Photo by Enrique Guzmán Egas

My free inquiry project is an examination of the horror movie genre. I deeply enjoy horror movies and have always been fascinated by true crime and other dark topics. There is something compelling about watching villains stalk their victims or supernatural entities lay waste to a city. The feeling of fear is tantalizing, but what makes it even better?? When the movie finishes and you come back to regular, boring and safe life. You are able to experience the fear safely from your couch. In terms of violence and gore, it has become the forefront of the film industry. Our society relishes in death and injury. However, a component of horror films that I admit can be satisfying is when the evil character or the annoying character meets their fateful demise. An even more satisfying aspect of these films is when the hero survives and destroys the villain, e.g. Ripley in Alien. Overall, I love the thrill and fear horror movies bring and cannot wait to examine the best horror films.

Photo by Fandango

Some questions I will ponder: Why are people drawn to the horror genre? What makes a good horror film? What are the best horror movies and why?

My current list of movies has been influenced by Youtube videos and Top Horror Movie lists such as GamesRadar, Rolling Stone, and TimeOut.

Here it is:

  • The Exorcist (1973)
  • The Shinning (1980)
  • Psycho (1960)
  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
  • Halloween (1978)
  • The Thing (1982)
  • Alien (1979)
  • Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
  • Scream (1996)

I will be examining these movies using a system designed by myself with categories such as performance, special effects, violence/gore, scare factor, and score/foley. As well, I will delve into themes, imagery, and tropes that frequent these horror flicks and critique these films from a 21st-century perspective. Finally, I will compare these movies to the following list from AMC theatres.

10 Elements Every Horror Film Needs

  1. A memorable, but frightening menace
  2. Clear rules to live by
  3. Plenty of characters that could disappear at any moment
  4. The element of surprise
  5. Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere
  6. A backstory that’s key to the monster/villain’s purpose
  7. The trademark murder weapon
  8. Proper theme music
  9. A showdown for the ages
  10. The possibility for sequel

With all that said, let’s grab some popcorn, a warm blanket and begin! The first movie I will watch is The Shinning.

Photo by Patrick Tomasso