With changing leaves, brisk temperatures, and spooky decorations everywhere; it seems that right now is the perfect time to curl up with a blanket, hot cocoa, and watch a scary movie. However, should you choose a classic or one of the new thrillers?
Horror movies have been prominent in film culture since the late 1800s. Everyone knows the names of The Exorcist, Halloween, Scream, and various others. However, choosing between the classics and the new releases is often hard.
Horror movies have improved in two major areas: CGI and fear factor. As an avid horror watcher, I have noticed these improvements in almost all modern horror movies. Outliers will always be prominent, but most horror movies have improved greatly.
Let’s start with a classic.
The Exorcist is a paranormal film released in 1973. Groundbreaking at the time, the special effects create the feeling that the main character, Regan MacNeil, was really possessed. However, watching it in 2024, I was underwhelmed. The effects may contort Regan’s body and even make her levitate, but the movie does not hit the scare level newer paranormal movies have reached.
The Conjuring (2013) tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, self-proclaimed demonologists, who help the Perron family with their demon issues. The CGI in The Conjuring franchise is one of the best in the horror genre. While watching this movie, I genuinely screamed at least three times because of how real it looked. When the mom of the family becomes possessed, all of her parental features disappear. The viewer can tell with one look at her face that she is possessed, unlike The Exorcist, where Regan really just looks like she has come down with a bad case of the flu.
The Conjuring 2 (2016) also has amazing CGI, especially when looking at the main villain, Valak, the Nun. The level of fear Valak elicits is extraordinary — without CGI, she wouldn’t be as scary. From her long white face to her piercing yellow eyes, all of her is terrifying. Without the use of modern CGI, she would look like an ordinary nun.
The fear factor of horror movies has also improved throughout the years. While watching Halloween (1978), I was not scared once. It was a good film, but not scary. The same goes for the Scream series, which debuted in 1996 and, despite this, remains one of my favorites. But the first few Scream movies were just not scary. With newer horror movies, the fear is much more intense.
Scream VI is an example of a movie franchise improving over the years. Ghostface, whom I normally don’t find frightening, is seriously scary in this film. From his costume to the film’s numerous jump scares, this movie reaches peak horror. It has the same investigative intrigue as the first five but is also far scarier. The action sequences add to the fear level, too. One scene that sticks out as a cinematic masterpiece is when the two main characters, Tara and Sam Carpenter, are hiding from Ghostface in a local corner store. The tension is high from the start, and it steadily grows more chilling.
Probably one of the scariest movies I have watched brings both CGI and great fear factor together. Hell House LLC (2015) is a horror movie which creatively uses found footage as the filming for the movie. The story follows five friends who hope to create a haunted house in an old hotel, ignoring the warnings from the locals who claim that the hotel is haunted. One of the scariest encounters occurs at night when all are sleeping except for Paul O’Keefe, who is filming a late-night video when the viewer begins to see something moving in the background. Soon the demon comes into frame. The anticipation of whether Paul will find the demon in his room combined with the CGI used to create the demon creates an atmosphere of complete terror.
Whether or not you are a fan of horror, almost everyone can agree that cinematic special effects have improved over the years. Horror movies are not an exception, and, with Halloween coming up, it’s time to get cozy and watch one of the many excellent releases from the past decade. Regardless, whether you choose something new or old, hopefully you will be scared.
