Since the very early days of motion pictures, horror movies have been doing everything they can to give their audiences the fright they crave. Of course, there is certainly more than one way that this spooky goal can be achieved. Manyhorror moviesemploy a rather straightforward approach; using jump scares, gore, and other startling images to give their viewers an immediate sense of fear. This tactic can definitely be quite effective when done properly, but this is also not a style that everyone is bound to enjoy.
Fortunately,there is another style of horror-based filmmaking that is generally much more appealing to viewers who may not love having overwhelming amounts of gore or jump scares in their movies.Severalmodern horror films, but also many of the classics, use a much more intelligent approach, relying on carefully crafted scenarios that can thoroughly unnerve their audiences without depending on these overused elements. These thoughtfully created horror movies give viewers plenty of nail-biting scares that work far more effectively than simple, immediate methods of creating fear.
A Quiet Place
Cast
A Quiet Place, directed by John Krasinski, follows a family navigating a post-apocalyptic world where they must live in silence to evade deadly creatures that hunt by sound.
In 2018, formerThe Officestar John Krasinski wowed audiences when he made the bold transition to horror withA Quiet Place, a haunting addition to the genre that stars Krasinski alongside his wife, Oscar-nominated actress Emily Blunt.The premise of the film is rather simple: a family struggles to survive in a near-future version of Earth dominated by a race of alien creatures that hunt based on sound.The film truly makes the most of this straightforward concept, presenting it in a manner compelling enough to ensure even the bravest viewers stay silent.
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Outside its emotional performances and unique story, whereA Quiet Placereally thrives is in its use of sound; or, specifically, the lack thereof.The film uses sound very sparingly, with the characters generally only communicating when absolutely necessary. This absence of noise makes each sound thoroughly horrifying, as it alerts the audience that the fearsome creatures are bound to be fast approaching.A Quiet Placeeven went on to secure an Academy Award nomination for its sound editing, properly recognizing how the film can create pure horror through this one element.
Midsommar
Ari Aster’s Midsommar follows a group of American college students who travel to a friend’s isolated rural hometown in Sweden to experience their renowned midsummer festival. What starts out as idyllic quickly becomes a disconcertingly violent pagan ritual, with the friends engaged in a ruthless competition that will test more than just their friendship. Florence Pugh stars alongside Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, and William Jackson Harper.
Few modern horror movies have managed to get under viewers' skin quite as consistently as the 2019 A24 feature,Midsommar.Written and directed by Ari Aster,Midsommarfollows a young woman, Dani (played by Florence Pugh) who travels to a remote community in Sweden with her boyfriend and some other friends following the death of her parents. Once there, they discover that the community is a cult-like society, one that performs a series of disturbing, ritualistic murders.
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Midsommarhelped set the tone for what a modern horror movie could be, offering one of the most bleak, unsettling stories to come out of the last decade of film.The movie capitalizes on feelings of entrapment, with the rural setting of the community leaving the characters (and the audience) feeling as though there is no escape from the horrors they are witnessing. When combined with some carefully crafted disturbing imagery, the unnerving sensationMidsommarcreates easily makes it one of the most chilling films in recent memory.
The Witch
The Witch follows a 1630s family that relocates to a remote New England farm. Strange, unsettling events transpire, causing mounting suspicion and paranoia. This testing environment challenges the family’s faith, loyalty, and love amid isolation and tension as they confront the unknown forces lurking beyond their new home.
Robert Eggers made a huge splash in the horror world when he made his feature directorial debut with the 2015 film,The Witch.The film takes a rather unique approach to the genre, using 1630s New England as its setting. There, the audience follows a Puritan family who finds itself being relentlessly tormented by mysterious forces of evil surrounding their home. Because of its setting,The Witchabandons many conventional methods used in modern horror movies, instead terrorizing its victims in ways more fitting to the era.
Throughout most of the film, the audience is led to sympathize with Thomasin, the eldest daughter of the family. In the ending, though, Thomasin is seen embracing the darkness around her.
