The Definition of A Horror Movie

by Amy Walker

Image from 2014 film The Babadook

The concept of horror and its tales have been around for millennia. Since the beginning of civilization, humans have shared folk tales and strange horror events. In some cases, it was for fun and to scare others, but in other instances, civilizations truly believed the tales being spread like wildfire. 

As technology and civilization have evolved so has the genre of horror which can be directly reflected in films created over time. Every one of these iconic periods have critically acclaimed films deemed to be the “best” horror movie or in a sense perfect. The real question is: how can a good horror movie be defined, what aspects does it need to have in order for it to be successful and well received? 

A “perfect” horror movie can be defined in several ways. The first being if it hits all horror film elements. Secondly, if it well received by the audience. Finally, the film must target its audience deepest fears. 

THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

A horror movie must have several characteristics in order for it to be successful and memorable to audiences. The first element it must have is a good plot that is logical and has characters the audience can have an interest in and invest in. 

According to Film Professor Dr. Sarah Tice, a good horror movie does not consist of just jumpscare after jumpscare. In order for a horror movie to be a “good” film it needs to have a logical plot that flows. In many horror movies, specifically in the slasher subgenre, the plot lacks entirely in the film and just contains gore and death of unmemorable characters. In order for an audience to invest into and be interested, directors 

The second element a film must have in order to be a “good” horror movie is the presence of horror heightened through the use of music, suspense, lighting, and camera angles. In order for a horror movie to be truly scary there needs to be the perfect soundtrack with the perfect timing. 

According to Dr. Sarah Tice at Florida Southern College, one example of a horror movie that exemplifies this element is the movie The Conjuring (2023). In the film, the directors use a perfect mixture of suspenseful music leading up to classic horror movie angles that unsettle the audience. By pairing darkness, strange camera angles, and the perfect suspenseful music, jump-scare scenes can become a lot more effective at scaring viewers.  Another classic horror film that exemplifies this model is The Nightmare on Elm Street (AMC, 2019). 

HOW THE FILM IS RECIEVED AND ITS IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE

As mentioned previously, in order for a “good” horror movie to be successful it needs to be well percieved by the audience regardless of critic ratings. Many of the “best” horror movies (based off of critic ratings) lack the essential elements a successful horror movie must have. In other words, many of these films may have the jumpscares but viewers are not invested into the movie for the plot or the vibe and atmosphere of the film (S. Trice, personal communication, December 6, 2023).. In order for a film to be well recieved by its audience it must have an impact on viewers. 

Film-makers can achieve the desired impact through a variety of ways. One way they can do this is to have complex characters with quirks and struggles that can grab attention (S. Trice, personal communication, December 6, 2023).. By creating characters that the audience either strongly likes or dislikes it makes them more invested into the film they are watching. Another way this can be accomplished is for these characters to have complicated or realistic relationships (S. Trice, personal communication, December 6, 2023).. By displaying relationships and attitudes between characters it can create a feeling of tension and agnst which adds more to the horror film. 

TAPPING INTO THE AUDIENCE’S BIGGEST FEARS

Since the beginning of horror, fears among audiences have varied greatly depending on the period of time and current events. For instance, back in the 80s and 90s a major fear of murders and fit into the slasher subgenre of horror (New York Film Academy, 2022). In the early 2000s it mostly focused on paranormal and demons interfering with people’s lives. Wheras in recent years horror focuses on psychology and the monster that could be inside of anyone(New York Film Academy, 2022).

The following graphic was illustrated what a BAD horror movie’s characteristics are:

Infographic created by Amy Walker in 2023 using the site Canva

References

Nyfa. (2023, June 16). The first horror movie & the history of the horror genre. NYFA. https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-horror-movies-have-changed-since-their-beginning/

10 Elements Every Horror Film Needs. AMC . (2019, August 9). https://www.amctheatres.com/amc-scene/10-elements-every-horror-film-needs


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