great piece! The thought this leaves me with is explanation is a form of reassurance, and that having clarity is empowering. I also wonder if the overexplaining has been borrowed from other genres with supernatural worldbuilding like sci fi and fantasy?
That’s so interesting, Ness- it might very well be the case! Fantasy is an interesting case study because world building so often depends on a degree of explanation, but then again the great fantasy texts (especially those featuring the supernatural) seem to know when to retreat into a horror sensibility of less-is-more. I’m thinking of the barrow wights or watery watcher in Lord of the Rings, or the Dark Island in Voyage of the Dawntreader.
Absolutely agree! The barrow downs were so spooky and i never want them explained to me! I definitely love things at the non-explained end. I’d rather be confused than read exposition, and you can tell because my favourite books are the Locked Tomb series, have you read them? They have some horror in their chaotic genre smoothie!
I 100% agree! And one thing that sometimes really upsets me in these lazy solutions is that in a lot of these, the "demon" is actually a deity from mesoamerican or oriental religions
This is very true. I was extremely disappointed in Hereditary because the first section was very compelling and as soon as they started explaining things I found it so silly I just kept laughing.
It’s so interested how loads of us had exactly the same experience. Usually horror is so subjective that people respond in unique ways but Hereditary seems to have upset loads of people for the same reason!
Such a good question, I might write a follow-up article compiling everyone’s suggestions! I’ve recommended the 1968 Whistle and I’ll Come to You (made for tv, about 40 minutes and free to watch online) is one of the most uncomfortably atmospheric pieces of horror storytelling ever made. You get that sense that something has been dug up, something has come out to get him, but what that is seems beyond all comprehension…
Agree totally …. It’s not really that scary any more, in the modern era. Long legs I didn’t find scary at all, Herditary , I still reflect on , but not because of occult/demonology. For some reason The Witch I still find parts unsettling: black Phillip , the snatched infant , use of the forest, etc. didn’t see Sinister.
this is so insightful — i've never thought of it like this before! particularly with sinister, i've always said that the first half of the movie is near perfect, but knew the ending always fell flat for me, and i was never really sure why. i enjoyed this a lot!
I'm no expert but I do write horror and have had a handful of paranormal experiences to draw from. I believe the biggest transgression of writing horror is to over explain. Once the atmosphere is compromised by over explaining then so is the reader's or viewer's immersion. Drop enough clues to let the reader or viewer surmise, but in real life, things happen for which we never receive an answer. That is part of the horror and the mystery.
There really doesn’t need to be much of an explanation - Turn of the Screw . To me , victims being children , AND the malevolence is occurring in broad daylight - f ing scary! The evil that doesn’t need to wait for night, it will target young , etc.
I think the big movie studios go more for shock value. The Canadian film I am the Pretty Thing in the House was good at leaving clues and creating atmosphere. It was truly creepy.
Good piece. I hadn't noticed it, but my favourite recent horror movie (Skinamarink) does not explain anything at all, and keeps up that 'first act tension' for the whole film. I think a lot of directors want to shoot their load early, they are scared of keeping the audience in tension, they want to tell them what's going on. But a great film is made by stubbornly not telling the audience anything, sometimes only revealing a scant bit of information right at the end.
One brilliant horror movie, Todd Haynes safe, is not supernatural at all, but manages to feel more like a supernatural horror than some of these films, because it is willing to keep the situation occult. We never know what causes our heroine's sickness, it is an occult phenomenon that leads her into a health-cult. We do not need to see a demon or be told what her sickness is. A lot of horror movies want to tell you what the sickness is in the first hour, so we can rest easy and have some relief. Stop giving us relief!
Thanks Alexander! I haven't seen either of those but definitely need to! Skinamarink looks fascinating to me, I can see why people might have found it dull but I've always loved films where 'nothing happens.' I'm also scared of the dark so it looked like the perfect film for me. I'm still waiting for it to be free on one of the streaming services I subscribe to - I need to bite the bullet and get Shudder!
