All movie, horror, and gaming nerds have probably debated if James Cameron’s first Terminator movie is a horror flick? IT IS! Look, hate or agree with me, the first film of the Terminator franchise has all the tropes of a horror film. I would agree that the others that follow are just that, Sci-fi.
Yes, Amazon Prime has the classic listed as action, and IMBD labels it Sci-fi. I bet you’re saying, “Oh, Leah, there are explosive scenes, wailing guns, racing cars, and tight leather jackets.” Just wait and hear me out.
1984’s The Terminator
The Terminator came out in 1984, not too long after “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th“. Our culture was 6 feet deep with Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. The T-800 is no doubt influenced by these crazed ‘unnatural’ killers. It is the first time we don’t see a slasher villain but a murderer who has the same mission as the rest: To kill. And it would eliminate anything or anyone who got in its way.
Let’s dissect the scene where the T-800 murders Ginger, Sarah’s roommate, and her boyfriend Matt, which you can view here:
It follows many and if anything, all horror analogies. These two are partaking in a sexual act, which is usually not favorable and leads to the character’s demise. If you read the script, which you can find here, you’ll read how the death scene was written and intended to be seen on screen.
The T-800 is a literal killing machine, which our horror villains were merely just a metaphor for that. Have you noticed that the film is shot in blue hues, and filthy alleyways? It sounds a lot like horror movies that were filmed around and a bit before this film.
The laser gun is the T-800’s choice of weapon, just as the case for Michael, a knife. Jason, a machete. Leatherface, a chainsaw, and so forth. Ask yourself this question. If the T-800 wasn’t using a gun and always his hands and maybe a kitchen utensil, wouldn’t he feel the same as everyone else? James Cameron took a chance with his twist and modified the horror genre. I would say “Jason X” was probably influenced not only by “Alien” but also by “The Terminator.”
Sarah Conner is The Final Girl
Let’s put aside Sarah Conner in “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” and let’s just see her in Terminator 1. Ok, I know what you’re thinking, Sarah Conner is NOTHING like she is in the second film, which I agree with. Conner is one badass, tough mofo who makes that film outrageously perfect. And NO, no other film in the Terminator franchise can live up to this. Yes, that is a side note.
In the first film, Conner is the embodiment of Laurie Strode. She is the last one to confront the T-800 and lives on to tell her story. Conner can’t escape what is happening. She is the good girl who lives her life normally and suddenly has the whole world light up in flames around her. Have you noticed she is constantly running and hiding? While we don’t know her connection to the T-800 till much later, and of course explained throughout the franchise, The Final Girl usually always has a connection with her killer. The final girl exhibits inquisitiveness and diligence which allows the story to progress. From Ginny Field to Sidney Prescott, Sarah Conner fits right in between.
Watch The Terminator
Give this movie another watch. I’d love to read your comments below. Remember, we can all agree to disagree.
Excellent point with the final girl! I never thought of Sarah Conner that way, but I have always thought of terminator as a horror movie! The factory scene was scary to watch as a kid. The same sentiments for the second film too. That was a great read.
All valid points with sound logic in context of horror tropes that were laying out a clear pattern in the late 70’s-80’s. This was an enjoyable read. Historically, people too often think in extremes when it comes to how we classify what qualifies under specific genres. Admittedly, this has been exacerbated by the “Gotcha” nature rampant in online debates where many are so fixated on trying to one-up each other for personal validation and/or projecting a sense of intellectual superiority. Eventually, it becomes less about the topic and more about who’s right, diluting the discussion from discourse to a pop-cultural “flexing” contest.
But I digress. Regarding The Terminator, genre purists seem to forget that action and horror are NOT mutually exclusive, anymore than science-fiction is. A horror film can achieve a successful balance of all three, it just comes down to execution. Ex- Frankenstein is considered by several to be the first sci-fi horror story. In addition to exploring some disturbing & provocative topics (The implications of playing God, the ethical debate of how far science should go, what constitutes being “alive” or “human”, etc), Frankenstein’s monster is one of the genre’s most influential classics. The question becomes, is Frankenstein a horror story first-and-foremost or sci-fi? Which genre is the dominating one, and which is the supporting one?
Likewise, is Alien a horror story first or a sci-fi story? What about Jurassic Park or the original Resident Evil game? Does Jaws not count as horror, despite irrefutable evidence of it being directly responsible for terrifying generations into inciting prejudice against sharks, just because the movie is light and adventurous at points? Point being, just because a story may not always be horror first does not mean or imply that it doesn’t qualify as horror, period. Stories have delved into multiple genres for centuries, presenting experiences that run the gamut from scary to funny, dramatic, thrilling, action-packed, etc. The original Terminator is one of the best examples of this, influencing the pop-cultural evolution of several genres. To believe horror can only ever stand alone is to grossly oversimplify it.