Do filmmakers have an obligation to make a film not too scary?

[Oliver James]

Oftentimes I watch horror films which I somehow love to do even though I easily get scared, and I think to myself they could've done this or that and placed this scare on this scene and it would scare the living daylights out of me and make the film more scary and relentless, but then they don't. Is there something stopping them from doing so?

About censors, I don't think a film has been censored from being too scary but they only classify these as not for kids. I know they have test screenings so I was thinking maybe here's where they chop scary scenes because it might give someone a heart attack and it's their obligation not give someone that.

Having said all that, which horror films do you think crossed the line as to being really scary?

Here's one that recently comes to mind for me, because when the scary begins it's relentless up until the end:

 

[Weiss]

I don't see why from an artistic standpoint. The only real question here is if they make the film "too scary", however you want to define that, then, potentially, it could drive audiences off, but then that doesn't seem like the kind of problem you can phrase as "I couldn't watch this because it was too scary" without immediately getting another subset of the audience to go all in.

 

[Garp TXB]

Absolutely not. There should be no line. The point of movies is to make us feel every possible emotion. We can argue about age restriction, but beyond that, art is meant to expose us to everything.

 

[My Blue Heaven]

no? it's their work. they are allowed to evoke whatever emotion they want to. a movie isn't a subway sandwich made to your specifications

if you don't like feeling fright then don't watch

 

[DevilMayGuy]

Nah. I wish most of em would go farther. One of the few horror films I've seen recently that didn't leave me with that impression was The Dark and the Wicked. That shit was 🔥

 

[Platy]

Horror movies have a lot in common with martial arts movie.

You have to mix the action parts with non action parts so you can have character development so you get MORE scary because you care more about those characters.

And like a good fight scene, it is NOT that easy to make a "scary the living shit out of me" scene, since EVERYTHING adds to mix, including effects, acting, music and directing.

So sometimes ... they are doing the best they can do ... they just can't do as much =/

 

[Nappuccino]

It depends on what movie they want to make and what audience they want to reach.

There are some absolutely grotesque nightmare inducing indie movies, but those filmakers know they'll only reach a few thousand (or maybe just a few hundred) people.

Try to reach the biggest audience, and the kind of and quality of scares are going to be different because of that perception.

 

[Oliver James]

I don't see why from an artistic standpoint. The only real question here is f they make the film "too scary", however you want to define that, then, potentially, it could drive audiences off, but then that doesn't seem like the kind of problem you can phrase as "I couldn't want this because it was too scary" without immediately getting another subset of the audience to go all in.

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I think people go to a horror film expecting to be scared out of their pants off, and I can't think of anything better than "scariest film ever" as the best draw

Absolutely not. There should be no line. The point of movies is to make us feel every possible emotion. We can argue about age restriction, but beyond that, art is meant to expose us to everything.

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Yeah I agree, but then I haven't seen a horror film yet which doesn't make me wanna stop watching it before it ends

no? it's their work. they are allowed to evoke whatever emotion they want to. a movie isn't a subway sandwich made to your specifications

if you don't like feeling fright then don't watch

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That's the thing, I felt like they could've always done more but they seem to hold back

 

[808s & Villainy]

What are you talking about.
No

 

[Oliver James]

Horror movies have a lot in common with martial arts movie.

You have to mix the action parts with non action parts so you can have character development so you get MORE scary because you care more about those characters.

And like a good fight scene, it is NOT that easy to make a "scary the living shit out of me" scene, since EVERYTHING adds to mix, including effects, acting, music and directing.

So sometimes ... they are doing the best they can do ... they just can't do as much =/

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Yeah I figured as much, filmmaking isn't cheap and sometimes they try to make the best with what they can do, and sometimes they make something truly special, like the first Evil Dead film.

It depends on what movie they want to make and what audience they want to reach.

There are some absolutely grotesque nightmare inducing indie movies, but those filmakers know they'll only reach a few thousand (or maybe just a few hundred) people.

Try to reach the biggest audience, and the kind of and quality of scares are going to be different because of that perception.