I think it works the other way too, however. When at the end of the book _The Little Stranger_ it turned out it was not a ghost but just seething class resentment I felt similarly let down. A ghost story is supposed to have A GHOST not some sort of psychological claptrap underpinning it. So an explanation that yoinks the occult out from under you at the last juncture can be just as disappointing as an explanation that gives you page references for which demonic texts back up all of its bumps in the night.
I hadn't thought of that, Kathleen, but I completely agree! I don't like films that treat you like you're stupid for believing something that was heavily hinted or stated outright, it feels like a cheap shot at the viewer's expense 'haha, you thought this was supernatural? How foolish of you!'
As much as I loved Longlegs (and I agree that marketing campaign ripped), I have to agree with this. It always makes the film swerve from the terrifying to the silly when the demon is given a name. I do think that Longlegs somewhat offset the over-explanation by having some genuinely unsettling and unpleasant imagery in that last half hour. Plus, I cared for those characters (the FBI agent’s family!!) which kept me fully invested in the horror.
I feel like films are often fearful of ambiguity in act 3, which is mightily frustrating as you point out because some of these stories are at their best when they’re leaning into the ambiguity. Anyway, really interesting piece, can’t wait to dive into more of your work!
Thank you so much, Matthew, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I agree about the characters in Longlegs and I think now that I know where it's going I'll enjoy it more on a rewatch when it won't feel like a let down and I can just indulge in the silliness.
Great question! I think the 1968 Whistle and I’ll Come to You (for tv) does a great job of stripping away some of the excessive explanation of the M R James original which leaves you with a total sense of horror and no real understanding of what’s happened. It's got one of the best depictions of a nightmare I've ever seen. I really liked Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse (2019) which tells a kind of strange Lovecraftian Prometheus story and ends with you watching someone seeing something...but you never quite learn what. I've also always enjoyed the motif of a monster who appears in one form but is actually something worse underneath that you never really see. Pennywise and Mr Babadook both make it clear that their true form is far nastier than the 'silly disguise' they wear on top. That's the scariest thing about 'IT' for me, the fact that there's a kind of unknowable ancient evil lurking underneath an already scary surface.
Totally! I recently read Revival by Stephen King and it does a great job of building atmosphere and dread without dipping to far into over explaining. It does use some of the trappings you see in these types of stories but it never uses them to explain the horror. I found it super affecting, it totally ruined a Sunday for me in the best way. I really like the sound of ‘Whistle and I’ll Come’, adding it to the list! I’ve also not seen The Lighthouse so that’s going on the list.
Thanks Joe! Did you hate it the whole way through or hate it because the ending let it down? I remember finding the first third extremely compelling but it didn’t leave an impression on me overall. I didn’t really find it scary which I know is an unpopular opinion.
This is the content I want to read. I’m with you. “Long Legs” and other horror films that turn paranormal instead of just leaving at “that’s dudes psycho,” kind of ruins it.
Thanks so much Sunni! I don't mind films that are paranormal from the start like The Exorcist, but I hate it so much when it's used as a get out of jail free card.
YES. That’s a great way to put it. “Long Legs” let me down. The marketing was spectacular! When you compared the 2 photo captures from the movie it explained it perfectly!
Totally agree, been saying this for years - True Detective S1 derived most of its power from the weird Lovecraftian horror that lurked just outside understanding and was never really explained (with the final episode explaining/showing just a bit too much thereby letting us down and softening the most important part of an otherwise-great series). The unknowable in horror always holds more weight than the knowable.
great piece! The thought this leaves me with is explanation is a form of reassurance, and that having clarity is empowering. I also wonder if the overexplaining has been borrowed from other genres with supernatural worldbuilding like sci fi and fantasy?
That’s so interesting, Ness- it might very well be the case! Fantasy is an interesting case study because world building so often depends on a degree of explanation, but then again the great fantasy texts (especially those featuring the supernatural) seem to know when to retreat into a horror sensibility of less-is-more. I’m thinking of the barrow wights or watery watcher in Lord of the Rings, or the Dark Island in Voyage of the Dawntreader.
Absolutely agree! The barrow downs were so spooky and i never want them explained to me! I definitely love things at the non-explained end. I’d rather be confused than read exposition, and you can tell because my favourite books are the Locked Tomb series, have you read them? They have some horror in their chaotic genre smoothie!
