ThePhanastasio

TL;DR:
Horror movies are ruined by stupid things, like stupid endings and following the same stupid formula, and showing us too much and making the movie itself seem stupid.

***

My friends and I, in searching for competently made and genuinely terrifying horror films, had a discussion about what the "problem" with the majority of horror movies was which ruined them.

After a long while of trying to put our finger on it, I ventured to say that the three major problems with them are the ending, the attempted adherence to common three act structure, and showing too much. Ultimately, we all agreed, and I'd like to hear what you all think.

First, The Ending:

How many times have you heard someone rave about a movie as having truly terrifying moments, and then immediately adding, "but I didn't care for the ending," "the ending sucked," or something of the sort? For me, that's been the way most acquaintances and friends have described the movies they viewed.

Some common examples in recent years for this have included Insidious, Paranormal Activity, and Drag Me To Hell. Not to say that any of these are feats of brilliance in and off themselves, but the common thread that seems to run between them is that people found them creepy, then had the movie ruined by an unfulfilling ending.

The problem I see with this is the creators attempts to tie up the package in a tidy little bow, and resolve the conflict somewhat. Which, by the end of the movie usually leaves me thinking, "Oh, well. The protagonists survived (or have died) and the story's over. Woo. Whatever," or, in worse cases, "Oh, the evil is still there, and it's going after another couple. I don't give a shit."

How can we be frightened of something that's been tastefully taken care of and packaged into a neat little 90 minute box? It's not realistic, and it's not scary. It's disappointing. Which brings me to...

Three Act Structure:

This is so commonplace in film that it's pretty much industry standard and the only way most films will get produced. Writing workshops I've gone to and books I've purchased have all stressed the importance of writing for the screen in three act structure at all costs, lest your script be completely disregarded and tossed aside. I'll agree that it works well for Hollywood blockbusters and things of that nature, because it's safe. It's expected. Not so (in my opinion) for horror movies.

Essentially, for those who may not know, I'll briefly sum up three act structure.

Act One: Approximately the first 20-30 minutes of a film. This is when you're introduced to all of the characters, and the conflict is brought up. I like to think of it as a prologue of sorts, and it's an introduction that serves to have the audience know enough about characters and conflict to care about your story.

Act Two: The biggest act, and generally 45 minutes to an hour in duration. Sometimes longer, rarely shorter in features. This is the point when the protagonists are faced with challenges from the opposing force, be it supernatural or evil (in the case of horror movies) or just a conflict in general. They are faced with obstacles, (generally three, I've been told to write) one which is a serious introduction to the bad thing, the second in which the hero seems to be about to fail, and the third and final battle - in which the protagonist or antagonist will ultimately prevail. That's the climax.

Act Three: The shortest act. Essentially, this follows the climax and wraps the story up. If the protagonist wins, they go about their lives. If they lose, the opposing force basks in their glory before the credits roll. Occasionally, there's a final twist right before the credits, especially in horror movies if they're shooting for a sequel.

So why is this a problem? Because it's expected. We know they're not going to kill the protagonist in the first battle; there's too much movie left for that! We know that the second battle's near the half-way point, and the protagonist is going to survive, but they're probably going to lose a friend or lackey...or be hurt and predictably end up living, or there's going to be a twist where the "rules change". By the third battle, we know it's coming, and we know it's either going to be "Evil prevails" or "Good wins". We know it's the climax already, and we're running low on popcorn. It's tried and true, and we already essentially know the format like the back of our hand - if not better, if we're not especially predisposed to looking at the back of our hand. We're not shocked, we're not stunned, we're not impressed. Period. The pacing is logical and formulaic. It's almost insulting.

The monsters may be different, but it's the same story over and over again. It's the same build-up. The same important points hit on at the same exact time. It's the sameness which takes away from the terror, and it's hard to be afraid of what you know.

Showing Too Much:

The last point before I shut up and let you all take over. This is one of the ones that really irks me, and that's when the filmmakers show too much.

How many great premises have you seen that completely have the (intended) entertainment value sucked out of them by cheesy monsters? I actually remember a friend talking about a horror movie. He said, "The bad guy was creepy for a while. Then they showed his goat legs, and it ruined the whole thing for me. It was ridiculous."

In film, they typically tell screenwriters and directors to "show, don't tell," and that makes sense, as film is a visual medium. It is kind of infuriating a lot of the time to happen upon a movie in which 90% of the exposition is delivered through dialogue.

It does, however, feel to me like a lot of horror filmmakers took that to heart way too literally. You don't have to show the evil for us to know it's there. We don't have to see the demon full on. Sometimes, the scariest things are in our periphery. It's what COULD be there that's scary. It's the unknown that's scary. When you're out alone at night cutting through the cemetery and see movement out of the corner of your eye, that's what makes you speed up your walk. That's what makes you conjure all of the horrifying images of what it could be. That's the nature of fear (in my opinion, again) and that's what scares people.

What do you guys think?

__________________

• Phish: Studio Discography Reviewed
• 100 Albums I Heartily Recommend
• My last.fm