Grave Tone is your all-access pass to the horror genre across books, film, TV, and games. From cult classics to fresh nightmares, we dig into the stories that scare us and why we love them. If it bleeds, reads, streams, or screams… it’s on Grave Tone.
School is in session… and so is horror.
In this episode of Grave Tone, Meaghan and Arthur explore the never-ending fascination with academic horror and dark academia in books, films, and television. Why do classrooms, boarding schools, and universities make such chilling backdrops for horror stories? From Stephen King’s Carrie and Christine to cult favorites like The Faculty, Urban Legend, and Happy Death Day, all the way to modern hits like Wednesday and adaptations of Ninth House and Babel, we uncover the tropes, themes, and cultural fears that keep bringing audiences back to campus-based horror.
We also play a creative game of “Build Your Own Dark Academia Horror” — constructing the perfect setting, antagonist, and twist ending for a fictional campus horror movie.
If you love dark academia aesthetics, horror history, slashers, supernatural thrillers, or just the spooky vibes of school hallways after dark, this episode is for you.
🎒 Back to School, Back to Horror
- Why September always feels like horror season
- The link between academic calendars and horror media releases
🏫 Academic Horror: A Subgenre That Never Dies
- What makes schools such an effective horror setting
- From gothic boarding schools to modern college slashers
📺 Iconic Examples in Film & TV
- Carrie, Scream 2, Urban Legend, The Faculty, Suspiria, Cry Wolf, The Blackcoat’s Daughter
- Modern revivals: Wednesday, Happy Death Day, Lisa Frankenstein
📚 Academic Horror in Literature
- Stephen King (Carrie, Rage, Christine)
- R.F. Kuang (Babel, Catabasis), Leigh Bardugo (Ninth House), Naomi Novik (A Deadly Education)
🎭 Dark Academia Aesthetics
- Secret societies, snowed-in libraries, and morally rotten institutions
- The blurred line between fantasy and horror
🩸 Build Your Own Horror School (Game Segment)
- Snowed-in libraries, creepy PA systems, varsity jackets, and a killer twist ending
👻 Closing Thoughts
- Why academic horror keeps resonating with audiences
- Best of luck to students and teachers heading into a new semester
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