Menacing Environments

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Known for their progressive environmental policies, Nordic countries produce an intriguing form of ecohorror that blurs the lines between humans and nature. Films like Antichrist (2009) and Midsommar (2019) reveal an unsettling ecophobia within Nordic culture, challenging the region's reputation for environmental friendliness. In Menacing Environments, Benjamin Bigelow explores how ecohorror resonates with the alarms sounded by climate activists, positing that fear and dread may be more appropriate responses to the climate crisis than optimism and market-driven sustainability. He argues that ecohorror disrupts the foundational concepts of the autonomous individual and the sovereign state in Nordic society. By erasing the clear boundaries between human culture and the wild, these films highlight the complex and often threatening relationships between people and their environments. Bigelow's analysis demonstrates that ecohorror serves as a powerful medium for eliciting strong emotional reactions from audiences while also critiquing established institutions, ideological norms, and claims of cultural exceptionalism in contemporary Nordic societies. This work is available in an open access edition through TOME and the University of Minnesota. DOI 10.6069/9780295751658