I 100% agree! And one thing that sometimes really upsets me in these lazy solutions is that in a lot of these, the "demon" is actually a deity from mesoamerican or oriental religions
That’s such a good point and I think it would make another great article that someone better informed than me should write!
This is very true. I was extremely disappointed in Hereditary because the first section was very compelling and as soon as they started explaining things I found it so silly I just kept laughing.
It’s so interested how loads of us had exactly the same experience. Usually horror is so subjective that people respond in unique ways but Hereditary seems to have upset loads of people for the same reason!
Any recommendations for horror films that do occult well?
I see Blair Witch in the comments, and I agree, and would love some others to watch!
Such a good question, I might write a follow-up article compiling everyone’s suggestions! I’ve recommended the 1968 Whistle and I’ll Come to You (made for tv, about 40 minutes and free to watch online) is one of the most uncomfortably atmospheric pieces of horror storytelling ever made. You get that sense that something has been dug up, something has come out to get him, but what that is seems beyond all comprehension…
Agree totally …. It’s not really that scary any more, in the modern era. Long legs I didn’t find scary at all, Herditary , I still reflect on , but not because of occult/demonology. For some reason The Witch I still find parts unsettling: black Phillip , the snatched infant , use of the forest, etc. didn’t see Sinister.
this is so insightful — i've never thought of it like this before! particularly with sinister, i've always said that the first half of the movie is near perfect, but knew the ending always fell flat for me, and i was never really sure why. i enjoyed this a lot!
Thanks so much Alexis, I’m glad it’s not just me! Those early tapes in Sinister are so well done, some of the creepiest found footage
I'm no expert but I do write horror and have had a handful of paranormal experiences to draw from. I believe the biggest transgression of writing horror is to over explain. Once the atmosphere is compromised by over explaining then so is the reader's or viewer's immersion. Drop enough clues to let the reader or viewer surmise, but in real life, things happen for which we never receive an answer. That is part of the horror and the mystery.
There really doesn’t need to be much of an explanation - Turn of the Screw . To me , victims being children , AND the malevolence is occurring in broad daylight - f ing scary! The evil that doesn’t need to wait for night, it will target young , etc.
Absolutely, I think lots of horror writers seem to understand this instinctively. Big movie studios don’t always get it!
I think the big movie studios go more for shock value. The Canadian film I am the Pretty Thing in the House was good at leaving clues and creating atmosphere. It was truly creepy.
Good piece. I hadn't noticed it, but my favourite recent horror movie (Skinamarink) does not explain anything at all, and keeps up that 'first act tension' for the whole film. I think a lot of directors want to shoot their load early, they are scared of keeping the audience in tension, they want to tell them what's going on. But a great film is made by stubbornly not telling the audience anything, sometimes only revealing a scant bit of information right at the end.
One brilliant horror movie, Todd Haynes safe, is not supernatural at all, but manages to feel more like a supernatural horror than some of these films, because it is willing to keep the situation occult. We never know what causes our heroine's sickness, it is an occult phenomenon that leads her into a health-cult. We do not need to see a demon or be told what her sickness is. A lot of horror movies want to tell you what the sickness is in the first hour, so we can rest easy and have some relief. Stop giving us relief!
Thanks Alexander! I haven't seen either of those but definitely need to! Skinamarink looks fascinating to me, I can see why people might have found it dull but I've always loved films where 'nothing happens.' I'm also scared of the dark so it looked like the perfect film for me. I'm still waiting for it to be free on one of the streaming services I subscribe to - I need to bite the bullet and get Shudder!
I think it works the other way too, however. When at the end of the book _The Little Stranger_ it turned out it was not a ghost but just seething class resentment I felt similarly let down. A ghost story is supposed to have A GHOST not some sort of psychological claptrap underpinning it. So an explanation that yoinks the occult out from under you at the last juncture can be just as disappointing as an explanation that gives you page references for which demonic texts back up all of its bumps in the night.
