There is a large divide between the almost comical scare of old, and the lingering fear that plagues modern viewers. This divide can be mostly attributed to the setup of normalcy in horror. In the 2018 film Hereditary, there is an extended buildup to the supernatural scares of the movie. Though buildups are a necessity in the genre, this example has a key difference: the most horrific aspects are plausible events rather than supernatural ones. This concept seems backwards, but it actually allows the fear to resonate more. When a viewer thinks back on that movie, they aren't going to worry over the generally impossible elements, as they aren't a realistic concern. What they are going to remember are the events that could haunt their real lives. This is normalcy in horror. Looking back on films like Us, this method's effectiveness becomes clear. From a basic standpoint, Us is a movie about a clone tracking down and killing the original. Though this idea can be scary in its own right, it is helpful to remember that movies such as 2019's Gemini Man have a very similar idea. The difference here being that Gemini Man is an action film starring Will Smith. Will Smith playing himself for two roles is the scariest part of that whole experience. So which is scarier Us or Gemini Man? Us uses its final twist to integrate itself with our world, and changes some viewer's perception of our society. Gemini Man's argument for why there are two Will Smiths has been deliberately refuted by scientific study. Now this may be an extreme example, as Gemini Man is not intended to be a horror film, but on the conceptual level, this comparison is the easiest to understand. In order for a film to be truly terrifying, even after the credits roll, it must implement a sense of normalcy. Because without normalcy there wouldn't be horror movies in the first place. (DISCLAIMER: I am aware that the aforementioned horror movies do far more than implement normalcy to strike fear into viewers. But I am also aware that without that normalcy, none of the implemented techniques would pack the same punch.)
1 Comment
fresh prince
9/28/2020 10:30:13 am
critics just don't understand
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AuthorMcRae Walker, an 20-year-old writer and lover of many dorky topics. Archives
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