What are some good horror films with an emphasis on subtle scares?

[Mang]

Out of the recent horror films, I think Insidious did a good job with this. For example, the scene when the mom checks on her crying baby and in the background window the face of the creepy old lady is staring at her. That scene literally made me scream because I did not expect the scare to play out that way.

[Iron Phoenix]

Here in the UK, there was a tv series called Tales from the Dark Side.
I think it was an early work of George Romero (Night of the living dead, dawn of the dead etc) Basically, each episode was an individual weird horror tale of about half an hour.

The episodes can be found on You Tube im sure, but check this cool intro:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mioevxb2CfA

BUT!! (see what I did there lol) cheap special effects and sometimes wooden acting aside, there were some really thought provoking stories there and some stories were written by the likes of Clive Barker (Hellraiser) and Harlan Ellison (I have no mouth and I must scream).

A wikipedia entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_from_the_Darkside

[Iron Phoenix]

Another cool series of weird horrors was Tales of the Unexpected.
Quite unexpectedly, these stories were written by the childrens author Roald Dahl (The BFG, James and the Giant Peach etc)

Who remembers this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0itlB23fFY

Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_Unexpected_(TV_series)

The Twilight zone was a tv show that also dealt in horror and the supernatural, and its on my list of "to watch" but I am yet to get around to getting myself a copy.


Does anyone know of any half decent (or cheesy) horror films based on the HP Lovecraft mythology?

Ive seen Dagon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yAnVNy27co

Which seems kind of more related to The Shadow over Innsmouth rather than the Dagon story but im not complaining. The mobs are cheesy, but the spanish priest and the homeless drunk people are played really well.


Im also on the lookout for a collection of the Outer Limits tv shows, a similar concept to The Twilight Zone but more sci fi elements:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I7vPbthvWo

Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outer_Limits_(1963_TV_series)

[Mamezuku Rai]

Why would horror movies actually try? Much more scary to just put in a bunch of jumpscares. Same goes for horror games.

[Iron Phoenix]

The Second ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ | trade.tf lähetti viestin:

Why would horror movies actually try? Much more scary to just put in a bunch of jumpscares. Same goes for horror games.

Just because they can, I reckon.


Jumpscares are cool and they have their place both in games and film. But they can be over used or relied on too much in my opinion, and for me it kinda cheapens the whole experience.

As an example for a game that uses jump scares too much - it can seem more scary "action wise" as you say, but might gradually feel like just going from point a to point b in a linear ghost train ride.

Although thats fine if thats what you want to experience, with stuff that tends to be more psychological, or suggestive, I find it feels as though the horror is engaging more parts of your mind than the audio visual impact of jump scares if that makes sense?

To me, the "thoughtful horror" OP mentions seems to feel like a more prolonged and genuine fear experience rather that regular doses of jump scares that I become numb too after a while. Maybe because its better at playing with your expectations and perceptions on other levels, it also makes a more lasting impression?

It may not be better, (or worse), but it is certainly a different flavour.

An interesting point is watching a horror film again, likewise for a game.
Does anyone here get the same impact on a repeat viewing or playthrough?

I enjoy jumpscares in film and games as well as the slow burn thoughty stuff.
If I watch a film again, or play some scary game, (and I often do lol) it almost feels like I remember the experiences, but the jump scare games, the interactive experiences, dont seem to have so much impact anymore because the jump scares are actually "anticipated".
Although for some reason I can still get something of the horror as I watch a thoughty horror movie, the passive expeience, or play a familiar thoughty horror game, maybe because it relies more on storytelling and its environment to draw you in to its clutches.

And who doesnt love a good ghost story? I mean, they have been in existence across so many cultures and mythologies for many many years. Giving the fear to young and old alike from generation to generation ;)

[Iron Phoenix]

Also I just remembered. I thought the Blair Witch Project was terrible. It was kinda suggestive horror going with the found footage theme as many will no doubt know. The found footage kind of film was a first for me back then but I couldnt take it seriously as I saw scared people running around in the film with a suggestion that evil lurked. But I dont recall this great evil being seen until the end when they found someone in a tent?

Anyway it really put me off the found footage thing but then some one lent me "Rec", and lo and behold, I was pleasantly suprised. This is a spanish "found footage" film. But it isnt entirely found footage. Its complimented by an almost documentry style effort, and this seems to make it a bit more believable in its own way.

Rec (2007, Jaume Balagueró)
A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038988/?ref_=nv_sr_6

It does have a sequel which I have not seen, but I recall this film being like "The Thing" with the undercurrents of paranoia among the people involved.
Thats the 2011 remake.

The Thing (2011, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr)
At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0905372/?ref_=nv_sr_4

[76561198296922180]

One was kind of a kid's horror I saw when I was a school, scared the BeHeyZous out of me, and definitely fits the OP

"The Watcher In The Woods"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8L9mhWS-7Q

The other one is a short film I accidently stumbled on
"The Ten Steps" - 10 minutes long, and well worth the watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpURRW80LnM

[Plaid]

Iron Phoenix lähetti viestin:

Here in the UK, there was a tv series called Tales from the Dark Side.

Oh yes. I used to watch that show with much vigor as a kid. I loved it.
And that intro is still creepy as heck!

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXmlf3Sefg

[Iron Phoenix]

A cool adaption of HP Lovecrafts "The Shadow Out of Time"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jp1CT1h6c

The artists channel also hosts some other Lovecraft tales including:

"The Other Gods"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AoR6LjJpbk&list=PLwplD2haq8ly5ASxcihEPEUK3I39IINBE&index=4

"Night Gaunts"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhriy1gBzt8&list=PLwplD2haq8ly5ASxcihEPEUK3I39IINBE&index=10

"The Thing in The Moonlight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxTywiItvOo&list=PLwplD2haq8ly5ASxcihEPEUK3I39IINBE&index=1

There also some other thoughty horror stuff there on his main channel - some of his animation and art work reminds me of the stuff Amanita do like the Samorost game series but it works quite well in the context of the creepy stories.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0QR9968O-ITI3sqzzv15IQ

[Ashen Fox]

What about something out of the Goosebumps series.

[Jonathan Sensei]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PewtQsgN5uo

[PinkPusSyCat]

Try Friend Request ^_^

[Mang]

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys! Keep em coming if you can!

[Mamezuku Rai]

Shrek: the musical

[jconsort]

The original unedited Exorcist is still plenty scary.
Same for The Omen.

But for pure shock Silence of The Lambs when Dr. Lector takes the carved skin off his face in the ambulance had my wife screaming in the theatre. (No spoiler here, the movie is old as the hills. )