Horror

movies have a unique status when it comes to screenwriting, as they offer a specific opportunity to teach aspiring screenwriters different ways to make their films more engaging. Anything can happen in horror movies, and they take place across a range of different periods and locales, with characters that vary wildly. The best horror movies of all time are known for their incredible writing, and because of this, many of them should be shown to students in their college film classes.

There is a lot one can glean from the way horror movies are written, including the best ways to build suspense that leaves the viewer constantly guessing what will come next. Leaving someone on edge is a skill that can be transferred to a variety of different genres, not just horror. The most suspenseful horror movies are some of the best, relying on genuine storytelling to carry the plot as opposed to cheap jumpscares.

10

The Changeling (1980)

It Shows How To Turn A Writer’s Fears Into A Terrifying Movie

Based on allegedly true events as experienced by writer Russell Hunter, The Changeling begins when a composer moves into a house that he believes is haunted by the ghost of a young boy named Joseph. It is revealed that this Joseph was murdered and replaced by someone else, another young boy who would later grow up to become a senator. The ghost of the real Joseph becomes vengeful, leading to certain death for anyone who comes into contact with him.

The Changeling serves as a reminder that sometimes, the best inspiration for writing comes from a writer’s own life experiences. Having something to inform one’s creative endeavors can provide a firm foundation from which to begin writing. This, coupled with a story that twists and turns in satisfying ways, props The Changeling up as a film that can offer students a valuable viewing experience.

9

Let The Right One In (2008)

This Slow Horror Film Is Atmospheric & Emotional

Let the Right One In is a unique horror film that tells the stories of Oskar and Eli, one a bullied 12-year-old boy and the other a child vampire. When Oskar discovers that Eli is a vampire, they find a sort of easy kinship with one another. This eventually develops into a sweet relationship between the two kids, juxtaposed against a life that is filled to the brim with blood and death.

Let the Right One In may not be considered a part of mainstream vampire media, but offers valuable insight into how to build up the relationships and emotions between characters. Despite the fact that Eli needs to kill to survive, the character is not treated like an ordinary monster. Instead, each of the characters is given grace, tying the viewer to them emotionally even as they kill and take revenge.

8

The Wailing (2016)

A Mystery Turns To Pure Horror In This South Korean Thriller

Another international film, The Wailing follows police officer Jong-goo on an increasingly desperate quest to save the life of his daughter. When a mysterious Japanese man comes to town, he is accused of being an evil spirit as different people are infected with what seems to be a virus or supernatural enтιтy. This infection causes anyone it touches to act out, violently killing the people around them.

The mystery at the center of the film is presented expertly, showing how a community can turn in on itself in the face of the unknown. The Wailing festers with uncertainty, unfolding with writing that is delicately planned from beginning to end. It shows how to write a mystery, stringing viewers along with just the right amount of information throughout the entire film.

7

Misery (1990)

Stephen King’s Adaptation Shows How To Bring A Novel To Film

An adaptation of Stephen King’s original novel, Misery is a brutal tale of an author and a deranged fan. After crashing his car in the middle of a blizzard, romance novelist Paul Sheridan wakes up in the home of Annie Wilkes, a woman who initially presents herself as a kind soul there to help him heal. However, it is slowly revealed that she is not some guardian angel but instead is holding him hostage to finish one of his novels.

Misery is a film with palpable tension, succeeding even though there are so few actors that appear throughout the film. The writing for Annie specifically is genuinely horrifying, with dialogue that sends a chill through the reader and viewer as her real motives become clear. It does all of this while being a great example of how to adapt a novel, following the book that came before, while also creating a cinematic masterpiece.

6

The Witch (2016)

Eggers’ Directing Emphasizes This Folk Horror Film’s Incredible Writing

Taking place in the 1600s Puritan New England, The Witch is a horror movie that begins with a slow introduction to a family living on the edge of the woods. An evil force lurks in the forest, seeming to creep closer with every moment as the film progresses. While not filled with jumpscares and shocking moments, The Witch keeps viewers on edge through its subtle storytelling and the attention paid to the film’s environment.