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Totally agree, the most "horrifying" films often are the ones who push the boundaries or cross the line and only a few people try and watch them, but the biggest blockbusters are the one who do the tried and tested stories and tropes like The Conjuring series, but then again we have a torture porn boom thanks to Saw, but the actual first Saw was well done and wasn't sick.

 

[Weiss]

I think people go to a horror film expecting to be scared out of their pants off, and I can't think of anything better than "scariest film ever" as the best draw
Yeah I agree, but then I haven't seen a horror film yet which doesn't make me wanna stop watching it before it ends
That's the thing, I felt like they could've always done more but they seem to hold back

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You might just be watching bad horror movies, then.

J-Horror is more my scene, which is to say it's not my scene and I can barely watch any because Japanese horror cinematography is consistently good at freaking my balls off.

 

[Oliver James]

You might just be watching bad horror movies, then.

J-Horror is more my scene, which is to say it's not my scene and I can barely watch any because Japanese horror cinematography is consistently good at freaking my balls off.

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Which J-Horror? Most recent one I saw was Noroi and it was great, the scariest one I've seen was hands down The Grudge though, definitely one of the scariest but then again I saw it as a youngster. Kairo which people cite as scary actually didn't faze me.

 

[RedMercury]

I don't think any have crossed the line, they are only movies and the scarier the better. It depends on personal tolerance but as a huge horror fan there are a lot of movies out there that can startle you, that's easy, there are comparatively few that try to or succeed in deeply unsettling you or build up the anticipation of something scary happening well.

One example I always think about is in The Ring (US version), towards the beginning of the film there's a shot where the teenager opens the fridge, blocking the view of the hallway in the shot. You expect when she shuts the door, something will be there. There's not, it's nothing but the way the shot was framed to me was brilliant. Or take Hereditary, when the mom is up on the ceiling in the corner of the bedroom- the movie doesn't call attention to it, in fact a lot of people missed it. There didn't have to be some loud noise or having it center-frame, it rewarded you for paying attention and unsettled you because it was like you saw something out of the corner of your eye that was subtle yet horrifying. Or take the sound design in Eyes Of My Mother, not a great movie but the audio made me cringe to listen to.

 

[Oliver James]

I don't think any have crossed the line, they are only movies and the scarier the better. It depends on personal tolerance but as a huge horror fan there are a lot of movies out there that can startle you, that's easy, there are comparatively few that try to or succeed in deeply unsettling you.

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This goes out to everyone but I really also would like some recommendations :)

I agree, most of the time the films that truly scare me recently are ones that post questions or situations that could happen in real life, or if they have scenes that are truly scarring due to the emotional factor being the one they try to push the horror into.

 

[Damaniel]

If it's too scary, then don't watch it. Filmmakers aren't obligated to make movies less scary.

 

[Oliver James]

If it's too scary, then don't watch it. Filmmakers aren't obligated to make movies less scary.

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I'm asking the complete opposite, why can't filmmakers make their films more scary?

 

[Weiss]

Which J-Horror? Most recent one I saw was Noroi and it was great, the scariest one I've seen was hands down The Grudge though, definitely one of the scariest but then again I saw it as a youngster. Kairo which people cite as scary actually didn't faze me.

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This is real awkward because I was about to recommend Kairo.

I'm honestly not that familiar with horror as I am a tremendous coward and thus cannot last through horror movies, I just find that in terms of "this actually scares me" I gravitate to J-Horror because American Horror films go too hard on the noise and jump scares.

 

[KtSlime]

I'm asking the complete opposite, why can't filmmakers make their films more scary?

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Viewer selective pressure.

 

[RedMercury]

This goes out to everyone but I really also would like some recommendations :)

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Check out Lake Mungo, very unsettling movie, don't read anything about it though or you might be spoiled. Glad to hear you liked Noroi, that's one of my favorites! Funny Games, Pulse (2001), The Wailing, A Tale Of Two SIsters, [REC] or alternatively V/H/S, the ending of Megan Is Missing (rest of the movie kind of sucks) are all great picks.

A very unsettling movie that is not a horror film is Happiness directed by Todd Solondz, you probably won't watch it twice. Requiem for a Dream would be in that category as well, there are a bunch of cool movies like that. With a different soundtrack and a few tweaks Pi could have been a horror movie haha

 

[Strings]

Calibrating scares is harder than you'd think, especially over the course of a feature. If you go too hard too early, then your finale seems less impressive / you wear the audience out.

