by Shandra Lorne

Created on: January 19, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

A truly scary movie leaves much to the imagination. The unknown is one of the greatest fears we as humans have. An enemy that is explained early on in a movie ruins the unknown factor. Think about it: as a child, weren't our most terrifying nightmares those in which we couldn't clearly see our stalker? Movies are just like dreams. Once an enemy has been identified, we can adapt ourselves to deal with it. True horror implies that there is no dealing, there is no escape.

Thrills and scares in a movie must also be executed in a delicate way, so the jaded horror viewer does not predict exactly when every creature jumps out and when every slasher stabs a victim. Very obvious lulls in the music can be a dead giveaway that the director is giving us a false sense of relaxation. Horror buffs can spot these tranquil moments just as surely as if the stalker was waving a flashing sign that said, "Run Away."

Most of all, true fright involves a feeling that the viewer's fate is no longer in his own hands. Once that sense of helplessness has found us, that sense of hopeless doom, we are hooked just as surely as if the director had chained us to the chair.

The best example of a great horror movie that I have found is The Descent. The women are trapped with seeming no hope of ever escaping the cave. This feeling of claustrophobia satisfies my third rule of scary movies. The fact that much of the scenery is swathed in darkness satisfies my first rule because the creatures are shapeless threats on the edges of our imaginations until we finally see them clearly. Finally, the background music was so innocuous and cleverly woven that I scarecely noticed it, and its plot clues were subtle enough that I could not tell when a violent, horrific scene was coming up. This satisfies my second rule. In my opinion, horror directors would increase their paychecks tenfold if they would take tips from The Descent.

Learn more about this author, Shandra Lorne.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.