How Meta Horror took the 90s by Storm

If you think ‘Scream’ in 1996 and its sequels opened the creaking doors and led us into the spooky world of meta - horror, think again! Meta cinema was a staple of horror before Wes Craven & Kevin Williamson’s newest slasher franchise splattered onto  the big screen, and is soon to be explored by writer/director/producer David Weiner in a new ‘In Search of Darkness’ chapter. After a successful crowdfunding campaign in October last year (2023), ‘In Search of Darkness: 1990 -1994’ is currently in production and promises to lift the veil on the so-called ‘lost decade’ of horror. What does it mean to be meta and how did it shape the evolution of the horror genre in the 90s? Before we look at the two films that started the 90s Meta horror trend let’s briefly look at the rise of this reflective storytelling phenomena. Numerous films put meta at the heart of their productions and is thought to have started with the 1940 musical ‘Road To Singapore’.