Atmosphere
Films like Suspiria, Don’t Look Now, The Shining and The Haunting (the 1963 version) are all horror films well known for their atmosphere. Over the years, it has become clear to me that movies that rely solely on their atmosphere to terrify didn’t really do much for me. If I’m being perfectly blunt: I found many of those types of films to be rather boring (I did like The Shining, but I could have taken or left the other three).
As I’ve gotten older (and I’m only 26, so I’ve still got plenty of emotional maturing to do), I’ve learned to appreciate these types of films a lot more. Many teenagers, on the other hand, do not enjoy these films. Since teenagers are the primary target audience for horror films, not many atmospheric horror films get made. If they do, it is rare that they see a wide release, since studios don’t want to take a risk on them. I don’t mean to make generalizations about teenagers, mind you. I’m sure there are plenty of them out there who adore the films I have listed above, but they are few and far between.
Alien is a great example of a horror film with an incredibly detailed and scary atmosphere. The sound design helps a lot to create said atmosphere.
Of course, the alien’s attack is what scares most people, but everything leading up to it is incredibly chilling. Scott’s set and sound design actually make you feel like you are on the ship with Brett.
The Witch‘s primary scare tactic is that of atmosphere. From the opening scenes (including one haunting long take of the family riding away from the plantation on their wagon, foreshadowing their eventual isolation and loneliness), atmosphere oozes out of the screen. Unfortunately, atmosphere is not exactly considered “scary” by the majority of moviegoers. We have been conditioned to find jumps scary. This means that films that rely primarily on atmosphere are considered “boring” and not scary.
The final scene of Rosemary’s Baby, for example, is great at taking the “less is more” approach.
No, we don’t get to see the baby. We just get to see Rosemary’s (Mia Farrow) horrified face as she looks upon her child, the Antichrist. Director Roman Polanski has always been a master at developing a horrifying atmosphere in his films. From Repulsion to Rosemary’s Baby, he is capable of creating an atmosphere so thick that you can feel it in the safety of your own home.
Being scared by a film’s atmosphere is a gift few people have, but it is one of the most subtle ways to scare an audience, and it is also the one technique that sticks with you the longest after a film has concluded.
