9 Horror Movies That Reward You For Paying Attention

Saw, The Conjuring, Final Destination, Scream and those other movies where attention is rewarded.

by Andrew Pollard
The Conjuring 2 Valak
Warner Bros.

The world of horror is a fascinating one. Few facets of the movie industry have quite the consistent appeal as the horror genre, with this corner of cinema offering something up for everybody.

Granted, the various sub-genres of horror may have had their respective hot and cold moments as tastes change, but the overall genre as a whole has never once dwindled in popularity since it first came to the fore in the 1930s. Simply put, people like to be scared. Whether that's all-out teeth-grinding, fist-clenching, pants-wetting terror, or more like a mildly disturbing hug, film fans have a penchant for being just a smidge freaked out from time to time.

When it comes to the passionate fanbase that horror continues to amass, the genre really does have some of the most knowledgeable, intelligent and dedicated fans in the industry. And for those fans, so often they're happy to study and memorise every frame of every movie, all in the hope of getting some sort of pay-off.

Taking that into account, then, here are the times when horror films gave a MASSIVE reward to those fans who truly paid attention.

9. Tori Spelling Really DID Play Sidney In The Movie Of 'Scream'

The Conjuring 2 Valak
Dimension Films

While Wes Craven's Scream is a movie that's fondly remembered for its terrifying scares, its shocking kills, and the jaw-dropping reveal of the picture's two killers, there are also several tender moments dotted throughout the film.

One particularly softer moment comes when Sidney Prescott stays the night at the Riley resident, with her best pal Tatum keen to keep an eye on Sid. As Tatum gets giddily excited at the idea that the horrors of Woodsboro could make for a great movie, a sincere and caring Dewey offers up a young Meg Ryan as being the perfect choice to play Sidney in just such a film.

In response, Neve Campbell's character thanks Dewey but adds that, with her luck, they'd cast Tori Spelling in that role.

This was all a brief exchange in the grand scheme of that 1996 picture, yet those who remembered that shared moment in time were rewarded when Scream 2 rolled around. There, with the events of Scream brought to life in 'Stab', it is indeed Tori Spelling who is playing Sidney.

Spelling would also have a significant part to play in Scary Movie 2 - with Scary Movie having at one point been the intended title for Scream.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.