10 Subtle Tricks Horror Movies Use To Scare You

Similar to the earlier example of infrasound, nonlinear sound is a phenomenon utilised by horror filmmakers in order to scare audiences senseless.

What is nonlinear sound?

Not far from what it sounds like (hoho). Frequently found in nature, non linear sounds are any sounds with large and irregular wavelengths that engender a sense of fear and unease in the human listener. Examples including women screaming and animal distress calls, both of which were sampled in the soundtrack of The Shining.

(That film in particular really is filled with these slick little tricks, no wonder commentators have been able to convince themselves it's about literally everything).

A 2011 UCLA study found that it was the use of these sounds in the film's score that caused such a universally unsettled reaction amongst filmgoers even during relatively uneventful, anodyne scenes. It's an effect few filmmakers have been able to match in the years since, but horror scores nowadays are filled with a plethora of nonlinear sounds, such as Harry Manefredi's infamous sample of a whispered "ki ki ma ma" in the score of 1980's iconic Friday the 13th.