Ambiguity

Lately, writing about horror films has been difficult. I haven't seen one in the past six months that I even remotely liked. I've been searching for what makes me scared and to me, what defines a scary movie.


My answer is...ambiguity. I don't want to blatantly know what's going on or who the killer is. I want to be guessing the whole time, biting my fingernails in anticipation. I don't watch scary movies just to watch terrible acting accompanied by even worse visual effects. Things like "Devil Clowns that Eat Your Soul" (made that up) or something equally as campy don't entertain me. They waste my time and my money. I want to be legitimately scared, not bored.


What made The Blair Witch Project popular? Besides kick ass PR, it was the fact you never really saw anything happen, until the end and even that was vague. Paranormal Activity was the next found footage film that impacted people. The actors were unknown, the FX were amazing and it was again, uncertainty that made that film a success. Insidious and The Conjuring were terrifying because they both are unsettling.  Children seeing things the adult eye cannot, forces beyond this world and closets made these films unique in their styling.

The things we cannot see and defend ourselves against are the most terrifying. Whether it's the monsters inside the human brain or demonic forces beyond our reach, less is more in the horror genre and I wish more people would adopt that philosophy.