Another wayThe Witchshows off its cleverness is in the way it handles the reveal of the main character’s true role.Throughout most of the film, the audience is led to sympathize with Thomasin, the eldest daughter of the family. In the ending, though, Thomasin is seen embracing the darkness around her, and joyously welcoming a new life as a witch. This final scene morphs the film into a haunting origin story of sorts, forcing the viewer to redefine everything they have just seen. The ending ofThe Witchadds a whole new unsettling layer to the movie.
Under the Skin
Under the Skin is a sci-fi thriller directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring Scarlett Johansson. Johansson plays “The Female,” an alien from another world that hunts men in Scotland. Despite receiving high praise upon release, Under the Skin was a box office bomb, only making a little over half of its budget.
Under the Skinmay have underperformed at the box office, but that certainly does not mean it comes short of achieving its goal of unnerving its audience.Directed by Jonathan Glazer, this 2013film stars Scarlett Johanssonas an otherworldly being disguising itself as a human woman. In that disguise, the creature travels around Scotland, luring unsuspecting men into her capture. The film received widespread acclaim from critics thanks to its thoughtful, artistic approach to horror.
In addition to working well as a film about an alien entity capturing various victims,Under the Skinfunctions just as effectively as a commentary about what it means to be human.As she travels around the country, the creature carefully observes the ways humans act, learning about both the good and bad sides of the species.The film forces its audience to take an outside perspective on how humans behave. In channeling this creative point of view, the film finds an impressive balance between horror and social commentary.
When it comes to psychological horror movies, few films have achieved the same level of recognition asThe Shining. Based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, this iconic work of horror allowed director Stanley Kubrick to do what he does best, masterfully working to create very specific feelings in his audience through meticulous cinematic techniques. Starring Jack Nicholson,the film follows the winter caretaker of an isolated resort hotel as he is driven to madness by severe isolation and the supernatural forces at play within the mysterious building.
Widely hailed as a masterpiece,The Shiningingeniously compiles various elements to contribute to the growing sense of madness at the center of the story.
The remote location, unsettling imagery, and vague backstory all create looming threats, keeping the audience constantly aware that something dark is on the horizon.The smart pacing of the film further enhances the uneasy feeling it cultivates, allowing the main character’s mental deterioration to feel natural and believable. After all, any work of horror is at its most effective when the audience truly believes the characters.
Hereditary
The feature film debut of writer-director Ari Aster, Hereditary tells the story of the unwittingly cursed Graham family. Annie Graham (Toni Collette) lives with her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) and their children Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). After the death of Annie’s mother, the family is beset by disaster and stalked by a supernatural entity that dredges up a past that Annie had spent her life trying to overlook.
Just one year beforeMidsommar,Ari Aster made his feature directorial debut withHereditary, an early indicator of his major success to come.The film follows the gruesome events that befall a family following the death of their grandmother, slowly revealing that evil forces may be plaguing the family across multiple generations. Backed by a terrifying performance from Toni Collette,Hereditaryis a thoughtful horror movie that will stay in the minds of its viewers for a long time after the credits stop rolling.
Outside of its chilling story, part of what makesHereditarysuch an intelligent horror movie is all the subtle foreshadowing hidden throughout the film.From beginning to end, the movie is stuffed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details hinting at the fate of the characters and the bleak conclusion of the story.These tiny inclusions prove that the filmmakers knew exactly what they were doing all along, while also adding extra layers to makeHereditaryeven more enjoyable upon a rewatch.
The Babadook
The Babadook, directed by Jennifer Kent, explores the struggles of a single mother grieving her husband’s death while confronting her son’s fear of a lurking monster. As they contend with this unseen entity, the sinister presence grows increasingly pervasive in their lives.
It is certainly not uncommon for horror movies to feature creepy, supernatural beings with one goal in mind; to persistently torment their victims.The 2014 Australian horror film,The Babadook, however, puts a delightfully inventive spin on this idea, introducing one of the captivating movie monsters of the 21st century.Throughout the film, the titular beast terrorizes a widowed mother and her young son, giving them terrifying visions and forcing them to perform various evil acts as they struggle to be rid of its presence.
