Monsters can say a lot about the society they’re in.
Much has been written about how horror movies, especially monster movies, can reflect the cultural anxieties of their day. Within the last decade, we’ve seen monster movies like Depraved, The Invisible Man, and M3gan address contemporary issues like PTSD, gaslighting, and technology addiction. Still, we haven’t seen many horror movies target the deeply troubling modern issue of mass shootings. There’ve been excellent dramas broaching subject, but few films looked at the increase of mass shootings through a horror lens. It’s tempting to dive into the politics behind mass shootings, but I find it more interesting to dive deeper into the cultural element behind mass shootings. The cultural perspective is terrifyingly explored in the Criterion Collection’s latest home release: Produced by Roger Corman and directed by Peter Bogdanovich, Targets (1968).
Targets tells two parallel stories. The first story follows horror actor Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) who retires and is being pushed into attending a special retrospective on his career. The second follows Bobby Thompson (Tim O’Kelly), a combat veteran suburbanite who buys a gun and prepares to go on a shooting spree. Both storylines effectively show how disconnected the two leads are from the world around them. Orlok is clearly a stand-in for Boris Karloff, as he’s similarly built his legacy playing movie monsters. As such, he feels out of place in the 60’s, as the stalkers and murderers that scare modern audiences, are different from the mummies and Frankenstein monsters he played in the 30s and 40s. Karloff communicates that ennui and isolation in a commanding performance. For as morose and haunting as Orlok is, there’s a gravitas to Karloff that demands attention, exemplifying the sensitivity and power that made him a horror icon.
While Karloff captures the gravitas of classic monsters, O’Kelly’s portrayal of Thompson equally captures the disconnected contempt of 60’s monsters with his mass shooter. O’Kelly’s performance is subtle, as he lets his facial expression and physicality deliver the performance more than dialogue. He’s extremely effective at communicating his disconnect with the suburban lifestyle he built for himself, while at the same time reflecting the emptiness of suburban life with his own personality. He is a bland person, and that blandness stares back at him, fueling his self-hatred, paralysis, and inability to empathize with the people around him. The film hints at his military background, suggesting deeper trauma within, while bone chillingly projecting his loathsome banality. While he finally begins his mass shooting, Bogdanovich wisely shot them looking cold and calculating rather than a faster pace. O’Kelly is terrifying in this movie while appearing seemingly normal, contrasting effectively with the larger-than-life monsters Karloff represents. However, Thompson’s and Orlok’s disillusionment with their lives, and the world around them, are terrifyingly similar.
While Targets dips its toe into the politics behind mass shootings, only really touching on how easy it is for a guy like Bobby Thompson to get a gun, the film’s true strength is depicting the cultural isolation that breeds monsters. It’s an uncomfortable film that lingers with you, at times making your skin crawl at just how empty these people feel. You get the sense that life is just passing them by and they’re losing control, just responding in different ways. It’s shocking, and horrifying, how relevant Targets is today.
Targets is now available in The Criterion Collection on DVD and Blu Ray.
