Horror films aim to frighten and alarm audiences through invoking our deepest fears and using shocking finales, while also entertaining. Some key elements that make horror movies scary include fear of death, unknown threats hidden in the dark, creepy creatures, haunted places, unsettling music, suspense, dismemberment, unlikeable characters, and strategic use of lighting to suggest unseen dangers. Effective horror movies employ many such techniques to terrify yet captivate viewers in a cathartic experience.

1. Genre Research
Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic,
cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often
in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us
at the same time in a cathartic experience.
Top ten things that make a horror movie
scary?
 Fear of death- The fear of dying is alreadya big fear for
most peoplebut when you combine it with the
elements of a horror movie it will make it seem like its
real.
 The dark (knowing something is hiding)- By using darker
lighting you can create the effect that someone or
something Is hidingin the dark when in reality nothing is
there.
 Creepy crawly things- The fear of certain things can be
used to scare people when watching horror moives.
 Haunted places- A scary house or hauntedwoods at
night can make a scary atmosphere.
 Spooky music- Music can help a lot with scaring the
audiencesuch as, the music can speed up when
something is about happen.
 Disfigurement- Disfigurement would make a horror
movie a gore movie which some people find sickening.

2.  Suspense- suspense means a lot in a movie, it can
happenbefore a jump scare which will help make the
scare bigger.
 Dismemberment-
 Characters- In my opinionthe cast is the most important
thing in any movie because if u don’t like the cast it’ll
ruin the entire movie for you.
 Lighting- The lighting means a lot in a horror movie such
as, if the lightingis dark you can make the illusionthat
someone or something is lurking in the dark.
Ronald E Riggio Ph.D.. (2020). The Top Ten Things That Make Horror Movies
Scary. Available: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/cutting-edge-
leadership/201410/the-top-ten-things-make-horror-movies-scary. Last accessed
17.01.2020.