10 Fan Theories That Actually Improve Classic Horror Films
What was really going on in your favorite horror films?
Horror filmmakers love leaving things to the imagination. That's because oftentimes what's not explained is a lot scarier than what is explained, so you'll never really know what the Blair Witch looks like, the extent of Jason's immortality, or if The Babadook is real. As a result of keeping so many things unanswered, that leaves room for some great fan theories to fill in the blanks.
While a lot of fan theories can feel like they're reaching, arbitrarily deciding all the characters are in purgatory based on no evidence, there are some that can radically alter your perspective on a film forever. Viewers will piece together the killer's backstory that the director didn't fully explain, or maybe make sense of that totally bonkers ending that was scary but also weird and confusing.
Really, although horror has a reputation for being pretty simple and without much subtext, it's probably the genre where fan theories are most appropriate just because there's so much left to expand on by the time the credits roll. If a few of your favorite scary movies left you scratching your head, or if you just want a new perspective on some classics, look no further than these 10 awesome theories.
10. Josh Killed Everyone - The Blair Witch Project
At the end of The Blair Witch Project, Mike stands creepily in the corner when suddenly Heather is hit by someone off screen. The natural conclusion is that the Blair Witch killed them both, but what if something else is happening?
Earlier in the movie, a story is recounted about Rustin Parr, a man who brought his kids into the middle of the woods to murder. He had one face the corner while he killed the second, and it's highly implied he did so under the Blair Witch's spell. According to a common theory, the other documentarian, Josh essentially takes the place of Rustin at the end of the movie. In that story, the witch used Rustin to kill two children, and in the film, the witch uses Josh to kill two adults. In both cases, one stands in the corner while the other is killed.
In fact, children's handprints can be seen in the house at the end, so we're clearly meant to think back to the Rustin story. That story also established that the witch seems to not kill people herself, instead using others to do her bidding. So while one might initially read the scene as Heather and Mike coming to Josh's rescue and then being murdered by the witch, in reality, Josh lured them there and did the killings himself.