20 Movies That Could've Been Horror Movies
1. Eighth Grade
Bo Burnham's directorial debut Eighth Grade is one of the most authentic and empathetic coming-of-age dramas of all time, so perfectly capturing the soul-crushing awkwardness of adolescent life from the perspective of anxious 13-year-old Kayla (Elsie Fisher).
The result is a film that many will find themselves struggling to watch through splayed fingers, but Eighth Grade takes a darker turn later on when Kayla accepts a ride home from a male friend, Riley (Daniel Zolghadri).
Riley instigates a game of Truth or Dare and attempts to coax Kayla into undressing, but when she refuses he angrily drives her home, all while further trying to manipulate her.
It's a frightfully believable scenario and, in a film that so aptly captures the difficulties of growing up, shows just how much worse it can be for young girls in particular.
The horrifying truth in Kayla's case is that things could've been even worse if circumstances were only slightly different, and it would've sadly been no less true to life.