You’re home alone on a cold autumn night, curled up on the couch watching the hottest new horror movie. As the movie continues, you anxiously await the big slasher moment and then… BAM! A mere jump scare with barely any buildup or tension. The disappointment is real.
Afterwards, you realize how much horror movies have changed throughout the years. The makeup and special effects have changed to become cleaner and more realistic, but the suspenseful feeling just doesn’t hit the same as the classic horror movies do.
You sit there with mixed feelings, and think to yourself, have horror movies gotten worse throughout the years?
A survey was conducted using student and staff participants from FHHS and other willing participants outside of the school. The results show a complicated opinion on horror movies.
Many participants feel that the effects, costume design, and editing have gotten
a lot better and more appealing to the mass audience. However, the plots and buildup have gotten worse.
The contrast of better visuals and worse writing has led to many people feeling frustrated with the horror movie industry.
Ms. Fragias, English and cinema studies teacher says, “The classic horror movies were less action-packed, and the effects were not as good, but the storylines were creative and more chilling. Now there are too many remakes or imitations of classic plot lines.”
Aiden Gopaul, a senior, agrees, saying, “The effects of horror movies have become a lot cooler and interesting, but the way they execute it should be better.”
The storylines seem to have gotten less creative over time.
“Many horror movies are just cash-grabbing franchises and remakes not having much substance” Aiden adds.
Horror movies and horror media in general have been a part of pop culture and entertainment ever since people started going to plays and shows. Oftentimes in these plays the horror was based on suspense and mystery, often reflecting the problems and beliefs of the audience.
This was the standard for horror for years. Cult classic horror movies are often seen to follow this formula of suspense and mystery: The Shining, The Thing, Jaws, Psycho, and so on. However, in recent years, horror movies have relied on action and effects to get the same impact on audiences.
Bibi Gaznabie, a senior at Vanguard High School, said, “I don’t think horror has gotten better with editing. I feel like it’s so advanced that at times, it doesn’t feel scary anymore. Like there was something eerie about the grotesque shots taken of Freddy Krueger or even Scream. The fact it was so, well, not solid and made people ask questions and be unsure what would happen next made it so scary.”
She further explains, “Plots are now more straightforward in a way and sort of reference past movies, so it’s hard to even do a plot twist or jump scare because, you just know what will come next because so much media nowadays pays homage to older movies in search of replicating that eerie feeling.”
In recent years, movie directors have gained more freedom when it comes to including violence, gore, and other forms of explicit content. This is due to the fact that the Hays Code, a stricter set of rules, was replaced by the MPAA. Allowing directors to have more creativity with shots and editing, but increased violence and shock value outshine the thriller and suspense.
Although there was a general consensus that the suspense and vibes of horror movies have gotten worse, many people believe that horror movies can improve with unique and original ideas.
“Still, there are some great new horror movies that continue the simple editing techniques for jump scares, give a limited point of view or delayed view of the ‘monster,’ and have more cerebral, psychological storylines just like the older ones did,” Fragias said.