 

[Oliver James]

This is real awkward because I was about to recommend Kairo.

I'm honestly not that familiar with horror as I am a tremendous coward and thus cannot last through horror movies, I just find that in terms of "this actually scares me" I gravitate to J-Horror because American Horror films go too hard on the noise and jump scares.

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I thought Kairo was good, I actually like apocalyptic films and I thought it was great they made one instead of the usual Asian horror lady trope. By the way if you haven't seen Noroi, I highly recommend it.

Viewer selective pressure.

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I guess sometimes they want the whole family to able to watch too? I think most horror films are just R13, especially the big ones.

Calibrating scares is harder than you'd think, especially over the course of a feature. If you go too hard too early, then your finale seems less impressive / you wear the audience out.

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I guess you're right, maybe I've seen so many horror films that I've come to expect more. That's why the recent film "Host" impressed me, it was pretty relentless.

 

[Midramble]

Because what makes a film scary is subjective. Fear is a complex emotion.

If you're talking about constant jump moments you also have to realize the role anticipation has in crafting fear. Eventually you become desensitized so crafting a good rhythm is important.

 

[Tanaka]

I think a big reason why no one does is because if the movie was like this, it would lose its effect. The anticipation of what is going to happen is a big reason horror movies work IMO.

 

[cubanb]

LOL, don't watch those movies you baby

 

[Dan-o]

I agree with the notion that the 'scariest' movies are the ones that successfully build tension and dread to the point of being unsettling on a more visceral level than your average jump scares (which have their place in horror cinema history).

I'm not a big fan of The Lodge but it's one that I felt built that kind of tension very well. Lake Mungo was very good, too. The Descent was right up my alley. House of the Devil and The Sacrament are two I really enjoyed. If you just want some straight-up bleak shit, there's always the "extreme" French stuff like Martyrs (I've never seen it, and don't plan to, but it has... a reputation) or a few of Haneke's films (he's Austrian, not French, to avoid confusion in this sentence).

 

[Oliver James]

Because what makes a film scary is subjective. Fear is a complex emotion.

If you're talking about constant jump moments you also have to realize the role anticipation has in crafting fear. Eventually you become desensitized so crafting a good rhythm is important.

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Yeah I definitely agree with you with the anticipation in creating fear, but sometimes when I watch this I could've felt they could've made the scare better by doing this or that, or by placing it here instead of there. But I guess they're the filmmakers and as someone has mentioned, filmmaking is hard and costly.

I think a big reason why no one does is because if the movie was like this, it would lose its effect. The anticipation of what is going to happen is a big reason horror movies work IMO.

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Totally agree, relentless films that are effective do exist though, but I guess when they do that they tend to not be scary anymore but cross into thrillers and sometimes action, oftentimes making them turn into comedy.

LOL, don't watch those movies you baby

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But why? I am specifically looking for films people deem more scary :P

I agree with the notion that the 'scariest' movies are the ones that successfully build tension and dread to the point of being unsettling on a more visceral level than your average jump scares (which have their place in horror cinema history).

I'm not a big fan of The Lodge but it's one that I felt built that kind of tension very well. Lake Mungo was very good, too. The Descent was right up my alley. House of the Devil and The Sacrament are two I really enjoyed. If you just want some straight-up bleak shit, there's always the "extreme" French stuff like Martyrs (I've never seen it, and don't plan to, but it has... a reputation) or a few of Haneke's films (he's Austrian, not French, to avoid confusion in this sentence).

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Thanks for your recommendations! I have scene Lake Mungo and it has one of the scariest scenes I've ever seen. The Descent is one of my favorites and I would label it as one of the relentless ones from what I recall of it. I have also enjoyed Martyrs and I really enjoyed how it swerved from the initial onslaught onto something else that is truly elevated by the end. I have seen Funny Games by Haneke and it's one of the times I've been so mad watching something, but is indeed quite effective. I'll definitely check out the others you've listed, especially The Lodge because I saw the trailer for that monthd before its release and I guess it kinda just slipped through the cracks.

