There's no denying it: I watch and collect movies like crazy. It's kind of always been a fun thing for me, from the moment I could buy a VHS VCR and a 20" color TV to hook it up to. This still holds true today, and is not likely to change any time soon. As with everyone else, I enjoy certain genres of films, and usually avoid others. I was never a huge fan of horror, but until recently, I didn't really think much about why that was the case.
As it turns out, I do like horror, but the problem with the genre is that the vast majority of films categorized as such are not actually horror at all. Let's look at some basic elements of the average horror film, and analyze why they're not really part of this group:
-Horror is not loaded with jump scares. If you're watching a film that repeatedly has things jump at the camera and startle you, often accompanied by a loud noise or musical crash, it's not horror. It's just obnoxious manipulation by the filmmaker. It's someone yelling loudly in your ear. Being frightened and being startled are two very different things. I can be startled by a pan falling off the counter. It takes no talent to get that reaction from an audience. It's the cinematic equivalent of a pie in the face.
-Horror is not the use of excessive gore. The default human reaction to gore is disgust/revulsion. Remember the last time you saw a mangled dead animal on the road while driving? You just say "ugh" and look away. Disgust has little to do with fear, it's just something gross you'd rather not think about. It can be shocking if used sparingly, but shock and fear are not quite the same thing either. I can be shocked and disgusted by my phone bill, but I wouldn't call it horror.
-Horror is not the 'slasher' movie. Tons of movies are loaded with annoying-as-hell stereotype characters who get killed off one by one for your enjoyment. If you are cheering FOR the slasher to kill these people off in hilarious ways and betting on who is going to die first, it's a dark comedy.
-Horror is not 'torture porn.' This recent trend is such a waste of time that I hesitated to even bring it up. It's sort of a lame combination of the gore/slasher types as listed above, but even less effective because it's such a contrived situation that you can't suspend your disbelief. It also has all of the problems with the gore/slasher flicks already stated.
-Horror is not automatically anything and everything supernatural. Just because a film has a ghost, zombie or vampire in it does not mean it's a horror flick. Plenty of movies with supernatural elements are action movies, comedies, or terrible teenage romances. Some of the best horror movies are based on real dangers in the natural world.
Going through and eliminating films that have these characteristics pretty much eliminates 90% or more of what are considered by most to be horror movies. So, when you look at what remains, it basically boils down to this:
Horror is our fear of the unknown.
That's pretty much it. Why is that simple idea so universal and so effective? Well, as part of our survival instinct, we automatically try to identify and evaluate any immediate threats to our well-being. When we detect a threat, but can't identify (and thus evaluate) it, that seriously freaks us out. It's a primal reaction. If we don't know what it is or how to deal with it, we are in danger. Effective horror films do a few things to build around this central concept.
#1 They build and maintain a consistent tone/atmosphere. The amount of dread or suspense will normally climb as the movie goes on, but it's still the same song, just at a higher volume. The film does not flip back and forth between action, horror, and comedy segments like a jukebox on shuffle.
#2 They encourage your suspension of disbelief through the use of relatable characters. In well-written horror, you can easily put yourself in the position of one of the main characters. At the very least, they are developed in such a way that you feel like you know these people, and don't want anything bad to happen to them. You feel a sense of loss if they are hurt or killed.
#3 They let you scare yourself by delaying the reveal of the threat. It's a funny thing how the mind works; when you know something is a threat but can't tell what it is, you will insert your own worst fears into that void until you can confirm that it's something else. The moment you can see the threat, even if it is scary, you begin to subconsciously accept it and plan how to deal with it.
#4 They allow you to develop a sense of security, and then demolish it. Some films reveal the danger earlier than others with a specific purpose. Once you see the threat, you start to evaluate it and plan on how to avoid/defeat it. Before long, you (or the character you relate to) are forced into using that plan and it fails, leaving you in a panic. People tend not to have a plan B or plan C when they don't have much time to think, and the resulting chaos is frightening when survival is on the line.
#5 They use sound effectively. Of our 5 senses, the only 2 that movies really have access to are our sight and sound. Take away our sight, use some sound, and instantly you have an unknown threat (the classic 'bump in the night.') If there is a musical score, it is subtle. It adds to the atmosphere without being so overbearing that you are constantly reminded that you're watching a film.
Some of my favorite horror flicks that do some or all of these things well are:
-John Carpenter's The Thing
-Fright Night (1985 version)
-Open Water
-Pitch Black
-Paranormal Activity
-Alien
-Drag Me To Hell
-Jaws
-The Ring (American version)
So, what do you consider horror to be? What are some of your favorites? Let me know.
