Speak No Evil Trailer and Why I Can Never Make a True Horror Film aka Silly Idea Time

[Winter]

So, I saw Deadpool & Wolverine and it was a lot of fun (not going to another dolby digital theater those things are LOUD!!! My Ears are still ringing) but as per-usual the film was proceeded by 20 or 30 minutes of trailers and seeing that I was going to see an R Rated Comedy naturally there were a number of bleak, humorless horror films... alongside some lighthearted movies that are meant for general audience because D&W is also an MCU movie.

But one trailer stood out to me the most which was a Psychological Horror movie called Speak No Evil which is apparently a remake of a Danish movie of the same name.

The trailer was pretty good, set the mood nicely, there weren't many jump scares and was unsettling. I've no real interest to see but that's mostly because I prefer watching Horror movies on the small screen instead of the big screen and even then I'm more of a slasher girl (really looking forward to Cuckoo).

But one thing kept going through my mind as I was watching this trailer and it's one that often goes through my head whenever watching a "Alone with the Psychopath" Trope and it ties into a little quark of mine when it comes to being a writer. I can never write a True horror film.

I do use horror and sometimes what I write will include horror but for the most part when I write a story I also revert to action/adventure stories cause that's what I enjoy. Every time I've tried to write a horror film I keep doing something that results in it being less scary and that thing is I always end up making the characters people who have a real chance against the villain.

If it's a supernatural threat, then the hero will also have some supernatural skill or knowledge that they can use against their adversary. But if it's a more grounded movie then the protagonist will likely be someone who has skills that can help them deal with these sorts of adversaries. Like Navy SEALS, MI6 Agents or a world class thief and escape artist.

As I watch something like Speak No Evil or Wolf Creek I can't help but think "Man, what if these assholes got unlucky and the person they were dealing with someone either trained to kill or skilled at evading capture."

Like they meet someone who is an inspiring artist and he's a kind person who comes off as a little to passive but then they bring him to their little hideaway and sabotage his car and steal his phone but turns out he's a former CIA agent who suspected that he was in danger and shows these monsters what terror really is and he ends up hunting them. Or a thief who's in hiding ends up dealing with a serial killer and while these guy is someone who's personal hobby and passion is killing people in horrible ways she's learned how to avoid being captured by people trained to hunt and people and is a skilled fighter on top of it.

This isn't to disparage the horror genre as while I may not love it I do actually respect it and let's be real, if any of us where, god forbid, caught in a situation like this we'd be in a lot of trouble because most of us aren't Navy SEALS, or ex-CIA agents or world class thieves... as far as any of you can prove. That's the draw of horror to see people, like us, in these situations and to see how someone without the skills to deal with these sort of people would handle a situation like this. This either makes it all the more satisfying when our heroes do survive and win or all the more horrifying when they don't make it out.

It's just, I'm not good at creating that sort of story cause I always want to see what would happen when someone who is seen as dangerous or skills are beyond what most of us can do go up against someone or something that is just as if not more dangerous then the monster.

[Nealithi]

The best 'horror' film I think I have seen was Pumpkin Head. (May have the name wrong) Some kids in the hills run down a small kid. The parent wants revenge so a with raises the creature.
Why I think it was good? Two reasons. First the monster was smart. One of the kids went to use his motorbike to flee. Starter, engine, all was good. He guns it and goes no where. The monster took the chains off the bikes and waited with the bikes like they were bait. Then the monster seemed invulnerable. Oh it had a weakness, but you had to know it to do anything to the monster. So it could menace kids to navy seals in a consistent way.

I think consistent is the problem.

There was an action/horror film. One I bet you know. Predator.
And those extremely skilled warriors were still taken down one after another.

[hammerofglass]

I think consistent is the problem.

There was an action/horror film. One I bet you know. Predator.
And those extremely skilled warriors were still taken down one after another.

In Predator's case it makes sense, they're thrill-seeking sport hunters that deliberately limit themselves so that the prey has at least some chance. The possibility of getting killed is what makes it fun for them, and you roll those dice enough times you eventually lose.