Deconstructing Horror

Deconstructing Horror

33 movie-matched episodes
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Welcome to Deconstructing Horror with Ryan Does (formerly Everyday Dread), a space for philosophical horror analysis and thematic deep dives. We don't just analyze the hidden theology, social commentary, and existential themes of cinema's most terrifying films for the sake of theory—we deconstruct these stories so we can use what we learn from them to navigate our own daily lives. Each episode takes horror cinema apart piece by piece by bringing professor friends, engaging academics, and scholarly horror fans into the conversation. Whether we are unearthing the profound theological subtext of The Exorcist, confronting the religious mind games in Heretic, dissecting the existential dread of John Carpenter's The Thing, or unpacking the raw social commentary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Ryan and his guest explore how horror storytelling is used to wrestle with faith, morality, and the human condition. Subscribe for conversations dedicated to a deeper understanding of horror!

Heretic
Heretic (2024): Inside the Reddit Atheist Hell House! (Part 1) | Deconstructing Horror
Heretic (2024) · Sep 14, 2026
Resident Evil
Resident Evil (2002): Capitalism, AI & Foucault | Deconstructing Horror
Resident Evil (2002) · Sep 10, 2026
HIM
Him (2025): Is Football Our TRUE Religion? | Deconstructing Horror
HIM (2025) · Sep 3, 2026
Midsommar
MIDSOMMAR (2019) | The Horror of Grief & Florence Pugh w/ Dr. Annie DeRolf
Midsommar (2019) · Aug 27, 2026
Insidious
INSIDIOUS (2010) | Haunting Truths About Fathers, Family and the Further
Insidious (2011) · Aug 16, 2026
The Exorcist
THE EXORCIST (1973) | Father Karras, Faith Deconstruction & Ontological Shock
The Exorcist (1973) · Aug 9, 2026
Jaws
JAWS (1975) | Shark Attacks! Summer Blockbusters! Climate Change?
Jaws (1975) · Jul 23, 2026
Aliens
James Cameron's ALIENS (1986) | 40 Years of Terror, Greed, and "Building Better Worlds"
Aliens (1986) · Jul 16, 2026
The Evil Dead
THE EVIL DEAD (1981) | Ash Williams & The Absurd: What Apocalypse Reveals
The Evil Dead (1981) · Jul 9, 2026
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) | America 250: What Leatherface Teaches Us Today
Brightburn
BRIGHTBURN (2019) | Evil Superman: What Superhero Horror Reveals About Power
Brightburn (2019) · Jun 25, 2026
The Descent
THE DESCENT (2005) | The Fatal Flaw in Hyper-Individualism: A Kierkegaard Film Study
The Descent (2005) · Jun 18, 2026
Jurassic Park
JURASSIC PARK (1993) | Deconstructing Billionaire John Hammond’s God Complex
Jurassic Park (1993) · Jun 11, 2026
Scary Movie
SCARY MOVIE (2000) | Wazzup! How Horror-Comedy Exposes our "Sacred Cows"
Scary Movie (2000) · Jun 4, 2026
The Mist
THE MIST (2007) | Why We Follow Monsters: The Power of Influence
The Mist (2007) · Jun 1, 2026
Alien
ALIEN (1979) | How Corporate Greed Makes the Working Class Expendable
Alien (1979) · Jun 1, 2026
The Matrix
THE MATRIX (1999) | AI Ethics: Is the Wachowski Technological Horror Story Coming True?
The Matrix (1999) · Jun 1, 2026
It
IT (2017) | Pennywise vs. The Losers Club: How Friendships Help Us Fight the Unknown
It (2017) · Jun 1, 2026
The Babadook
THE BABADOOK (2014) | Why "Perfect" Motherhood is a DANGEROUS Lie
The Babadook (2014) · Jun 1, 2026
Saw
SAW (2004) | The Terrifying Truth About Jigsaw’s Twisted Theology
Saw (2004) · Jun 1, 2026
Godzilla
GODZILLA (1954) | A Cinematic Liturgy for Climate Anxiety and Lament
Godzilla (1954) · Jun 1, 2026
Poltergeist
POLTERGEIST (1982) | The Dark Cost of the American Dream
Poltergeist (1982) · May 31, 2026
Ready or Not
READY OR NOT (2019) | Why We Protect the Systems That Hurt Us
Ready or Not (2019) · May 31, 2026
Night of the Living Dead
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) | Finding Hope in the Zombie Apocalypse
The Thing
The Thing (1982) | Paranoia & Polarization: How “Us vs. Them” Kills Trust
The Thing (1982) · Mar 16, 2026
Jaws
Jaws (1975) | Killer Sharks and Climate Change
Jaws (1975) · Mar 15, 2026
Sins of the Past
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) | Sins of the Past: The Metaphysics of Sinister Secrets
Sins of the Past (1984) · Mar 15, 2026
Halloween
Halloween (1978) | Pure Evil: Why Michael Myers Has No Motive
Halloween (1978) · Mar 15, 2026
Ready or Not
Ready or Not (2019) | Blood, Brides, and Billionaires: Why We Eat the Rich
Ready or Not (2019) · Mar 12, 2026
Bride of Frankenstein
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) | Bodily Autonomy: The Power of "No!”
Scream
Scream (1996) | Social Media: The Mask We All Wear
Scream (1996) · Feb 26, 2026
The Shining
The Shining (1980) | The Male Loneliness Epidemic: A Warning for Modern Men
The Shining (1980) · Feb 19, 2026
28 Days Later
28 Days Later (2002) | Outrage Culture: Why Anger is the New Contagion
28 Days Later (2002) · Feb 19, 2026