 

[GiantEnemyGoomba]

Viewer selective pressure.

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Also there may not even be that many ppl that wanna make straight demented shit. We still get plenty of boundary pushing movies.

 

[porcupixel]

Fascinating case study in people not reading the OP.

To answer the question, scary is subjective, so while every horror filmmaker is trying to get the most impact out of their films, not everything is going to land the same way for every viewer. (Much like comedy. Don't ask me to explain why some people find Adam Sandler funny.) If you give examples of films that were successful at scaring the bejeezus out of you then maybe others can try to find examples similar in tone/style/subject. But if something doesn't work for you, it's almost never because there was a censor breathing down their neck to make the film less intense, but more likely the filmmaker just couldn't make it in the right way to hit you specifically in the way intended.

Though an example where this might happen is if a director is deadset on making an R-rated film but the producers insist on getting it rated PG-13 because more teens/less marketing restrictions = more money. I don't think that happens that much these days but it was common back in the 90s/2000s.

 

[Conditional-Pancakes]

"Scary" is in the eye of the beholder. It really depends on each person.

Some people can't deal with jump scares, or gore. And some will have a very hard time when a movie is touching upon certain themes, like ghosts or possession, for example. Horror films are a very personal affair for so many reasons, including your current life situation. For example, a specific theme or setting in a film that doesn't scare you right now might completely terrify you in a few years. And the opposite is also true. Horror is so personal.

 

[Deleted member 1698]

Not scary > a little bit scary > very scary > lol this is just stupid > come on guys this is dumb

It is a progression and the line between scary and stupid is very, very thin. It is also different for every single person. So you can't really push beyond that line, because you just end up with a comedy.

Hereditary for example was a comedy to me. Want true edge of your seat horror? Try Free Solo

 

[THEVOID]

Filmmakers are trying to do the scariest film possible, the problem is very few know how. And every ones idea of being scared differs. I think The Lodge is in my top 5 of the last decade. Film rattled me with constant dread right up to the end. Also, The Invitation is the perfect psychological thriller. Other's opinions will differ. But I'll take those two over stuff like Hereditary.

 

[Conditional-Pancakes]

The Lodge is in my top 5 of the last decade.

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The Lodge was very good... I need to rewatch this!

 

[Platy]

"Scary" is in the eye of the beholder. It really depends on each person.

Some people can't deal with jump scares, or gore. And some will have a very hard time when a movie is touching upon certain themes, like ghosts or possession, for example. Horror films are a very personal affair for so many reasons, including your current life situation. For example, a specific theme or setting in a film that doesn't scare you right now might completely terrify you in a few years. And the opposite is also true. Horror is so personal.

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I agree, and also I have a funny example of this
I had an uncle that made me watch lots fo horror movies in my childhood that i should not ve watching them so i was too young and impressed when i watched movies like alien and others.

The actual movie that gave me nightmares as a kid?
"honey i shrunk the kids"
insects are scary as fuck.
like i literally looked hard before eating a cereal bowl for years after that.
does it made any rational sense? Nope. Did i got scared for years? yup

 

[wafflebrain]

There are some films that are as you mention relentless in their brutality and depictions of horror/violence, but it's all a very ymmv thing anyhow so it's ultimately up to the individual audience member to decide if it's too much for them and to look away or stop watching accordingly.

There was a period a few years ago where I was more sensitive to depictions of violence than usual, and certain themes like home invasion or domestic violence really got under my skin. There was one with John Cusack called The Paperboy where he plays a murderer in prison and Nicole Kidman is one of these women attracted to cons that writes letters to him while he's in prison. There was something about his performance that was unsettingly believable as this complete sociopath with no regard for anyone's life or well being, as well as being a murderer and domestic abuser. That one stayed with me for awhile. Vincent Donofrio had a similar effect on me in a serial killer movie called Chained directed by Jennifer Lynch. Just truly fucked up people that are a little too believable as psychopaths. Makes Kevin Spacey in Se7en look like fucking Mr Rogers in comparison.

Last horror film that got under my skin was probably Hereditary, less so from the supernatural/witchcraft themes but the expressions of grief portrayed by Toni Collette.

