Some believe The Exorcist to be one of, if not the scariest movie ever in the history of cinema and I was certainly hoping it would live up to the buzz. Unfortunately I was more than a little disappointed. Sure the movie was good, but scary? Could this be a sign that what was once scary 35 years ago, doesn’t hold up to the horror we are capable of today? The kind of horror that stays with you. I guess the question is, what makes a movie scary?
1. When I think of what makes movies scary, the first thing that comes to mind is believability. Could this conceivably happen? If the writer is able to create enough lore that would fit into the times in which the movie takes place, the potential for making a movie scary is there. This is direct relation to the story that’s trying to be told. If it isn’t based in reality, then the audience is unable to get emotionally involved with what’s going on. An unemotional audience doesn’t get scared.
So the story. Trying to create a horror story that stays with you while still keeping it believable and based in reality is difficult. Creepy is one of the most successful styles of horror because it’s subtle, and quiet, and builds as the story progresses. The Ring is a great example of creepy which, sadly hasn’t been duplicated well since.
2. Next the antagonist. Every horror movie needs the scary monster in the dark whether it be a vampire, wolfman or Satan himself. Something needs to offer up the surprises and without a great antagonist there isn’t really a story to be told. What should this antagonist be? It doesn’t matter, as long as it works within the context of the story, and presented in a believable fashion. You’re computer mouse could very well be the antagonist of the next great horror film.
3. Another element should be timelessness. Costuming fits into this category as fashion changes so dramatically over time that older horror movies, like The Exorcist, don’t play as well after 35 years. Finding common fashion that link era’s together would be an important step in creating a timeless feel. The same could also be said for hair and make-up. While this isn’t always the case, timelessness helps keep a horror movie relevant longer.
4. Finally, actors. Great acting is necessary to tell a great story no matter what the genre. However, when it comes to horror, the pool of great actors can be shallow. Often times, unknowns are the way to go. I get uneasy when a bunch of unknowns are cast instead of known actors, simply because anything can happen, they are all expendable. Whereas if an A-list actor is cast, he isn’t likely going to die, thus the element of surprise is missing.
These are all elements that I think make a great horror movie, or rather would either scare me to death or creep me out. The last horror movie that really affected me was probably The Shining (1980). If not, then all the other movies that scared me were forgettable and clearly did not successfully meet the criteria I laid out in this post. What movie scared you the most? I really want to see it.
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