What Really Makes a Horror Movie?

While skimming through an ‘Entertainment’ magazine the other day I came across an article written by the infamous Stephen King discussing what truly makes a horror movie. The title in itself, “Small Is Scary,” basically summed it up.

A lot of the time directors feel the need to give an elaborate explanation for why something in the movie happens or use an excess of blood and guts when someone gets shot or stabbed. Another one of my personal favorite mistakes made is when they allow unrealistic things to happen. Like when someone gets shot…lets just say for the heck of it, in the back of the ankle. Now, in case you haven’t noticed, that’s a very sensitive spot. However, the director really wants to put that big chase in, so he allows the actor (who has already endured other falls or stab wounds) to get up and run like the wind to get away from the killer. In some cases, the person gets away, faced with the psychological torment of being chased by a serial killer. Other times, they’re forced to endure their tragic deaths at the hands of a psycho. Either way, how in the world did they manage to outrun that killer when they were bleeding half to death out of their ankle? Or how about this, they broke their ankle completely after tripping down the stairs (always a classic)? Sure, the adrenaline and “want to live” could definitely have something to do with it. I mean, I know I would fight my hardest to get away. But directors also have to remember to be realistic.

This seemingly brings me to my next point. It truly is the simple things in the movie that cause your heart to pound a bit faster and your breathing to pick up the pace. It’s the things that you could picture happening to you; it’s why you constantly look behind your shoulder when you’re outside walking by yourself. The inevitable fact that there are crazy people out there who sometimes don’t need rhyme or reason to attack at any moment. After all, that’s why they’re crazy. They don’t think like a rational person does; meaning, they don’t need a rational explanation to commit a cold-blooded murder (or torture someone if you want to go the "Hostel" route.)

In some of the best horror movies, you don’t find out why someone does something. Such as in the summer box office hit "The Strangers." When the actress Liv Tyler asks the “strangers” why they chose them, the answer is simple; “you were home.” Or in "The Exorcist," one of the most renowned horror movies of all time, yes you know what happened to the girl; she was possessed by the Devil. But we never find out why she was chosen or, really, how it happened. Whether you’re one of those people who says, “Oh, that movie doesn’t scare me” you have to admit the thought of being possessed by the most evil force on the planet is pretty darn creepy.

It’s the simple and unexpected things that really get us when we’re sitting in the dark movie theater with our friends or alone on the couch in the living room. Like when the girl tries to open the closet door to hide, but finds it’s locked; suddenly, the camera shoots over to the end of the hall where the killer is slowly walking towards us clutching a machete. It’s the fact that as you’re reading this right now, someone could be breaking into your house through the front door, being as quiet a mouse. So you tell me: What gets your heart racing? What causes you to have sleepless nights? What makes a great horror movie?