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Despair, Deprave, Decode: 5 Horror Films That Eat the Rich (Some literally)

Horror has long been a mirror held up to society, revealing the cracks we’d rather not see. Our cracks are are starting to get a bit larger and our collective anger a bit more external. Horror has always been about transgression so lets explore how horror can feed our desire for economic fairness. With a playful wink and a bloodied grin, these films remind us that the true monsters are often the ones signing the checks and hoarding the wealth. Here’s a look at five modern horror films that encourage us to grab our pitchforks (metaphorical or otherwise) and embrace class consciousness.

1. Parasite (2019) – The Sub-Basement of Inequality

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite isn’t just a film; it’s a prophetic tome. Winning the Academy Award for Best Picture—a historic first for a non-English language film—it laid bare the festering class divide in a way that was both poignant and darkly comedic. The story follows the Kim family, who con their way into working for the wealthy Park family, only to discover that every class has secrets and the rich have even bigger ones than the poor.

What makes Parasite so powerful is its ability to layer it’s symbolism. The Kims literally live below the poverty line, in a semi-basement that floods with sewage during heavy rains. They make their money by assembling take out boxes for other peoples meals. Meanwhile, the Parks’ modernist mansion, perched high on a hill, is a fortress of privilege. They eat only the best food and would never think about buying take out. By the film’s explosive climax, it’s clear that the system pits the working class against itself, ensuring that no one has time to unite against the real oppressors.

Parasite doesn’t just nudge us toward class consciousness; it shoves us up the stairs and makes us face the implications of our unchecked capitalism. The poor will climb those basement stairs eventually.

2. Us (2019) – The Shadows of the Underclass

Jordan Peele’s follow-up to Get Out dives even deeper into class division. Us introduces us to Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) and her family, whose idyllic vacation turns nightmarish when they are hunted (or haunted) by their own doppelgängers, the Tethered. These shadowy counterparts are revealed to be the literal underclass—people forced to live underground, mimicking the lives of those above in miserable conditions.

The film’s chilling tagline, “We’re Americans,” hammers home its critique of economic inequality. Nothing says America more than figuring out new ways to exploit your neighbor. The Tethered exist because of systemic neglect, a direct consequence of the American dream’s dark underbelly. Peele’s genius lies in making the horror both deeply personal and broadly societal. Who is to blame for the Tethered’s plight (its pretty clear we all share that blame but maybe start with the folks denying coverage)? And more importantly, what do we owe them (lots of dead rabbits won’t cut it)?

Us serves as a haunting metaphor for the forgotten and exploited, urging viewers to question the cost of their comfort and who pays the price.

3. The Platform (2019) – A Literal Vertical Class System

This Spanish sci-fi horror gem, directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, takes the metaphorical “eat the rich” and makes it disturbingly literal. Set in a vertical prison where food is delivered via a descending platform, The Platform is a brutal allegory for income inequality. Those at the top feast on gourmet meals, while those below scramble for scraps or starve.

The film’s protagonist, Goreng, starts out hopeful, believing he can convince others to share. But as he descends through the levels, he’s confronted with the harsh realities of survival under a scarcity-driven system (capitalism tends to create these artificial scarcities to help increase profits). The message is clear: when resources are controlled by the elite, cooperation becomes a pipe dream, and desperation breeds brutality.

With its stark visuals and biting commentary, The Platform is a bleak but necessary reminder that true change requires dismantling the systems that perpetuate inequality.

4. Ready or Not (2019) – A Bloody Take on Generational Wealth

Sometimes, the best way to critique the elite is to laugh in their face…while splattering them with blood of course. Ready or Not follows Grace (Samara Weaving), a new bride who marries into the absurdly wealthy Le Domas family, only to discover their fortune is built on a satanic pact. To maintain their riches, the family must hunt and kill Grace in a deadly game of hide-and-seek.

What makes Ready or Not so delightful is its unabashed disdain for the ultra-rich. The Le Domas clan is portrayed as both ludicrous and terrifying, their desperation to cling to power leading to their own undoing. They are all buffoons that only hold onto money and power because of their ancestral wealth. Grace’s transformation from a terrified bride to a blood-soaked avenger is a cathartic middle finger to generational wealth and its stranglehold on society.

In a world where billionaires blast off to space, deny claims for chemotherapy, or revel in luxury while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet, Ready or Not feels like the perfect revenge fantasy.

5. The Menu (2022) – A Culinary Takedown of Elitism

Directed by Mark Mylod, The Menu is a razor-sharp satire served with a side of horror. You get the horror like a good bread service for free. The film centers on a group of wealthy diners invited to an exclusive island restaurant, where the enigmatic Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a menu that’s as scary as it is exquisite. It is truly an immersive experience for all of the guests. Among those guests is Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), a working-class woman whose presence disrupts the carefully curated event.

As the night unfolds, the diners’ hypocrisy and entitlement are laid bare, culminating in a fiery reckoning (Please sir, can I have s’more). Slowik’s culinary masterpiece becomes a metaphor for the unsustainable decadence of the elite, while Margot’s pragmatism serves as a counterpoint to their excess.

The Menu skewers the performative nature of wealth and the way it commodifies everything but specifically our past trauma, leaving audiences with a bitter taste—and a craving for justice.

Horror’s Role in Today’s Class Struggles

These films aren’t just entertainment; they’re rallying cries. In a time when workers are unionizing across industries and populism seems to reflect the general distaste the masses have towards the wealthy our horror has predicted this very moment.

Just this year, we’ve seen everyday people stand up to the corporate elite in unprecedented ways. From union victories at major companies to grassroots movements demanding fair wages and housing, the tide feels like it might be turning. If it isn’t we have seen the public embrace the bullet if the ballot is not working. Horror’s recent class-conscious bent reflects and amplifies this energy, reminding us that the true terror lies in complacency.