Black Migration, Racism, Survivor’s Guilt, and Horror in the movie His House

• In Event: Black Horror and Haunting in Literature and Film

Abstract

Remi Weekes’ 2020 psychological horror film ‘His House’ offers a deeply unsettling yet thought-provoking exploration of black migration, survivor’s guilt, and psychological trauma, all woven into a supernatural narrative. This paper delves into how the film portrays the struggles of forced migration and the emotional weight of cultural displacement against the backdrop of Horror. Drawing on Foa and Kozak’s Emotional Processing Theory (EPT), the paper examines how the protagonists' encounters with grief, guilt, and trauma reflect how their fear is processed in their minds. His House powerfully illustrates the challenges of confronting painful memories, with its supernatural elements symbolising lingering guilt and a fractured sense of belonging. By embedding real-world anxieties about migration and asylum-seeking into the fabric of horror, the film redefines traditional genre conventions. This analysis highlights how horror cinema can serve as a powerful lens for understanding deep-seated emotional and social issues, particularly the psychological toll of displacement within the Black diasporic experience. The movie offers this harrowing and emotionally charged exploration of Black migration, racial disparity, and survivor’s guilt, interwoven with elements of supernatural horror. The film follows Bol and Rial, a South Sudanese refugee couple seeking asylum in Britain, as they struggle to adjust to their new reality while being haunted by ghosts of their past—both literal and metaphorical. His House presents a layered narrative that captures the psychological burdens of displacement, trauma, and racial inequality, using horror as a means to externalize the emotional turmoil that many migrants endure.

This paper examines His House through the lens EPT, which explains how individuals process traumatic experiences and emotional distress. The protagonists' psychological journey reflects the core aspects of EPT, particularly the difficulty of integrating traumatic memories into their present reality. Bol’s insistence on assimilating into British society contrasts with Rial’s deep connection to her past, highlighting the complex emotional negotiation that many displaced individuals face. Their home, meant to symbolize safety and stability, instead becomes a battleground for unprocessed trauma and lingering guilt. The supernatural presence in the house is not merely a source of horror but a manifestation of unresolved psychological wounds, forcing Bol and Rial to confront the ghosts of their past before they can truly move forward.

Beyond individual trauma, the film also sheds light on the systemic racial disparities that asylum seekers encounter. From the cold indifference of immigration officials to the substandard living conditions forced upon refugees, His House critiques the broader social and political structures that perpetuate inequality. The contrast between Bol and Rial’s suffering and the dismissive attitude of British authorities underscores the alienation that many Black migrants experience in Western societies. Their psychological distress is exacerbated by racialized expectations, as they are expected to be grateful for the minimal aid they receive while simultaneously being treated as outsiders.

Author

• Sanchita Sardar, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies