The essence of a Horror film

Wouldn't the simple answer to this be, that these movies scare, but in different than one another? I mean, it's pretty straightforward.

Thank you. Yes, Horror movies are scary. That's a pretty simple answer, but you still haven't answered why, which is what the essence of this thread was about. The thread began with the poster distraught over some of his classic favorite SCARY movies, being so diverse, and invoking so many different emotions from him, he enjoyed them so much, he thought how could anyone just categorize all these gems as just one genre, one type of movie, I mean the nerve of some people to think that Horror movies are just formulaic hack and slashers, the nerve! So he came to the forum with this question looking for guidance, and/or an educated discussion on the matter. Some offered their thoughts on what the essence of a horror movie were (Rodent, mentioned, sound, being the element which was a great example, especially in Berberian Sound Studio), other's simply mentioned sub genre's, while some just named their favorite scary movie. While one man, one lone wolf emerged from the darkness of our own reality to meet on a common ground to, to express his thoughts on a discussed topic. He was a man of great stature, well versed, and more assertive then a Nazi Commander in his answers and deliberations. When this man was questioned with, "From one movie enthusiast to another, what do you feel tangible or not, derives the force that is the essence of a horror movie?" In which this man replied, "that these movies scare,"........................

just joshin'

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Ok, I'll go. Having watched GOK how many horror movies in my life, I've asked myself the same thing. I theorize that there are several things:

* Mortal peril to the body, fear of big, predatory animals that will rip you apart and eat you. This is a completely realistic, probably instinctive fear. Reptiles are special and smart reptiles even more special.

* Mortal peril from twisted, crazy people. The more twisted and crazy the worse. Again, this is a realistic fear. If they appear to be indestructible, even better.

* Fear of supernatural entities, gods, demons, witches, vampires, etc, that can violate the usual rules of the material world of mortals and hence are dangerous.

* Descent into madness.

All of these are basic fears to one's survival, either physical or spiritual.

I am unsure if you are being ironic or if you are genuinely trying to suggest that my initial post was anything other than just trying to get a discussion going.

Either way I will continue. This is not just to one genre, this could be any genre you care to name, a lot of films get generalised and put into one genre by people and that is fine, I have no problem with that, but I wanted to get an idea from people who love films as to what their point of view was.

With regards to the other questions:

Is it the element of death?

I think the element of death is very much a part of the genre in itself, be it from someone with a large knife, a chainsaw or a vhs tape, all of these things are horrific in the human experience (well, maybe not the vhs tape). But I also think that other elements could be torment and psychological trauma.

The element of a monster?

Monsters can exist in all manner with people like Henry in Portrait of a Serial Killer or Norman Bates in Pyscho but the bigger thing for me anyway is that the monster can be so very different.

Does the movie just have to evoke a notion of tangible malevolence?

I would say there is an element of it but also the ability to stay with someone after they have finished watching the film.

Or is a horror movie just a movie with a strong narrative of despair and turmoil?

To be fair this could be any film including films like Silence of the Lambs, My Sisters Keeper, The Last house on the Left or Trainspotting. All four films fall into this in their core.

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It certainly involves fear in general, and fear of death is part of that. You can have fear of the unknown, of change, of loss, yet they all still involve a threat of some kind... You could say implicit or explicit threat is innate to horror. Perhaps horror's elemental defining obsession may be transgression... When you get down to it, it's all about exploring the various forms of violating boundaries; violating personal boundaries through violence or loss of control, or erasing social boundaries and upsetting status quo, or even blurring seemingly fixed boundaries between life & death...

I don't think physical violence (threat of bodily harm and dying) is absolutely central to horror, but it is common of course. We may as well ponder why ghost stories can be scary since they assume life after death as a prerequisite to their telling. Clearly there's something more fundamental to horror than just violence or just death... Transgression seems to fit best so far in my own consideration of the matter.

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