The world has changed significantly over the last decade, particularly with regard to the prevalence of social media. That change has seeped into the filmmaking world, with a notable emphasis on the evolution of the horror genre. In fact, during a recent interview to discuss Jeff Wadlow's horror thriller, Truth or Dare, Lucy Hale opened up to CinemaBlend and explained that social platforms (mainly YouTube) are fundamental to the film because they represent the arc of her character. Without delving into spoiler territory, the actress told us:
I think, especially for Olivia's character, because you start off in the beginning of the movie where her platform is her YouTube channel. This is how she helps people and reaches people, and then, I can't give the spoiler at the end of the movie, but she completely goes against everything she stands for to help the people that she cares about. I think that it's sort of like, a metaphor for social media, that the outreach is so massive, and I like that's one of the strongest messages within the film.
It's not a matter of Truth or Dare necessarily being a story about social media, because it's clearly not. Having said that, this is a story about a group of modern, tech-savvy college students who use social platforms to enhance their everyday lives. For Lucy Hale's Olivia, social media is particularly important because her character is framed as someone who uses the burgeoning technology to extend the reach of her philanthropic efforts. However, when things start going wrong, the film presents the heroine with moral quandaries and opportunities to use social media as a means of self-preservation.
This represents a stark contrast from the old days of horror movie storytelling, in which technology stood in the way of logic and provided characters with easy ways out of specific situations. Rather than trying to find ways to get around the presence of technology and keep things like computers and social media out of the hands of our heroes, Kick-Ass 2 director Jeff Wadlow instead runs in the other direction to embrace and weave it into the story as an element of the Truth or Dare universe.
It's also worth noting that elements of this emphasis on social media have popped up in other Blumhouse-produced horror films over the last few years. Movies like Happy Death Day and Unfriended have also kept their heroes locked in with technology instead of keeping it out of their hands, and that has shown a notable transition from traditional norms of the genre as a whole.
Looking for a closer glimpse at CinemaBlend's Truth or Dare interview with Lucy Hale and Tyler Posey? Check out a brief clip from the conversation below to hear what the Pretty Little Liars actress had to say about the nature of technology in the latest Blumhouse film.
Social media and horror will merge this weekend when Blumhouse's Truth or Dare debuts in theaters on April 13. Here's our full review of the film, so make sure to check it out when it hits the big screen, and head over to our comprehensive movie premiere guide to see what other films (especially upcoming horror films) are set to debut in 2018!