TL;DR: Make up your own mind if something crosses a line for you in a horror film. The level of scares or violence depicted is ultimately up to the filmmakers.

 

[DeathyBoy]

As someone who makes horror films, no. We're not obligated to do shit except try and scare people. It doesn't always work, but no one has to tone down scares to appease a general audience.

 

[Cocolina]

Apart from The Exorcist which only has reports from a guard that people had heart attacks the only movies where people died from heart attacks were The Passion Of The Christ and The Conjuring 2. The first one isn't a scary film (unless you're Jesus) and for the second one the guy that died was 60+ years old.

 

[jsnepo]

God I love this movie. Crazy People I mean, not The Freak.

 

[CloudWolf]

No, absolutely not. Filmmakers should be able to make a movie as intense or scary as they want.

Also, what would be "too scary"? What people find scary is very specific per person.

 

[mbpm]

I don't understand the question as you've defined it

 

[eXistor]

I'm sure there is; studios interfere with movies all the time. I'm sure the director ultimately wants to go more all-out, but some exec or maybe even test-screenings and focus-groups tell them to go easy on certain things.

Focus groups and the like are the fucking worst, they can completely kill any artistic merit something has.

/edit: how many have read the op?

 

[Kain]

I have to say the scariest segment in a movie, to me, has always been the moon part in 2001. I know it's weird but the combination of the camera work, the creepy music and the unknown of space just did it for me. So basically it's a veeeeeery subjective thing.

 

[Dalek]

I have to say the scariest segment in a movie, to me, has always been the moon part in 2001. I know it's weird but the combination of the camera work, the creepy music and the unknown of space just did it for me. So basically it's a veeeeeery subjective thing.

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I 100% agree. The first time I saw it I was completely unnerved.

 

[big_z]

Im not sure there is anything that is too scary. It's the tension that's the worst and unfortunately most horror doesn't pull it off well.

A lot of modern horror films rely on a low bass sound to build tension that goes silent just before the scare. Once you notice it you'll never be scared.

 

[kristmen]

You should try shooting some of these ideas yourself using your phone and edit it in Sony Vegas (for free!). Just place the phone up against some books to keep it stable and use yourself and your mom/dad/partner as the other actor. Use sound effects and music from free sound libraries. See if it's scary? It's fun, is at no cost to you and takes about half a day to do. Go for it!

 

[TAJ]

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That looks like circa-2010 Youtube trash, but in Zoom windows.

 

[Lemony1984]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre was banned for being too scary even though it's pretty tame in terms of gore etc. There's nothing on screen that's worth banning it for. It's all in your head.

I've literally never found a horror movie scary though. It's so annoying. I'm jealous of everyone who can be scared by movies.

 

[IMCaprica]

Im not sure there is anything that is too scary. It's the tension that's the worst and unfortunately most horror doesn't pull it off well.

A lot of modern horror films rely on a low bass sound to build tension that goes silent just before the scare. Once you notice it you'll never be scared.

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The only thing I hate more than jump scares are the moments preceding them when movies do everything short of yelling "WE'RE GOING TO SCARE YOU WITHIN THE NEXT 5 SECONDS".

 

[Inkvoterad]

So i didn't find host very scary, but if you're into mockumentary/found footage type of things like that, i highly recommend the Korean "Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum". Iunno if i'd call it amazing, it's incredibly easy for me to enjoy found footage films, i devour that stuff, but it's quite an effective little horror flick imo, albeit very typical.

 

[FatalT]

LOL, don't watch those movies you baby

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Really? This is a shitty thing to write. That you even posted this when you obviously didn't read the OP is even more damning.

That looks like circa-2010 Youtube trash, but in Zoom windows.

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It was filmed in 12 weeks during the pandemic. The cast set up their own cameras, lighting, and effects without having any assistance other than the director telling them what to do.

With all those road blocks, it's honestly impressive they managed to make anything at all.

 

[Tavernade]

Calibrating scares is harder than you'd think, especially over the course of a feature. If you go too hard too early, then your finale seems less impressive / you wear the audience out.

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Yeah I think this is one of the many things "The Nun" screwed up. It had its highest, most dangerous scare scenes show up right in the middle, almost without warning, which made every characters' decisions after that point totally silly.