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Horror is one of the most enduring popular film genres. The consistently do well at the box office, and the most iconic characters, like Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger, often live on in our cultural zeitgeist. One horror scholar, Mathias Clasen, suggests the reason why people love horror movies so much is because they are "a risk-free way to vicariously experience threats and rehearse one's responses to those threats."
Perhaps that's why horror movies set close to home are even more...well, horrifying. It makes us feel even closer to the action, and thus, when we make it out of a horror movie unscathed, we feel an even bigger sense of accomplishment.
So, what's the best horror movie about Michigan? The Evil Dead. Here's what Click on Detroit had to say about the film:
"The 1981 cult classic horror film, written and directed by Royal Oak native Sam Raimi, is based around the story of four Michigan State University students taking a trip together. The movie was originally supposed to be set in Michigan, but eventually moved to rural Tennessee. The film premiered at the Redford Theatre, because the movie's lead actor, Bruce Campbell, used to see movies there as a kid. Campbell is also from Royal Oak and attended Western Michigan University. The sequel, Evil Dead 2, shot some of the film in the Detroit-area.
You can watch The Evil Dead on Amazon Prime and HBO Max.