Horror films have seen a dramatic rise in both critical acclaim and financial success. The genre has long been one of the safer box-office bets for studios seeking big returns from modest budgets. Now, in an industry still recovering from the pandemic, that reliability has become a beacon.
Because of this dependability, Michelle Martinez, a senior instructor in Arizona State University's Film and Media Studies programme, sees horror as Hollywood's lifeline. "That's how we persist," she said. "Horror films have always been a 'yes and' sport. It's always been low-budget. Nobody took it seriously until now, really."
We're gonna need a bigger box office
Horror films are taking up a larger share of the domestic box office. In recent years, a single film has dominated the genre's box-office earnings each year. This year's summer blockbuster Obsession accounted for almost 29% of horror's overall box office as of July.
Horror is not just succeeding at the box office; critics are taking notice as well. Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler and set in the Mississippi Delta in 1932 during the Jim Crow era, received a record 16 Oscar nominations and earned Michael B. Jordan his first Oscar for Best Actor, marking a distinct return for the genre as a critical darling. In the 1970s and 1980s, the slasher subgenre dominated the scene following the success of Halloween in 1978.
The rise of VHS helped horror films with limited releases find much-needed permanent homes on video shop shelves, giving audiences greater access and opening the door for films to become cult classics. At the 64th Academy Awards in 1992, The Silence of the Lambs became the first and, to date, only horror film to win Best Picture. However, the 2000s marked a lull for the genre until 2017, when Jordan Peele's Get Out seemed to announce a resurgence.
So, what does it mean to make art designed to scare people?
Nine ways the camera works on you
Different camera techniques have long been among the most effective tools for unsettling audiences. Here are nine common examples:
- Dolly zoom
- Dutch angle
- Extreme close-up
- Low-angle shot
- High-angle shot
- Point-of-view shot
- Tracking shot
- Handheld camera
- Long take
All films are built around balancing moments of tension with moments of release or relaxation for viewers. In horror films, this becomes especially important. Moments of peace, even mundane ones, can lull the audience into a false sense of security. A lull can trick viewers into letting their guard down before the next high-tension moment or scare.
With jump scares, there are often moments of silence or softness before the scare. After these moments, a sudden, sharp musical chord or loud sound effect, known as the sting, typically occurs at the same moment the threat appears.
"It might open with some gore just to set the tone or have a little early pre-scare just to prime you," Martinez said. "So that you're ready for the bigger build."
Prepare for a SCARE!
Each mark below represents a jump scare. Over The Exorcist's two-hour runtime, it has 11 scares, but they do not arrive on schedule.
Three jump scares in four minutes.
With these moments of tension and release, less is more. Many films with higher Metacritic ratings or greater critical acclaim have fewer jump scares per hour.
The Scaring
Horror films, plotted by how often they make you jump. Films with more scares per hour tend to score worse on average.
Sound amplifies the menace of a film, whether seen or unseen. The score and other sounds that occur outside the world of the story can be used to make viewers feel tense, sometimes without even noticing it consciously. Sounds that exist within the world of the film, such as whispers or creaking floorboards, suggest that something is not as it should be.
Lighting, too, is a pivotal choice in making horror work. Shadows and darkness conceal things from the audience, allowing viewers to imagine the worst. Horror often uses what is just out of reach to scare and disturb.
All eyes on horror
Horror films began to gain critical acclaim in the 1970s with The Exorcist. However, the genre's award counts dropped after 2000, until Get Out sparked a resurgence that continues today.
The genre works well as a powerful lens for telling larger stories. Horror, like many other art forms, can reflect societal issues, offering a cathartic way to process hardship and trauma across different communities. By transforming real experiences into frightening yet safe scenarios, horror allows viewers to confront difficult topics in a controlled environment.
Carrie, a film based on Stephen King's novel about a bullied high school girl raised by a fanatically religious and abusive mother, is a prominent example for Martinez. The 1974 novel and Brian De Palma's film are often linked to the landmark abortion rights ruling in Roe v. Wade a year earlier, as both explore themes of bodily autonomy and the consequences of "the repressing of female power".
Get Out serves as a social commentary on race and the exploitation of Black people. Released in 2017, the film reflects the evolving discussions around race relations and systemic racism at the time.
Films such as the summer blockbuster Obsession return to questions of autonomy and critique modern dating culture, turning the "Nice Guy" trope on its head.
Horror can also give audiences a safe space to work through their emotions. Martinez finds that this comes up frequently in her classes.
"If you're somebody that's grieving and you go watch a horror film, it helps you push out that wave of grief," she said. "When you have art that makes you feel […] It helps you reset. And I think for a lot of people, that's why they really like it."
With horror films making a comeback in a big way, it is easy to get swept up in the numbers and why they work. For Martinez, however, the appeal is a little simpler. Horror, she says, is a way to break out of the monotony of daily drudgery.
"That's what musicals do. That's what horror does. It pinches you awake."