9. Making Us Jump Is Startling, Not Scary
I can't tell you why horror movies delight in littering their run times with moments of sudden loud noise. This is something you do to your friends so you can see them jump out of their skin. But in a movie, the film makers can't see the audience jump, so where's the pay off? This can be employed in any genre of movie, so do horror movie makers really want it as a staple of their genre? And it's cheap to boot. I'm the youngest in a family of six. I was startled many times as a child, and now, I've just accepted that jumpiness has stuck with me for good. Yes, loud noises will catch me off guard, and yes, I will stifle a girly scream, but no, this in no way means that you have successfully scared me. I am not a bunny or a child. You should know better.
Movies That Got It Wrong: Scream I Know What You Did Last Summer Final Destination