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In this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we ask the important questions: Is Jurassic Park actually horror? And would not having a favourite dinosaur be a dealbreaker?

We dive into Steven Spielberg’s iconic dinosaur summer blockbuster, from trembling cups of water and bloody goat legs to whatever chaos theory is, Chekov’s electric fences, and Jeff Goldblum’s unbuttoned shirt. Along the way, we unpack the film’s blend of adventure, horror, and sci-fi, discuss whether the dinosaurs were scientifically accurate (spoiler alert: no), and debate the ethics of cloning extinct creatures, billionaire hubris, and scientists “playing God.”

We also talk about childhood dinosaur obsessions, the trauma of The Land Before Time, why the T-Rex attack sequence and velociraptor attack qualify as horror, and how Spielberg balances awe, suspense, humour, and terror. Expect deep dives into practical effects vs CGI, the terrifying implications of AI and unchecked technology, casual ’90s sexism, theme park capitalism, and how “clever girl” has become a part of our family vocabularies.

Content & Spoiler Warning:

Dinosaur attacks, jump scares, graphic injuries, severed limbs, electrocution, animal deaths (including a goat and a cow), children in peril, broken glasses, and people being eaten by dinosaurs (obviously). We also discuss sexism, commenting on appearance  in professional settings, scientific ethics, AI anxiety, and of course we spoil Jurassic Park.

Palate Cleanser:

After all that dinosaur-fuelled chaos and billionaire recklessness:

• Watching TikTok collectively lose its mind over a businessman being served enormous glasses of wine at a Courtyard Marriott in Westbury, New York. 
• Big Mistakes on Netflix - dark crime comedy featuring Daniel Levy and Laurie Metcalf. 

Spielbergian Recommendations:

• Spielberg’s E.T, The Goonies, Hook (justice for Hook), and of course Jaws.

Creature Features & Survival Horror

• Deep Blue Sea for Samuel L. Jackson
• Rogue for another creature feature that will make you pull your feet up.
• The Birds – because they descended from dinosaurs.

Science, Ethics & Playing God:

• Gattaca 
• M3GAN 
• King Kong 
• Westworld (especially Season 1) 
• Never Let Me Go 
• Klara and the Sun 
• Frankenstein 
• Project Hail Mary 

Dinosaurs & Paleontology:

• See Jurassic Right podcast (for truly dedicated Jurassic Park fans) 
• Jurassic Park Minute podcast 
• The Shortest History of Dinosaurs by Riley Black 
• Dinosaur Train and Night at the Museum for the kids
• Toy Story for short T-Rex arms
• Friends — because Ross Geller was a palaeontologist. 
• Go toUniversal Studios Jurassic Park attractions and The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles 

Actor Appreciation Corner:

• The Big Chill and Ragnarok for more Jeff Goldblum
• Law & Order: SVU for BD Wong fans 
• Big Little Lies for Laura Dern fans 

Homework:

Read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

We’re heading into the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and an exploration of murder, ambition, architecture, and historical chaos..

And remember:

Don’t underestimate wild animals.

Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).