Unlike most horror films centered around a frightening creature,The Babadookactually employs a more psychological approach to horror, focusing on the mental distress caused by the evil being, rather than solely relying on its haunting appearance. At the same time, the film also uses the monster to offer an insightful commentary about loss, serving a captivating, multilayered story that extends well beyond what is seen on the surface. With an ending that is both satisfying and unexpected,The Babadookis a clever addition to the world of modern horror.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller directed by Robert Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, two lighthouse keepers who begin to experience strange and supernatural phenomena after they get stranded on a remote island in the 1890s.
Four years after the success ofThe Witch, Robert Eggers returned with his second feature film,The Lighthouse. Starring the powerful duo of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson,The Lighthousetells the story of two lighthouse keepers in 1890s New England who must struggle for their survival and sanity after becoming stuck on a tiny, remote island together. This unique film has challenged various preconceived notions of the genre, with some even debating whether the film truly qualifies as a horror movie. Regardless of where you stand on this, it is impossible to deny that the film is massively unsettling.
The entire film is presented in black and white, which contributes greatly to the maddening atmosphere cultivated by the setting and the dire circumstances of the characters.
Although one may expect a film about two men stuck in a practically empty setting to be boring, the stunning cinematography keepsThe Lighthouseinteresting from beginning to end.The entire film is presented in black and white, which contributes greatly to the maddening atmosphere cultivated by the setting and the dire circumstances of the characters. The unusual aspect ratio also setsThe Lighthouseapart from other modern horror movies, further adding to the feeling that something is not quite right. All of these details helpThe Lighthouseevolve into the eerie, Oscar-nominated film it is today.
The Invitation
The Invitation is a horror thriller released in 2022, centering around Evie, who is invited by a newfound cousin to a wedding in the English countryside. She soon discovers a sinister conspiracy and uncovers dark family secrets while struggling to survive in this gothic setting.
Over the years, certain stories have been told time and time again. However, some films offer exciting twists on age-old tales, turning them into something new and exciting for modern audiences.One such film isThe Invitation, the 2022 feature directed by Jessica M. Thompson.This clever film offers a new, present-day take on the story of Dracula. The movie puts viewers into the shoes of Evie, a young woman who travels to England after the death of her mother, only to discover that her ancestors are closely connected to a deep, dark secret.
The Invitationis far from a typicalmovie about Dracula, yet it still manages to capitalize on all the elements that people have known and loved about the classic horror story for decades.By combining horror tactics new and old, the film presents something that can appeal to all types of horror lovers. With an exciting ending that leaves the door open for a continuation of the story, viewers are sure to be thinking about this current twist onDraculafor quite some time.
Get Out
Jordan Peele made his directorial Horror debut with Get Out, a terrifying Psychological Horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya. In the 2017 release, Chris Washington heads to Upstate New York to meet the family of his girlfriend, Rose. What follows is a horrifying ordeal for the anxious photographer.
Unfortunately, horror movies don’t tend to have too much success when it comes to major awards.However, Jordan Peele defied this norm in 2017 with his feature directorial debut,Get Out, which earned four Academy Award nominations, even taking home the award for Best Original Screenplay. This unsettling horror film follows a Black photographer named Chris who begins to unravel something sinister going on beneath the surface when visiting the family of his white girlfriend. The film is not only a frightening horror story, but a gripping commentary on racism in America.
With a screenplay that the Writers Guild of America has hailed as the best of the 21st century,Get Outis undoubtedly one of the most intelligent horror movies in recent memory. The story is complex and multilayered, the dialogue is consistently believable, and the hidden messages are an excellent demonstration of subtlety.Get Outnot only proved that Jordan Peele was a force to be reckoned with in the world of horror, but it helped redefine the genre as a whole.
