What Makes A Great Horror Movie? - David F. Sandberg

In this Film Courage video interview, Filmmaker and YouTuber (a.k.a. PonySmasher) David F. Sandberg on What Makes A Great Horror Movie?

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[ajtaylor]

What has always made a great horror movie is how uncomfortable the film makes you feel as a viewer. The best example to me is John Carpenter's "The Thing" due to the cold and isolated location the film takes place in, but also the uncertainty of which character The Thing is taking shape. When a director can make you feel uneasy when watching a horror film just from location and tone alone, you know you have something special.

[jonathanrayne]

That basement scene in 'Signs' is the perfect example of expert use of light and sound.
The tension in that scene is amazing!

[absw]

For me, horror is all about playing with expectations to create constant uncertainty. For example: play creepy uncanny sound followed by scary imagery, then play the same sound with no scary imagery, then give us scares without the scary noise that also happens in daytime. Make everything feel unsafe, to the point where even a dinner table conversation feels terrifying

[TheSleazyFish]

He has become my new favorite director.

[acehowell]

Love how he still does interviews with you guys, staying true to his YouTube roots!

[GabAL]

I think our imagination is what makes the movie scary, in every good horror movie it is the unseen that is the most effective tricks to fool us into the abyss of our thoughts. Great video as always, long live David F.Sandberg

[artisan_james]

He nailed it - making it get worse and worse for the characters...
The Descent is another great example.

- First, the women get trapped in a cave.

- Next, they find they are being hunted by something, the Crawler.

- They then realize that they are being hunted by not just one crawler,
but a whole colony of them!

- They then figure out that the Crawlers hunt by sound so they need
to be quiet in order to escape.

- Then one of the women breaks her leg and they have to aid her along.

- Then they find old hiking equipment and bones and see that
nobody has made it out alive!

Just keeps getting worse and worse...

[joshliam]

I learned how important sound is to horror when I watched The Shining with commentary on. Amazing how much of a different experience that was.

[kainkong]

Easy. 1. Tension, 2. Suspense, 3. Atmosphere…also ofc at least 1 likeable character and that’s what it takes to make a great or good horror/thriller movie/story

[RawHeadRay]

Ya know what scares big when you’re milking a moment of tension? Turn up the room tone.

[inchineer]

Horror movies depend heavily on the atmosphere. There is something about the surrounding that doesn't seem right. If a director gets that right it can be a good flick.

[christophermoonlightproduction]

Very good insights on the different kinds of horror. I'm really liking Sandberg as an interview subject. He's equal parts passionate and thoughtful.

[BradenLaughlin]

I absolutely LOVE this guy, please make more videos with him! (Also thank you for all these AWESOME UPLOADS!!!) ❤

[jonmolnar]

I think what's truly scary is what can actually happen, for example 'Jaws.'

[beyondcinema]

We made our first horror short and I have to say it was way more difficult to do than any drama I've tried. Partly because it was historical and required sfx.

[RioBroski]

What makes a great horror movie is being in a horror situation along with characters, fearing for your life...

[dominicthewriter]

I love to write horror I've written 2 full ones, and currently working on 2 more at the moment! Great vid with GREAT advice!!!

[kermitfrog]

Glad about the david lynch mention. First part of lost highway is some of the scariest shit I've seen.

[adriataylor]

a great horror movie - the climax leading to the scares and the scares happening in the place at the right time. James Wan has become a favorite of mine. I saw Annabelle Comes Home at the end of June and just as i have seen many trailers, i still jumped outta my skin so many times in the movie, cause the climax to the scares and scares taking place was placed just right. i had watched the movie The possession of Hannah Grace, which i had never seen before, except for a behind the scenes featurette of it. not seeing it before, i def jumped outta my skin not expecting it to happen.

[sayetazonen]

There are many types of horror but the best in my opinion is the type of horror he describes in the beginning. I enjoy feeling actual freight. I love perfectly timed jump scares and the eerieness and creepiness. For example Ammityville 2: The Posession. AMAZING MOVIE *chefs kiss*

SAW movies are really good because of the complexity and gore.

I also liked You’re Next because of the survival theme and the hint of action it has.

I would consider horror movies like Hereditary and The Thing as creepy, yes, but not scary. They leave me thinking wtf just happened (Hereditary) or me trying to come up with solutions (The Thing). If I have to go through the whole movie in my head after the film to answer any questions, that’s GREAT...for a mystery films like Shutter Island (10/10 film), but not for my taste in horror.

When I think of Horror movies I think Halloween. When I think of horror I think of the collection of books ‘SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK’ spooky, eerie, dark, creepy, pants wetting, nightmares, calling on your parents to comfort you lol. But in conclusion, a great horror movie is always based off a person’s personal preference.