Why is it that modern horror movies have to begin well and end so poorly? It's a failure of writing, and a conceit on the part of modern horror filmmakers that leads the whole production to believe that hordes of bloodthirsty zombies, mysterious demons and psychopathic killers are a substitute for actual horror.
The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is frightening because Tobe Hooper crafted a world at once stark, immediate and believable. When Leatherface grabs the blond prettyboy as his first victim, it happens bluntly, and there's not a drop of blood spilled -- not until later! It's scary because death comes quickly and silently. The original Chainsaw was as macabre as it was horrific, and maybe it shows my age, but older horror movies are actually horrific.
Before I get to the four subjects of this post -- Inside, Jeepers Creepers, The Strangers, and 28 Weeks Later -- I feel I must speak out about torture porn, Eli Roth and Uwe Boll. Torture Porn Sucks. Uwe Boll Sucks. Eli Roth Sucks. Watching Achilles tendons separate, watching slow decapitations, watching protagonists bathe in buckets of blood with no care for character development... SUCKS. There's nothing redeeming in the protagonists or their relationships, in the villains and their relationships to the protagonists, in the audience's ability to relate to either.
There are some good modern horror movies. Asian filmmakers have taken up the 'Good Horror' banner, in any and all Takashi Miike, in The Host, in Park Chan-Wook. Why can't U.S. horror auteurs pay attention to these great examples?
Okay. Inside.
Recommended by a friend, this French film starts well. Really, really well. Then, when the heroine has a chance to simply escape, she is convinced to wait --- by a cop -- in an attempt to restore the house's electricity. Instead of running and surviving, they stay for a fool's errand, showing that they are not smarter than the villain, nor luckier. Stupid characters are a sign of poor writing. Awesome until this point, but this one decision undermines completely any concern or compassion we have for the protagonist. Why should we care about someone who doesn't care enough about herself to preserve her own life? Shelley Duvall's character Wendy in The Shining was a hopeless wreck and totally incompetent, but her son Danny defeated his insane father... by using his WITS. He refused to surrender to a seemingly stronger adversary, and his struggle is heroic.
Second, Jeepers Creepers.
I first saw this years ago and was struck by the strength of the first act. Minimal dialogue, nothing but creeping dread and ambiance: horror through implication. Our imaginations connect the dots in a scary and interesting way, because the villain is so mysterious. As soon as we see the demon for what it is, as soon as it starts to act out in the open, the movie fizzles fast. In fact, the scene with the crazy cat lady is the dividing line between good and sucky -- when you see the crazy cat lady, turn the movie off and send it back to Netflix. The ostensible in modern horror is boring and gross. Don't get me wrong: I love gore. Hellraiser II is fantastically gory, but it is fun -- it doesn't take itself seriously. But gore is not horror, and seeing the demon in Jeepers rip people apart is simply boring because it's something we've seen many, many times before.
Third and fourth, The Strangers and 28 Weeks Later, which I saw last night and this morning, respectively.
The Strangers started well, but writing failed early on -- how did they get inside in the first place?, why not run when given the opportunity?, why does she stay in the compromised house while he leaves with the only gun they have? The killers win and win early, and we never believe that Liv Tyler has a chance in hell of surviving on her own. She's needy and never mounts much resistance, and her would-be fiance doesn't know how to load a shotgun. The opening of the story is heartfelt and well-done, but as soon as the villains infiltrate the house, the movie starts down a slippery slope to suckydom. This is a particular shame, because the horror of home invasion is the whole point of the story.
28 Weeks Later has a fantastic opening. Partway through the first act, the two children, who are supposed to be the protagonists, start a cycle of events that leads to the death of thousands in London, and eventually cause the spread of the virus to mainland Europe and the world beyond. They never reconcile their culpability. The whole reason the dubious arc of the movie exists at all is because their juvenile wishes to go back to their house against the urgings and quarantines of the military. The boy needs a picture of his mommy, and their little escapade leads to the end of everything hopeful in the movie. They are the true villains in the movie, and we're supposed to care about them. How can we care about careless childish nitwits? Writing fails.
Good beginnings, often great beginnings. Bad endings.
As stated above, find refuge in Asian horror. It's well-written, and production values are generally high, or high enough. Don't waste your time with any of these stinkers.
