Hate 'Ice Cream Man'? Eli Roth Redeems Himself With This Underrated Series
Eli Roth's Ice Cream Man (2026) was meant to be his next big horror hit, but it has instead gotten divisive reviews, and critics don't seem very invested. For a story about an ice cream man whose product turns kids into homicidal monsters, it's a shame it hasn't reached audiences on a wider scale.
Roth is no stranger to controversy, as he's gotten in hot water for some of the subject matter he's shown in his movies, as well as his political opinions and most recent comments about AI usage on Ice Cream Man. But if there's one universally understood success from Roth, it's his work on the series, Eli Roth's History of Horror (2018-2021).
'History Of Horror' Is A Perfect Gateway Into Horror
History of Horror isn't a narrative-based series or a reality show but rather a documentary series hosted by Eli Roth. Each episode explores a section of the horror genre, whether it be ghosts, zombies, or anything in between, and highlights the best movies and shows of said subgenre.
Occasionally, Roth will talk to other horror icons like Greg Nicotero, who worked on the VFX for The Walking Dead (2010-2022), about the genre and how it impacted them too. It's more than a love letter to the genre, as it also shows how some films changed cinema and the world when they were released.
There's so much to love about History of Horror; if you're unsure about what you'd be able to handle, you could watch an episode that explores the best of whatever topic there is and branch out from there. It doesn't spoil everything, but the series gives you enough information to decide what you want to watch on your horror journey.
Eli Roth's Brand Of Horror Is Hard To Get Behind
History of Horror is a great show for horror fans made by horror fans and gives us Roth's insight as the director behind films like Cabin Fever (2003), Hostel (2006), and Thanksgiving (2023). However, the issue is that Roth's brand of horror isn't the easiest thing to get into if you're new to the genre.
Hostel showed us a version of the Saw (2004) narrative that lost all of its nuance and focused solely on the sadism. It's a movie about guys trying to survive a situation where rich people torture them for their sick kicks. It's a violent and brutal film where surviving is the only light at the end of the tunnel. This trend continued with movies like The Green Inferno (2014), which could be seen as controversial just for its representation of indigenous tribes alone. However, their cannibal habits were akin to the response fans gave to movies like Cannibal Holocaust (1980).
Ultimately, Roth's interest in horror comes from much more violent roots than others, and this has made him a niche director who is an acquired taste. Effects-wise, his movies are impressive, but it's what's shown that keeps most people from gravitating to movies like Ice Cream Man.
'History Of Horror' Shows Roth's Love Of The Genre Is Unmatched
History of Horror is a series that proves even if Eli Roth's horror films may not reach wider audiences for whatever reason, his love of horror was never in question. He's a person who knows what makes a great horror movie work and wants to know about how certain moments were crafted and brought to life.
With History of Horror, he took that curiosity and shared it with the world. For multiple seasons, we get to see him and many other horror greats talk about what they love most about the genre and the films that impacted them. It's a great thing for viewers to see their favorite actors connect on something so universal, and it couldn't have been done without Roth's passion.
Ice Cream Man may not be the hit that people hoped for or expected, but Eli Roth still did what he did best to give fans of his work a bloody good time. If anyone wonders what makes him a great choice for such controversial films, they only have to look at History of Horror to understand that it's his love of the genre that fuels his ideas.
