Why aren’t these movies spooky enough?

Well, it’s the beginning of October, which means that we are in the midst of numerous not-so-great films coming out in theaters. September is usually terrible for movies in general, as evidenced by the fact that Top Gun: Maverick was the highest grossing film in the month’s first week. Not that Maverick is a bad film, quite the opposite, but it came out in May. May! The fact that a movie that has been in theaters for months is the top grossing film for an entire week should demonstrate how terrible its competition was.

Then, as the calendar tilts into October, the screen times are filled with horror flicks. This may be blasphemous to state during the spookiest of months, but honestly, I’m not a huge fan.

My general dislike for horror films is two-fold. The first reason is that, for some odd reason, I don’t particularly like being scared. It’s not a particularly fun emotional state, in my opinion, though there are clearly others that disagree with me. That being said, I feel like I can kind of understand those who search out the most frightening pieces of media they can find; there’s a certain adrenaline rush that can be achieved when activating your mind’s flight or fight response, and interesting stories exploring the dark parts of human society and psyche can be explored through the genre.

However, that brings me to the second reason why I don’t particularly enjoy horror movies. When I fancy watching one, which isn’t very often, I’m looking for either of the above mentioned criteria, and perhaps ideally both. What most horror films fail to do is give me either.

Unfortunately, most of the horror films I have seen have failed to scare me. There have been a few that have provided some thought-provoking stories, but even those did little to actually scare me. I think the most frightening thing I have ever watched is the Star Wars Holiday Special, which is scary for completely different reasons.

There are several factors that I think come into play as to why horror films don’t have their intended effect on me. One I think lies in the filmmaking aspect of the process. For better or worse, many horror films lack the budget of other genre films, which can often lead to cut corners. Some, like The Blair Witch Project, manage to do fine with these smaller budgets, but more often than not this leads to shoddy sets, unbelievable CGI, or poor acting. In order for horror to work, I need to be able to suspend my disbelief of what is happening on the screen, and if any of these factors are lacking, it makes it all the more difficult for me to do so. On top of this, many horror films fall into the category of “predictable,” which doesn’t do these films any favors. The unexpected is a huge part of what makes things scary for me, and the fact that many of the horror films I’ve seen follow the same general formula kind of takes that aspect away.

Ultimately, what I think all of this adds up to is that I don’t feel close enough to the events of the movie to be rightfully scared by them. I’m detached from the situation and, as such, I’m more likely to just roll my eyes at a side character’s untimely demise than be emotionally invested in it.

I think this becomes even more apparent when I juxtapose it to horror-themed video games. The video game medium is, in my opinion, much more conducive to the genre than film. Some, like Until Dawn, are just as full of campy dialogue and plot points as your typical slasher flick, but when it is your decisions or failures that will lead to the unfortunate end for one of the many high school stereotypes you have control over, the tension is increased dramatically. Others, such as Dead Space, are able to force you to explore terrifying set pieces at your own pace, creating an atmosphere of dreading what might be around the next corner that a film could never hope to achieve. And there are some, like DDLC, that are able to use the medium to drag the player themselves into the narrative, rather than just experiencing it through an avatar or watching events happen to someone else. It is this final example, which breaks the barrier between the story being told and the person it is being told to, that I feel is the peak of good horror.

Now, I don’t usually go looking for scary stuff, but I’ll certainly take any suggestions that anyone might have. It is October after all, and I feel that I’m legally obligated to watch at least one horror film before the month is through (I don’t think the Hocus Pocus sequel counts). I’d also recommend any of the above mentioned movies or video games for anyone looking for something spooky. Well, except for the Star Wars Holiday Special. That’s an experience too terrifying for any human to endure.

A C ertain Point of V iew