This article contains discussions of politics and reproductive rights. It also contains spoilers for The Watchers.
Summary
After the release ofThe Watchers, Hollywood needs to adapt one specific classic American short story to continue expanding the folk horror movie genre. Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut follows four strangers who get trapped in a forest where they’re watched by mysterious supernatural beings. Despite the largelynegative reviews forThe Watchers, the movie has reinvigorated the interest in the folk horror movie genre. Folk horror movies are largely credited as starting in the 1970s with the three British movies –Witchfinder General,Blood on Satan’s Claw, andThe Wicker Man– though other countries reasonably claim they started the genre earlier.
The genre gained more mainstream attention again in the 2010s with the moviesThe WitchandMidsommar. Since then, producers have continued to make original and adapted folk horror movies. Even if the movie wasn’t very well executed,The Watchers’ interesting story and twist endingcome from the titular book by A. M. Shine. After the release of this film, Hollywood could look toa popular folk horror short story that could easily outrankThe Watchersand become the next great folk horror movie.
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“The Lottery” By Shirley Jackson Is A Staple Of Folk Horror Literature
American Schools Frequently Teach “The Lottery” By Shirley Jackson
As the genre of folk horror has continued to grow, the most significant stories in the genre have changed. However, a few select folk horror stories, like The Wicker Man, remain important to the genre despite coming out decades ago.The Lotteryby Shirley Jackson is one of the biggest staples of the folk horror literature genre, making it surprising that the story has never appeared on the big screen.The only two onscreen adaptations of the short story are a 1969 short film and a 1996 TV movie, making it a prime choice for a feature-length film for theaters.
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The short story tells the story of a small town where the community stones a randomly selected citizen every year on July 27 for prosperity. None of the townspeople can remember how or why exactly it started, but they vehemently oppose the ritual ending. This short story is so frequently taught in United States schools that multiple online resources exist to help study and lesson plan forThe Lottery. In 2019,The Irish Timeseven called the short story the most influential piece of North American folk horror, proving that its importance is recognized worldwide.
The Themes In The Shirley Jackson Short Story Are Still Relevant Today
“The Lottery” Explores Themes Like Unquestioning Conformity And Resistance To Change
Even though the short story was published 76 years ago, the themes ofThe Lotteryare more relevant than ever, so it’s surprising that it’s never appeared on the big screen. The story delves into the cruelty and harm that can come with conformity, unquestioning faith, and resistance to change – all issues that plague modern society. The juxtaposition between the humane perspective and that of the charactersurges the reader to evaluate the way in which they uphold harmful traditionsinstead of thinking critically. In 2016, Shirley Jackson’s grandson, Miles Hyman, illustrated the graphic novel version of the story. During an interview withHuffPost, he explained why the message is still important. He stated:
“The story’s ultimate goal is perhaps to “shock us awake,” so that we might be moved to act differently the next time we’re confronted with stale ideas that perpetuate senseless cruelty, bigotry or injustice.”
As Hyman points out, tradition can lead to controversial consequences. Despite purported messages of equality in the United States, society still faces problems like racism, queerphobia, and sexism – systemically and socially. Some sides of the political arena want to revert progress in order to uphold outdated ideals. The government has revoked important rights like safe access to abortion, and as recently as June 26, 2025, the US Senate blocked a bill to codify protections that would guarantee people who menstruate legal access to contraceptives (viaThe New York Times). With these modern issues in mind,a big-screen movie adaptation ofThe Lotteryfeels timely and necessary.
The Lottery Has All The Makings Of A Great Horror Movie
The Shirley Jackson Short Story Already Includes The Building Blocks For A Horror Movie
In addition to the short story’s important messages and staying power, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson has all the makings of a great horror movie. Even without visuals, the plot is eerie and unnerving. The small town environment seems to have control over the people in an almost supernatural way,similar toMidsommar,The Witch,Children of the Corn, andThe Watchers.
The fact that humans can commit such an atrocious act of cruelty is a mainstay in psychological horror movies.
The societies infolk horror moviesare often beholden to some spiritual force – an element that’s present in"The Lottery". The story might not include blood or gore, but the fear builds over time, leading up to the climax of the story. The fact that humans can commit such an atrocious act of cruelty is a mainstay in psychological horror movies.
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The only major struggle in adapting “The Lottery” into a feature-length film is the fact that the story is extremely brief. However, the Shirley Jackson story already provides a family who could serve as the main perspective and a point of expansion – the Hutchinsons. With the right central character, a movie adaptation of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson could expand the folk horror genre past the mediocre reception ofThe Watchers.
Sources: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson,The Irish Times,HuffPost, andThe New York Times
