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John Carpenter is known for creating some of the most popular horror films of the last century, but the celebrated director says the latest trend in the genre isn’t worth getting spooked over. The Halloween writer spoke with The A.V. Club ahead of the Halloween Ends premiere, during which he admitted he has “no idea” what elevated horror is.

If you, like Carpenter, don’t get the concept either, clearly you’re in good company. The term, which first created a buzz online around 2019, doesn’t have an official definition, but is generally regarded as arthouse horror that has more psychological elements.

When The A.V. Club asked Carpenter if he is “familiar” with the subgenre, he replied, “I don’t know what that means. I mean, I can guess what it means, but I don’t really know.”

Although the interviewer explained that “elevated horror” typically applies to movies like A24’s Hereditary and Midsommar, Carpenter wasn’t having it.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the director said, before adding, “But I hear you, I hear you. There’s metaphorical horror. But all movies have … they don’t have messages. They have themes. Thematic material, and some horror films have thematic material. The good ones do.”

Carpenter didn’t reveal what those “good” movies are, but did tell The A.V. Club he watches some current horror releases, telling the outlet he’s seen “some” of the new films, but “not all of them,” before naming Let The Right One In as a recent favorite of his.

The director, who is known for the Halloween franchise, as well as The Thing, The Fog, Escape from New York and more, has been creating films and scores for decades, and is closing the chapter on the latest Halloween trio from David Gordon Green with Halloween Ends, which premieres in theaters and on Peacock Oct. 14.

But if we’ve learned anything from Carpenter over the last few decades, Michael Myers will be back — and he’ll be bringing all that campy slasher gore we’ve come to know and love.