Horror snobs who brag they’ve never been scared by a movie can go to hell.
I’m serious, if that’s you, change your attitude or stay the fuck away from me.
A movie isn’t scary unless you let it be. You have to meet it halfway. Shut off the part of your brain that says, “I’ve seen this before,” and actually believe a twelve year old girl could puke pea soup while her head spins. If you can’t do that, that’s on you, not the movie.
Horror Only Works If You Let It Scare You
Look, I live by the golden rule, mostly. Treat folks kind till they give you a reason not to. Same goes for horror.
A film’s not obligated to spoon feed you terror. You gotta sign up for the ride, embracing that willing suspension of disbelief. Without it, you’re just sitting there, arms crossed, waiting to be impressed like some entitled critic.
But horror thrives on vulnerability; it’s a handshake agreement between you and the filmmaker. You bring your imagination, they bring the nightmare.
Lazy Sequels and Cash Grab Franchises Are Numbing Real Fear
And lately? Too many sequels like The Conjuring: Last Rites (you know, the fourth one) lean on tired tropes just to cash in.
I ran into this guy at Spirit Halloween the other day, and he straight up said it wasn’t scary because it falls back on the same old possession schtick that every horror flick does nowadays.
Okay, fair point. He’s not getting the “go to hell” treatment because, yeah, a lot of movies do recycle those elements without adding anything fresh.
If you’re a true fan willing to dive in, the filmmaker owes you something organic, not just filler tropes shoved in to pad the runtime.
We deserve better than lazy jump scares and recycled exorcisms.
The Exorcist Still Sets the Standard for Possession Horror
Speaking of which, take The Exorcist. People love to brag that it didn’t scare them. Well, congratulations, that groundbreaking film hit theaters on December 26, 1973, and set the standard for possession horror.
Oh, it didn’t faze you? Yeah, because you’ve had over fifty years of knockoffs numbing you to pea soup vomit, spinning heads, and demonic voices. Every single possession movie since then has basically been a remix of The Exorcist, with very few daring to carve their own path.
If you’re not spooked, it’s not 1973’s fault. You’re just not trying. Blame yourself for not letting go.
Why Horror Needs Effort from Both Filmmakers and Fans
Let’s expand on this a bit, why do these tropes fail us so often? It’s because modern horror sometimes prioritizes franchise expansion over genuine storytelling.
When a sequel is greenlit purely for box office potential, creativity takes a backseat.
Natural scares come from building tension organically, not forcing in a creaky door or a shadowy figure because “that’s what worked before.”
If it’s built around a solid concept, fine. If it emerges naturally from the plot, even better.
But these cash grab follow ups? They fail to scare for a reason, and filmmakers should own that. Fans aren’t asking for perfection; we’re asking for effort.
The Real Reason Horror Doesn’t Scare You Anymore
Real fear? That’s on us.
Horror isn’t dead, it’s waiting for you to engage.
So next time you yawn at a CGI demon or roll your eyes at a jump scare, remember: who’s really failing here? The movie, or the viewer too jaded to meet it halfway?
Stop wasting time chasing scares that “aren’t real” and start embracing the ones that could be.
After all, the scariest thing might just be admitting you’re part of the problem.