10 Horror Films Where Only One Person Dies
Sometimes horror isn't all about a high body count.
When we think of the words "horror movies," our minds almost automatically go to "blood!" "Gore!" "Death!" One of the most common arguments general audiences have for disliking the genre is the excuse that they just don't like blood and there's enough death in the real world, thank you very much.
However, a great deal of the time, the best scary movies show very little on-screen violence. The gross-out, shock value effects most people associate with the genre only accounts for a small percentage of the collective output. Unfortunately it just so happens that those are the releases that grab all the publicity.
The fact is that the vast majority of these films show on-screen death quite sparingly, as it is a very real and uncomfortable thing to witness. Horror films are incredibly masterful, leaving so much up to the viewer's imagination. Not only is this a genius filmmaking tactic, but it also conjures up a lot worse than any Hollywood effects team could hope for.
When so much is said through suggestion, strong performances and heavy mood, one often forgets their preconceived ideas about the genre. It is perhaps only on later reflection that we realize we were so spellbound by a film's mastery that we saw very few bodies hit the floor.
So, let's dive into 10 Horror Films Where Only One Person Dies.
10. House (1986)
House tells the story of William Katt's Roger Cobb. Cobb returns to his childhood home following the death of his aunt and finds that the home has many uninvited guests.
What makes House worthy of this list is its whacky creativity. Producer Sean S. Cunningham knew he wanted to make a PG film so it was up to director Steve Miner to find inventive and frightening ways to keep audiences entertained.
The filmmakers achieved this through an impressive use of practical effects and adding some surprisingly hilarious dark comedy to the story. Lurking within the titular house is a many-faced Demon, a squeaky-voiced witch and two gremlin dwarves. All of this makes us forget that we haven't witnessed a single on-screen death since the opening moments of the film when a delivery boy finds the dead body of Roger's aunt.
That's it - that's as much on screen death as House delivers. The rest of the film's paranormal encounters interchangeably make us scream or chuckle. Instead of human bloodshed, the paranormal visitors bear the brunt but never actually die because... they're evil?
House keeps the viewer glued with a wonderfully atmospheric score, perfectly timed comedic moments and a dark sub-plot about a missing child and war PTSD. There is little need for any on-screen death.