Despite the fact it’s often looked down upon, horror is a genre that was explored by great cinematic minds such as: Stanley Kubrick (The Shining), Ridley Scott (Alien) or William Friedkin (The Exorcist).
Due to its requirements from the audience, horror may feel quite limiting. The tense scenarios a person expects often require a secluded setting. It can be a cabin in the woods (The Evil Dead), a Texan farmhouse (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) or even a spaceship (Alien). Also, many of them are at least partially set in dark environments to make them scarier. Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre is partially an exception, as well as Ari Ester’s Midsommar. Latter being a true exception.
Atmosphere is important in any movie, but it’s never as important as in horror movies. Adults remember the way horror movies touched them despite not seeing them since their childhoods. This is where the filmmakers can excel at their creativity. The ocean in Jaws is just as atmospheric as a brutally isolated research station in The Thing. Atmosphere isn’t something that can be easily recreated. Blair Witch is scary due to the fact we know about the urban legend of a witch in the forest and the actual story of a serial killer in those woods. The Shining is a strong contrast, as Kubrick never reveals the story’s full hand, making the audience guess just how powerful the Overlook really is. Backstory isn’t the only thing that creates the atmosphere. It’s also the camera work, the music (or often lack of it), the setting, editing… The list could go on and on.
Visually, filmmakers have also proven to be very creative. One expects a horror movie to be colorless, but some of the most visually striking movies are horror movies. The Thing’s color palette is beautiful, surprising us with deep blues, reds and purples. Dario Argento’s Suspiria almost looks like the answer to the question ‘What if Wes Anderson decided to make a horror movie?
Suspiria,directed by Dario Argento
As I said, horror has certain expectations from the audience. Most movies still require body counts, loud jumpscares (especially the studio horror movies) and an opening scare, which often ruins the revelation later on in the movie. Good example being the remake of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. This is why many people feel intimidated to attempt creating a quality horror story.
What’s interesting is that horror is the genre with the most famous cliches. People who don’t watch movies know about all the infuriating things that happen in horror movies over and over again. People stupidly tripping over in the worst possible situations, things appearing in the bathroom mirror and the killer walking instead of running (Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees). Wes Craven created Scream as a response to all of these, proving how creative a person can truly be despite all the limitations.