As a director, Eggers is a master of taking historical environments and placing well-told horror stories within them. The Witch, The Lighthouse, and even Nosferatu are all examples of this, using a period setting to amplify the basic plot. This can be a lesson to upcoming screenwriters that there are many different things that affect one’s writing and that the setting should not be overlooked.

5

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele Brings Politics To The Horror Genre

Existing as an astounding directorial debut for comedian Jordan Peele, Get Out is a horror movie that revolves around a young Black man named Chris who goes home with his white girlfriend, Rose, to meet her family. At the outset, this seems like it could be the introduction to a romantic comedy. However, what follows is a wonderfully done, claustrophobic horror movie that is rooted in racism.

Get Out is a perfect example of how politics and life experience can inform a person’s screenwriting. Peele incorporates this expertly into his script, composing a narrative that gets to the heart of genuine, real-world fears that many still face. The film is authentically horrifying, moving at a breakneck pace once the horror elements really start to get going.

4

Scream (1996)

This Satire Is Also A Great Horror Movie With A Perfect Twist

Written as a satire to poke fun at the popular slasher films of the time, Scream manages to not only succeed as a comedy, but also as a genuine horror film. The story follows high school student Sidney Prescott, whose mother was killed by a serial killer who has supposedly been put in prison. However, when the killings begin again and the police realize they might have caught the wrong man, Sidney finds herself in a whole new world of danger.

There are several instances throughout Scream where the script makes witty jokes about not only specific horror movies but also how horror movies are written. A scene in the middle of the film thoroughly explains the rules of a horror film, the clichés that reside within those rules, and how to survive a horror movie while the killer is lurking. This is only made even better by one of the greatest twists in horror movie history, something that comes as a shock to first-time viewers.

3

Hereditary (2018)

Family Dynamics Are Brutally Explored In This Horror Film

Another slow-building horror movie, Hereditary is equal parts family drama as it is supernatural thriller. The film begins with the death of the family matriarch, but when young Charlie Graham is beheaded after sticking her head out of the window of a car, the entire family truly begins to fall apart. This pain is only doubled as the mother, Annie, blames her son Peter for Charlie’s death, something that only becomes more and more tense as supernatural incidents begin to happen around the Graham family.

There are a few scenes in Hereditary that are so perfectly written that they add more horror to the film than any of the supernatural or bloody elements. One such example is the now-iconic dinner table scene, where Annie and Peter fight over Charlie’s death. The pain is so clear to see, both in the written script and in the actors’ performances, making the writing in Hereditary truly something to behold.

2

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

A Movie That Gaslights Its Own Protagonist

When Rosemary Woodhouse discovers that she is pregnant, it is initially cause for celebration. She begins to prepare for the baby to arrive, but as Rosemary’s Baby progresses, she realizes that the world around her isn’t as it initially seems. It is eventually revealed that the baby she carries is the Antichrist, brought about by a secretive cult that has ingrained itself into every corner of Rosemary’s life.

While Rosemary’s Baby has no jumpscares or genuinely gross imagery, it still manages to be terrifying based solely on the film’s writing. Everything is uncertain, and despite the fact the viewer understands from the beginning that there is something wrong, they are gaslit along with Rosemary into doubting their own preconceived notions. The film is a masterclass in how to mislead the audience, using evocative imagery and dialogue to sew doubt.

1

The Thing (1982)

Mystery & Horror Come Together In John Carpenter’s Masterpiece

The Thing begins when an unknown alien lifeform is discovered by a group of scientists, frozen in the ice in the middle of Antarctica. This lifeform, called “The Thing” by the surviving scientists, has the power to ᴀssimilate anyone it spends too much time around, taking on their appearances and mimicking their voices. It is up to Kurt Russell’s character, helicopter pilot R. J. MacReady, to figure out who is still human and who has already been ᴀssimilated.

One of the best parts about The Thing is the sense of uncertainty that the writing instills in viewers. One can never know who is The Thing and who isn’t, and there is an argument to be made that even MacReady himself has fallen to the alien’s power. The writing of this movie never answers whether The Thing has been defeated or not, making it one of those horror movies that is still debated about to this day.