growing through the years. But the gore that they're delivering is also very aesthetic, very artistic. And while, of course, it gives a shock value and could feel a bit uncomfortable for some people, for people who really enjoy gore, it is also very entertaining and innovative. So, I don’t have particularly any problem with gore in horror. I feel it’s a great genre. I enjoy the genre and, in fact, I am seeing a lot of Hindi films also use gore in their storytelling. A film like Marco, which was absolute gore, delivered Rs 100 crore at the box office last year. Even a mass film like Dhurandar, in its killings, had some gore in it. They could have just done it with a bullet or something, but they chose a certain aesthetic for it. That gore is justified because of the injustice that was being meted out by the villains.”

“There are great directors who have done amazing work in gore over the years, like David Cronenberg and John Carpenter. A growing number of audiences in India also enjoy the genre, which is why the numbers speak for themselves,” Furia explained to The Free Press Journal.

Mimoh supports story-driven violence only

Next up is someone whose recent film, Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past, emerged as a surprise hit, collecting Rs 17.77 crore in India despite being a limited release. But horror isn’t new to Mimoh Chakraborty, as he has also been part of Haunted 3D (2011) and Oye Bhootni Ke (2024).

“Just yesterday, my wife and I went for Evil Dead Burn, as we both are mad horror fans. Honestly speaking, there are so many films out there, not just horror films, which show violence and gore. Yes, I do believe that if a film demands it, then it makes sense. A movie like the Evil Dead franchise is a body horror film, with people literally cutting each other in half with chainsaws and knives and whatnot. So, that is what the franchise is offering you. So, for a film like Evil Dead, yes, it is required. Of course, there are certain films where the violence is so over the top that you wonder why it was needed.”

“Slasher franchise flicks like Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street—all of these movies demand that the violence lives up to the horror,” Mimoh told us.

What do you feel about gore in horror? Is it fine or should it be reduced? Write to us at kabir@fpj.co.in