There is no denying that horror is one of the most popular and fun genres on the market. Scary movies have been a fundamental part of cinema since the dawn of cinema history (probably since those first silent movies where trains rushed straight at the camera, terrifying audiences). Some viewers like to get scared and leave the cinema in fear of what awaits them in the dark corners of their room. However, this can lead to many movies being marketed as horror, even if they aren’t exactly scary.
What makes something scary is very subjective. What’s scary to some may not affect others (the Zodiac Killer, for example, infamous) thought that the exorcist was “the best satirical comedy that [he’d] ever seen”). Nevertheless, some movies are downright chilling, such as: the incantation and The shining. These are movies where their main goal is to scare the audience – even if they can’t hit everyone, which is nearly impossible to achieve.
Some movies may use some horror elements to enhance the story they tell, but they aren’t objectively scary. This list is about movies that are marketed as horror, but don’t have the general purpose of scaring their audiences. Some intense stories can evoke intense feelings in the viewers, but the majority do not leave the cinema in fear of their own shadow.
Arachnophobia
Of course, for those who suffer from arachnophobia, this is probably one of the scariest movies they can ever watch. But for the rest of the public who don’t have this phobia, Arachnophobia is a much more fun and adventurous story than a scary story. Another factor that keeps this movie from being too intense is the comedy present in several scenes (especially when John Goodman is around).
Arachnophobia is rated PG-13, so if you want to watch a slightly creepy but ultimately fun movie with your teen or pre-teen (who doesn’t have a deep fear of spiders), this is a good choice. This story is a great example of how different people are affected by different things, and that’s one of the best aspects of horror: they can make you feel deep.
cabin in the woods
To protect one of the film’s biggest twists (which appears in the first few minutes), cabin in the woods was marketed as just another gory slasher movie. However, it becomes quite obvious that there is nothing ordinary about it. The alternations between the lab in control of what happens and the group of young adults breaks much of the tension that can arise when the public only knows about the group in the middle of the woods.
That, combined with knowing the evil fictional company in the movie that has done this multiple times and that the event is generally very controlled (until it isn’t anymore), makes for a fun and intriguing atmosphere, but not scary. Even the ending, with its troop of monsters, is more of a comedic explosion than a terrifying ordeal for viewers.
Crimson Peak
Guillermo Del Toro’s gothic ghost story is a great way to prepare for Halloween, but it’s not scary. There are some bloody scenes in it, but they are scarce. The main element of Crimson Peak is the setting and mystery it brings, rather than the ghosts that are present in the house. The film is less of an outright horror film and more of an atmospheric piece.
Another element that takes away a lot from what would make a ghost story scary is that the ghosts can’t hurt the main character. That said, the production design involved makes it an intricately beautiful story (a staple in Del Toro’s filmography) about betrayal and love, which are always interesting to watch.
Silence of the lambs
Silence of the lambs is considered a horror movie and is marketed as such – it is in the horror section in The Criterion Collection and is labeled as a horror movie online. Even though the film is an intense psychological thriller and perhaps a blood-curdling experience, it doesn’t necessarily scare the viewer. There is a difference between thriller and horror; the former creates tension, the latter arouses fear. Like No country for old menanother excellent thriller, Silence of the lambs just isn’t scary.
Of course, it’s still one of the best detective thrillers ever made, featuring one of the most prolific villains in movie history. The purpose of the film is not to scare you that Hannibal will come for you when night falls (as happens in e.g. The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), but to enjoy this irresistible cat-and-mouse chase and the challenges young Clarice must face to prove her worth.
don’t look now
The Italian masterpiece from 1973 don’t look now, directed by Nicolas Roeg, is still celebrated by horror cinema buffs to this day, proving that (somewhat paradoxically) a horror movie doesn’t have to be scary; horror can be judged by artistic merit and how it uses the genre rather than how many jumpscares it has.
The film was so groundbreaking for several reasons, one of which is how it works with fear, but not with fear. The atmosphere, the great cinematography and innovative editing, the honest eroticism and the heavy topics discussed in it, make the film so unique. The film is based on the story by Daphne Du Maurier, who also wrote: The birds, another story that masters the art of mischief. Admittedly, the only scene that can be defined as intentionally scary is the very last shot, where the audience can see the film’s main mystery solved.
Mother!
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Mother! is arguably one of the most misselling movies of the past decade, with one of the most misleading trailers. The film was announced as a new horror film, but the sense of terror and the experimental story are not for everyone. The story is an existential and philosophical take on religion and climate change that uses imagery to create discomfort in the public.
Mother! Just isn’t a horror movie, or at least one that scares you, though there’s a good chance you’ll end this story nervous and exhausted. The deceptive marketing didn’t seem to work, with the film underperforming more outright horror films released around the same timelike THE and Happy Day of the Dead.
no
Jordan Peele has become one of the most prominent names in recent horror film history. He wrote and directed the Academy Award winner Out, with a screenplay considered one of the best of the 21st century. Then he released another scary story, U.S. So when his third film was announced, many fans of the director and even cinema fans in general were excited to watch another terrifying tale of Jordan. The teasers and trailer seemed to point to a terrifying alien horror movie.
no. This was certainly not the case, because no was often a silly and fun take on the fame society’s obsession with eyewear, in whatever form. The story is entertaining and the characters are compelling, but apart from one scene, the movie isn’t terrifying at all, resulting in a huge disappointment for many Jordan Peele fans.