5 Eat the Rich Horror Films to Watch and Think About

It bears repeating that horror will always be a genre that's ripe with politics. And where the exploration of capitalism, class divide etc. goes, there's no shortage of horror films that tackle those subjects. The slogan “eat the rich” in particular has been touched upon in many horror movies. In recent years, we've seen more and more films that can be lumped into that category.

What does “eat the rich” mean in general? It's a slogan that's rooted in leftist politics and is about anti-capitalism, redistribution of wealth, and how the rich are often exempt from consequences. Currently, we're in a place of late stage capitalism, with billionaires being able to buy their way to having influence over the government. It would frustrate our favorite horror characters to live in this reality.

There are countless “eat the rich” horror films to watch and think deeply about, whether they are satirical or not. What films are part of this list and do the rich get their comeuppance in them? You'll have to read on to find out, and maybe there's something you've yet to see ahead.

The People Under the Stairs

As far as ‘90s horror goes, The People Under the Stairs is one of the more underrated films of the era. It’s a Wes Craven film that people don't talk about enough, and it folds neatly into “eat the rich”. The People Under the Stairs follows a young boy whose robbery of his rich landlord's home goes horribly wrong. There's plenty of comedy in the film, but it also has a lot to say about classism, racism, late stage capitalism etc.

In the film, the low income housing that “Fool” (Brandon Quintin Adams) lives in consists mostly of Black residents. The building is poorly maintained and Fool's mother is dealing with illness, which isn't a concern for the landlords that plan to evict all the tenants. It leads Fool to help two of his sister's friends rob the house of their landlords to get enough money for their mom's surgery. Of course, that decision proves to be the worst one and Fool ends up in a perilous and disturbing situation.

The film features a lot of moments that are deeply comedic, especially since the villains are purely satirical. However, they aren't far off from how some people act in terms of their villainy these days. But it's powerful to see a Black boy be the main character and also the hero of the story. He saves the day and gives his community and other low income individuals their money back. It's certainly worth more than a few watches!

You're Next

Hands down, this is one of the best home invasion horror films of the 2010s. You're Next follows a family dinner that goes horribly wrong when a group of masked men attack them. There's plenty of gore, intense sequences, and scares because who doesn't find animal masked men terrifying? Not only that, but it features a working class final girl who is fully capable of handling herself. It's a breath of fresh air for a slasher to have that.

Throughout the film, it's very clear that there's a level of satire in terms of the ultra wealthy. However, it's not far off from the dissention that can occur in families who pride themselves on image. Instead of working together to defeat the assailants, the family consistently does what they think is best. And that plays into the themes of survival, as well as “eat the rich” because the working class individuals are viewed in a negative light.

The final girl Erin (Sharni Vinson)'s background is very much the opposite of the wealthy family she's found herself immersed in. Her partner might be struggling, but the lengths he's willing to go to get money from the family is compromising. And the twist will only make viewers root for Erin even more so. It's the ultimate film that relishes in the “eat the rich” themes and the ending is perfect.

The First Purge

The scariest part about The Purge franchise is how it doesn't feel out of the realm of possibility. The violence is all human based and in the prequel, we get to witness why the event was created. The First Purge follows a community that's thrust into pure madness when the Purge is put to the test. It's a look into how and why the government tested and pushed a primarily Black community into massacring itself. The levels of exploitation within the film is uncomfortable to watch because they're seen as an experiment.

The First Purge, much like the other films in the franchise, is deliberately political in its messaging. It's also a Black horror film for numerous reasons and that adds even more layers to the film. The inception of the Purge wasn't made for purging “anger”, it was made to target marginalized groups and control the populace.

It's a triumph for Black people to be the heroes of their own story. Rather than everyone succumb to the Purge, they fight back and try to take back their community with everything they've got. The First Purge is a great entry in the franchise, if not one of the best.

Ready or Not

Marrying into a family that have no problem murdering their in-laws is certainly a hellish ordeal. Ready or Not follows a newly-wed named Grace (Samara Weaving) whose wedding night goes to hell when she's hunted by her in-laws. The film is a lot of fun and absolutely hilarious, but it's also an interesting look into how the wealthy are willing to kill to maintain their status. Instead of Grace being offered well, any grace, she's hunted because if the family doesn't sacrifice her, the family will die.

Ready or Not doesn't hold back as far as its satire, nor its social messaging about rich people. There are numerous moments in the film that capture what rich people often think of the working class. Grace grew up in the system and didn't have much growing up. Therefore, there's nobody who will ask what's happened to her if they were to succeed. But instead of lying down and dying for her in-laws, Grace puts up a fight and makes it to the end of the film.

The Menu

The mistreatment of service workers isn't just a horror film, it's an unfortunate reality.The Menu follows a wealthy group of strangers who go to an island to experience an exclusive dining experience. It's not a blood bath with slashing and slicing, it's instead a film that meditates on the commodification of dining.

The Menu is the perfect watch for those who are looking for a film that not only says “eat the rich”, but also respect service workers and what they do. There's plenty of humor and moments where people absolutely deserve to be called out for their behavior. There's much to appreciate about this satirical horror film, especially Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as Margot. She's the working class woman who isn't swayed by the wealthy or their ideas.

You can find me @theblackbuffy on BlueSky, IG etc and find where the films listed above are streaming or available on JustWatch.