I hadn't thought of that, Kathleen, but I completely agree! I don't like films that treat you like you're stupid for believing something that was heavily hinted or stated outright, it feels like a cheap shot at the viewer's expense 'haha, you thought this was supernatural? How foolish of you!'
As much as I loved Longlegs (and I agree that marketing campaign ripped), I have to agree with this. It always makes the film swerve from the terrifying to the silly when the demon is given a name. I do think that Longlegs somewhat offset the over-explanation by having some genuinely unsettling and unpleasant imagery in that last half hour. Plus, I cared for those characters (the FBI agent’s family!!) which kept me fully invested in the horror.
I feel like films are often fearful of ambiguity in act 3, which is mightily frustrating as you point out because some of these stories are at their best when they’re leaning into the ambiguity. Anyway, really interesting piece, can’t wait to dive into more of your work!
Thank you so much, Matthew, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I agree about the characters in Longlegs and I think now that I know where it's going I'll enjoy it more on a rewatch when it won't feel like a let down and I can just indulge in the silliness.
Im curious, what are some of your favourite examples of films you think get it right?
Great question! I think the 1968 Whistle and I’ll Come to You (for tv) does a great job of stripping away some of the excessive explanation of the M R James original which leaves you with a total sense of horror and no real understanding of what’s happened. It's got one of the best depictions of a nightmare I've ever seen. I really liked Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse (2019) which tells a kind of strange Lovecraftian Prometheus story and ends with you watching someone seeing something...but you never quite learn what. I've also always enjoyed the motif of a monster who appears in one form but is actually something worse underneath that you never really see. Pennywise and Mr Babadook both make it clear that their true form is far nastier than the 'silly disguise' they wear on top. That's the scariest thing about 'IT' for me, the fact that there's a kind of unknowable ancient evil lurking underneath an already scary surface.
Totally! I recently read Revival by Stephen King and it does a great job of building atmosphere and dread without dipping to far into over explaining. It does use some of the trappings you see in these types of stories but it never uses them to explain the horror. I found it super affecting, it totally ruined a Sunday for me in the best way. I really like the sound of ‘Whistle and I’ll Come’, adding it to the list! I’ve also not seen The Lighthouse so that’s going on the list.
I need to read more Stephen King I’ll add Revival to my list!
Great article! I also want to mention, for the record, that while I hold no I'll will against those that enjoy it, I hate, hate, HATE Hereditary.
Thanks Joe! Did you hate it the whole way through or hate it because the ending let it down? I remember finding the first third extremely compelling but it didn’t leave an impression on me overall. I didn’t really find it scary which I know is an unpopular opinion.
I found it really self indulgent, not terribly interesting and not at all scary. And yeah, the ending is terrible.
I love all 3 of these movies and fully agree with you. Still laughing over that Slipknot comment, too. Well written and organized, Rebekah.
Thank you so much, Jamie, I really appreciate it! Hehe he DOES look like that though!
Totally! Looks like Mick Thomson thru and thru
This is the content I want to read. I’m with you. “Long Legs” and other horror films that turn paranormal instead of just leaving at “that’s dudes psycho,” kind of ruins it.
Thanks so much Sunni! I don't mind films that are paranormal from the start like The Exorcist, but I hate it so much when it's used as a get out of jail free card.
YES. That’s a great way to put it. “Long Legs” let me down. The marketing was spectacular! When you compared the 2 photo captures from the movie it explained it perfectly!
Thank you Sunni - I’m glad I wasn’t the only one!
As an occultist: they never get it right.
More pertinently: This was a great read and I agree 100%! It’s always what one doesn’t see that’s most evocative and terrifying.
Thanks so much Lykeios! Have you seen "A Dark Song" yet? That's the one people tell me is the closest to what occultists actually believe.
Nope! I will look it up. Thanks for the rec!
Totally agree, been saying this for years - True Detective S1 derived most of its power from the weird Lovecraftian horror that lurked just outside understanding and was never really explained (with the final episode explaining/showing just a bit too much thereby letting us down and softening the most important part of an otherwise-great series). The unknowable in horror always holds more weight than the knowable.
I’ve never seen True Detective but that sounds very cool. Shame they couldn’t follow it through!
The more they explain, the sillier it sounds.