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Everything has to be right to make a memorable, frightening, and successful horror film. The cast has to be convincing and committed, the direction has to be strong, and arguably most importantly, the premise must be unique and exciting.
Smile is a great example of a recent horror film with an excellent premise that has thrilled the world, grossing over one hundred million dollars at the global box office. However, some horror films underwhelm audiences despite having a great premise; unfortunately, these are all too common.
‘The Purge’ (2013)
Imagine a world where all crime was legal for twelve hours once a year; that’s the premise of The Purge, the 2013 horror film written and directed by James DeMonaco. While this is undoubtedly an unbelievable premise, it feels a little frustrating that we spend the entire night trapped in the home of a wealthy family following a home invasion storyline.
We’d much rather be in the center of a major city, seeing the carnage unfold firsthand. This was righted in later Purge sequels, but unfortunately, the quality of said sequels fluctuated wildly.
‘The Hunt’ (2020)
The Hunt should not only have been tense and gripping but, given its plot, it should have said something about the state of the world. After all, a film about a group of wealthy people who gather to hunt poor people is brimming with the potential for deep insight. Though the film tries to analyze the problems with online hate, it barely scratches the surface of the issue.
Though it boasted an all-star cast featuring the likes of Glenn Howerton, Betty Gilpin, and Hilary Swank, The Hunt never seemed to know how to use them—resulting in a film that is neither funny nor tense nor frightening, just a missed opportunity.
‘Brightburn’ (2019)
Imagine if, while still a child, Superman decided he hated the human race. That is the simple premise of Brightburn, a horror film that failed to thrill either audiences or critics. Excitement was high in the build-up to Brightburn, especially because James Gunn was producing the project, and he has a particularly strong background in the horror genre.
Yet still, the result is a flat and largely soulless film that could have been much better if it had a stronger script.
‘Fantasy Island’ (2020)
Blumhouse has an incredibly impressive record when it comes to producing horror films, but their reimagining of Fantasy Island was a rare misfire for the beloved production company. The film follows a group of people who arrive at an island paradise with the promise of living out their most elaborate fantasy, only for chaos to quickly descend.
The cast may be excellent, and the locations are often idyllic, but that’s about it. The scares are often minimal, and the character development is sadly non-existent. But with all the great movies they’ve made, we can’t stay mad at Blumhouse for too long.
‘Countdown’ (2019)
With phones becoming increasingly intelligent and our screen time rising seemingly by the day, Countdown should have been a terrifying exploration into our dependence on our phones.
Combining technology with the supernatural is an awesome concept, but unfortunately, the film didn’t know what to do with this idea. It plays out much like Final Destination, a far better horror film, but with people checking their phones a lot more often.
‘Escape Room’ (2019)
Escape rooms have become hugely popular over the last few years, meaning a sadistic imagining of the concept was inevitable. Step forward the aptly titled Escape Room, a movie that follows a group of people tricked into entering a highly sophisticated and deadly escape room hosted by a seriously shady organization.
While the sets are elaborate and the cast is convincingly afraid and confused, the film doesn’t do enough to separate itself from the Saw franchise. The film clearly did something right, though, as it earned a sequel: Escape Room: Tournament of Champions.
‘Old’ (2021)
Horror premises don’t get much more bizarre or intriguing than M. Night Shyamalan’s Old. This film follows a group of families trapped on a beach that inexplicably ages them at an incredible pace. Like most of the director’s films, Old features a third-act twist, but that is where the real problems begin.
The explanation for the beach’s powers and who’s using them isn’t interesting enough to justify what came before. Old had real promise, and we’re hoping that the upcoming Knock at the Cabin has a stronger ending.
‘Would You Rather?’ (2012)
In the wake of the Saw franchise’s immense popularity, several similarly gory and violent horror films were produced in an attempt to capture some of Saw’s magic. While most of these attempts were completely hollow, Would You Rather? showed real promise.
The movie follows Iris, a young woman who, desperate to help her brother, agrees to play a deadly game of would you rather, hosted by a sadistic aristocrat. After a promising first act, the film quickly becomes predictable, choosing scenes of excessive torture in place of character development. All things considered, we’d rather watch Saw again.
‘Truth or Dare’ (2018)
Horror films based on games from our childhoods have been popular over the last decade, with Truth or Dare one of the most recent examples of the trope. Filled with an array of teen stars, including Lucy Hale and Tyler Posey, the film was aiming to target young people with its marketing and teenage dynamics but missed the mark. The scares were simply ineffective, and the character dynamics felt a little forced and excessive. Truthfully, this movie probably isn’t worth your time.
‘As Above, So Below’ (2014)
As Above, So Below had a very interesting premise. The movie follows a group of explorers who travel into the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris and uncover an incredibly dark secret. The film’s second act is its strongest, a fast-paced journey first away from and then straight towards madness, but what comes either side of the second act disappoints.
The movie’s mythology is messy and difficult to comprehend, and the script never fully commits to scaring the audience. Though this story had a lot of potential, the end result landed slightly wide of the mark.
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