When you think about horror films, maybe you think about jump scares, creepy characters, and getting the heebie-jeebies. Moviegoers love the adrenaline rush they get from watching horror, but horror movies have a few widespread problems that are worth acknowledging.
Many horror films are so focused on the scares and twists, they lack character development and have too many plot-holes that leave the audience with too many unanswered questions. As a general observation, I agree with this point.
Still, there are some great horror movies that do well with both critics and audiences. And with me. I’d like to share with you my thoughts on what makes a good horror movie.
The key difference is the plot.
People who make bad horror movies often have intriguing ideas but struggle to execute them.
*** PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD! ***
For example, The Purge series explores a dystopian America where crime is legal for 12 hours. The film depicts the rich 1% murdering all the poor because of the burden they place on society.
However, the murders in these movies lack meaning and emotion. The killers have no compelling goal; they just like to kill.
The antagonists are a bunch of wealthy college students who kill because they’re all sociopaths. But if they were sociopaths, wouldn’t these characters be sociopaths all year long? It’s not realistic.
The Saw franchise has similar problems with plot. These movies depict characters who must use their minds to complete Jigsaw’s challenging puzzles and survive his deadly traps.
Any Saw film will be confined to one house with limited setting to work with. Viewers want to see more of this chaotic world and explore its environment. Unfortunately, the films consistently fail here.
Although the films do quite well in the box office, the Saw franchise has a tendency to do poorly with critics. I think the plot is the main reason why because, well, the plots for these movies are never simple.
There are 8 Saw movies, all of which are intertwined into the same universe. The third film has a subplot in the third film that is only explained two films later. Let me explain it to you as briefly as I can and then tell me if it’s more than a bit confusing:
The assistant to the main antagonist is required to bring in a certain doctor. When the assistant realizes that the main antagonist appreciates the doctor’s support, she becomes concerned that the doctor is going to take her position.
She then finds a note in a drawer that aggravates her immensely, but the audience doesn’t what it says. Later in the film, the doctor is killed, and the main antagonist is disappointed in her. We never learn what the note says until two films later.
In that film, we become aware of what the note said. The note mentioned that the main antagonist was impressed by the doctor’s efforts and was considering replacing the assistant with her. In reality, it was supposed to be a test for the assistant to measure her jealousy of the doctor, which we know she failed at. All of this was only meant to be a minor plot line to the film.
This is just one example among many that shows how the Saw films have plots that are overly complex. But their plots are also poorly designed, leaving behind a high percentage of plot holes and questions that are unanswered.
For example, how was the real Saw antagonist - who was fighting cancer - on the floor the whole time without breathing and the protagonists noticing? Additionally, why couldn’t the authorities arrest Jigsaw just because he didn’t directly kill any of his victims? According to US law, kidnapping with the intent to kill is equivalent to first degree murder.
There are also too many flashbacks that make the plot difficult to follow and that shy too far away from the plot, giving us characters’ backstories that don’t contribute anything to the main story.
Each character in each movie has the exact same purpose: to escape Jigsaw’s traps and devices. The thing is that there are no real differences between the characters, except for the reason they got kidnapped in the first place. They all just want to get the heck out of there. As a result, you couldn’t care less about the characters in each film, so you don’t feel anything when they die.
With these films so poorly thought-through, it’s easy to see why horror movies get a bad reputation.
But there are still great horror movies that do well with both critics and audiences. Two of my personal favorites are Halloween (1978) and It (2017).
Halloween (1978) tells the story of serial killer Michael Myers, an escapee out for revenge on Halloween in his hometown. Everyone is a potential victim.
This classic film successfully explores the nature of suspense and mystery. We’re told little about this serial killer except that he killed his older sister when he was young. We barely see his face and that’s what makes him so terrifying.
The music in the film plays a powerful role in increasing the audience’s tension and fear.
Well-renowned actress Jamie Lee Curtis plays the protagonist, Laurie Strode. Curtis portrays a likeable, strong and intelligent character.
Strode shows her intelligence by avoiding stupid decisions; she always thinks plans through before executing them. For example, when she has nowhere to run, she takes heavy objects and throws them at Myers.
Strode is also caring. She protects and watches the kids she babysits rather than run away. She fulfills her position as a babysitter, making her likeable.
By making Strode such an appealing figure, Halloween avoids the flaws of movies like Saw. Because we care about the main character, it matters to us whether she lives or dies.
The movie It (2017) presents a similar story that is equally thrilling and terrifying.
The story features a shape-shifting clown who, after 27 years of sleeping, is looking to feed on children’s fears.
The teen actors in this film are very talented. We learn a lot about each character’s distinct life and fears in the film. Beverly, for instance, is one of the teens who’s fear is her abusive father.
Beverly has a lot of character and personality: she is flirty with Bill, brave when encountering Pennywise, and cooperative when trying to figure out how to stop the menacing clown.
Just as importantly, she’s smart. Characters in the Saw franchise make a lot of stupid choices. For example, Obi Tate from the second film thought he’d go inside the furnace to get a key, but when he did, he ultimately died and didn’t even get the key. His character was disposable and pointless, making him a poor protagonist.
Overall, the character development in It really makes the film a great addition to the horror genre.
All the films I’ve discussed in this article had their scares, with some better than others. However, the best horror movies focus highly on plot and character development, while still incorporating the scares and twists.
A good horror film should strive for a plot that isn’t too complex for viewers who want an interesting story and good scares. If a story is too complex, viewers will find many plot holes, weakening the overall plot. I found myself forgetting the good moments in the bad films, as I was only thinking about the plot holes.
Additionally, too many twists will only confuse the audience, leaving them fixated on an idea for too long. And if a movie offers nothing else but scares, you’re not really watching a movie with a plot - you’re just watching a bunch of characters/things coming out of nowhere. That gets boring really quickly.
We’ve had too many bad horror movies through the decades, but the horror genre can improve. They should use methods from good horror films I’ve outlined above to keep the horror genre alive. Audiences should be able to watch a horror film and leave the theater with a chill down their spine after watching a great yet frightening film.