The Meta-Horror Renaissance: How Meta-Humans Revived Practical Effects in 2010s Horror Cinema
By Emily Cavanaugh, Film Critic, October 2017
It’s a dark, foggy set deep in the Hollywood Hills, where the director of the latest horror sensation The Hollowing is going over the final scene. A grotesque creature writhes in the corner, its body covered in slimy tendrils that seem to pulse with a life of their own. But this isn’t CGI or elaborate animatronics—what we’re seeing is real, courtesy of Lyle McCullen, a metahuman with the ability to control his physical form in grotesque and disturbing ways.
Welcome to the Meta-Horror Renaissance, the latest and greatest wave of horror filmmaking that has revived the visceral, practical effects of yesteryear’s classics, all thanks to a cadre of uniquely talented superhuman artists. These meta-humans, with abilities that go far beyond the realm of digital wizardry, have breathed new life into an industry that had long been bogged down by an overreliance on CGI monsters and post-production effects.
In this article, we take a deep dive into how this movement began, what makes it so terrifyingly effective, and why the industry’s newfound reliance on real-life meta-humans is making horror scarier than ever. To give us a better perspective, we sat down with Eli Forsythe, a contemporary of the legendary Doug Jones, and one of the early adopters of meta-talent in horror filmmaking.
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THE RETURN OF PRACTICAL EFFECTS: A META-HUMAN REVOLUTION
By the mid-2000s, the horror genre was in something of a creative slump. CGI-laden blockbusters dominated the box office, but horror fans were increasingly dissatisfied with the digital monsters and synthetic scares. There was something missing from the soulless, often weightless creatures rendered in post-production: a sense of tangible dread, a physicality that brought terror to life in ways that digital renderings simply couldn’t.
That’s when a new wave of horror filmmakers began to embrace meta-human talent, eschewing CGI in favor of real-time effects created by people with extraordinary abilities. Rather than digitally crafting nightmarish creatures, directors like David Marlowe (Blood Moon) and Anya Sterling (The Screaming) began to employ meta-humans with deformative and shapeshifting abilities to bring their creatures to life directly on set. It was a return to practical effects—albeit with an otherworldly twist.
"CGI monsters are cool, but they don’t scare you the way something real does," says Eli Forsythe, a longtime collaborator with meta-human VFX artists and an actor known for his work in physical performance. "Doug Jones always talked about how much physicality matters in creature work—you can’t beat that sense of immediacy when something is physically in the room with you. With meta-humans, we’ve found a way to elevate that realism to a whole new level."
Forsythe, like Jones, is no stranger to being buried under layers of prosthetics for his roles. However, in his recent projects, Forsythe has spent less time in makeup and more time interacting with meta-human performers, who physically alter their appearance to create monsters that look as though they’ve crawled straight out of nightmares.
"I’ve worked with meta-humans who can contort their bodies in ways that make you believe they aren’t even human anymore," Forsythe recalls. "There’s one guy, Lyle McCullen, who can grow these tendrils from his arms, real slimy, wriggling things—it’s not some latex prop, it’s literally a part of his body. You can’t fake that kind of horror. You can’t replace the feeling of seeing it happen in real time, right there in front of you."
MEET THE META-HUMANS OF HORROR
At the center of this movement is a group of superhuman performers who have taken the genre by storm. Lyle McCullen, a contortionist and shapeshifter who can alter his muscle structure, has become one of the most sought-after performers in horror. His ability to grow tendrils, modify his limbs, and contort his body into unnatural forms has earned him comparisons to legendary horror icons like Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff.
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"I've always loved horror," says McCullen in a recent interview. "The fact that I can be the monster is incredible. There's no prosthetics, no digital fakery. It’s just me. When I’m on set, I'm literally transforming myself into these creatures, and it freaks people out because they know it's real."
McCullen isn’t alone. Meta-humans with a variety of powers have flocked to the horror genre, each bringing something unique to the table:
* Selena "Stitch" Gervais, with her ability to open and regenerate wounds in real-time, has become the go-to actress for body-horror films, allowing directors to shoot scenes of visceral injury and grotesque mutilation without the need for CGI or heavy prosthetics.
* Toby Vander, who can temporarily alter his bone structure, has made a name for himself as a living embodiment of the uncanny. His ability to elongate his limbs or contort his face creates unsettling figures that are disturbingly real.
* Morgan Albright, a superhuman with control over water and moisture, can create terrifying ooze effects in body-horror films by making it seem like a character’s flesh is dissolving or liquefying on-screen in real time.
Together, these meta-human performers have spearheaded a new wave of horror films that feel more visceral, more grounded, and ultimately, more terrifying than their CGI-heavy predecessors.
THE META-HUMAN ADVANTAGE: REALISM YOU CAN FEEL
Forsythe points out that one of the key advantages of using meta-humans in horror films is their ability to create tension and fear that transcends the screen. "There’s something primal about seeing something real," he says. "When you’re interacting with something that actually exists in the room, your body reacts differently. Your mind knows it’s not a special effect—it’s real, and that’s what makes it so terrifying."
This realism is particularly effective in the horror genre, where audiences are looking for intense emotional reactions. "A lot of horror fans were getting tired of CGI," Forsythe explains. "There’s only so many times you can see a digital ghost or a demon that looks like it’s made out of rubber. Meta-humans, though? When they perform, you can feel the fear."
Directors have also found that meta-humans open up new creative avenues for storytelling. Instead of spending months in post-production refining visual effects, filmmakers can now experiment with creature design and body horror on set. Many directors, including Anya Sterling, have commented on how freeing it is to work with performers who are the effect, allowing for spontaneous creativity.
"With meta-human performers, you’re not locked into a rigid CGI pipeline," Sterling says. "We can adjust scenes on the fly, experiment with different looks or movements, and capture that immediacy on camera. There’s no 'we’ll fix it in post' anymore—the magic happens right there, in real time."
A NEW KIND OF FEAR
One of the breakout successes of the Meta-Horror Renaissance is The Hollowing, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and went on to become a cult hit. The film, which centers around a haunted forest and the grotesque creatures lurking within, was almost entirely carried by meta-human effects. Toby Vander’s performance as a twisted, humanoid creature that stalks the main characters became one of the most talked-about aspects of the film, with audiences praising the unnerving realism of his contorted body.
The film’s director, David Marlowe, spoke candidly about the experience of working with meta-humans in a recent interview. "The tension on set was palpable," Marlowe said. "When you see a person physically transform in front of you—when you know it’s not some visual effect—it changes the way you shoot horror. Every scare is heightened, every moment is more intense because it's real."
This sense of real-time transformation has resonated with horror fans, particularly those who grew up on the practical effects of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Many see the Meta-Horror Renaissance as a return to the gritty, tangible horror of films like The Thing or An American Werewolf in London, but with the added flair of modern metahuman abilities.
THE FUTURE OF META-HORROR
As the Meta-Horror Renaissance continues to grow, filmmakers are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. New talents with specialized abilities are emerging, and studios are investing more in these practical effects teams, recognizing that audiences are drawn to the raw, visceral nature of meta-human horror.
Forsythe believes that the trend is here to stay. "There’s no going back to all-CGI horror," he says. "We’ve shown that real, on-screen transformations are scarier, more engaging, and more powerful. Meta-humans are the future of this genre, and we’re only scratching the surface of what they can do."
As meta-humans continue to redefine the way horror is made, one thing is clear: the monsters of the future won’t be pixels or puppets—they’ll be people.