Compelling Characters in Horror Movies

The reason why I wanted to touch upon creating compelling characters for horror movies in particular is because it is the “creature” or “bad guy” who is often the star in these movies. For me, it is important to study what makes some of the memorable characters in cinema stand-out in the horror genre as I want to make sure my writing sensibilities are aligned with what people expect out of a good horror movie. And maybe, it’s important to equally observe the “unexpected” when it comes to the most enigmatic characters to ever walk on the silver screen.

In the article titled “How To Tell A Horror Story” by New Statesman, “A highly effective thriller, has the opposite effect of most action cinema: it encourages a suspension of belief, rather than disbelief, enabling the audience to forget temporarily that a happy ending is out of the question.” -In other words, we have to be “okay” with the “bad guy” winning out in the end which makes for some of the most compelling characters that have ever been written in a story. I have numerous examples, but I will point out characters such as Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. In an interview by Forbes, Wes Craven talks about how Hannibal is his favorite horror movie character as he states, “He showed me the level of sophistication that can be brought to a horror film. With a character like Lecter, who is articulate and intelligent…is amused by terror and who actually enjoys the process of dismantling you. That's the most primal demonstration of fear, isn't it? Something that can completely destroy you to the extent that it actually takes your flesh into its body. That's total ownership. Totally terrifying.”

One of my favorite horror movie characters is Patrick Bateman whose character personifies American greed in American Psycho. If anyone ask me why I love horror films and want to write/produce/direct them, my quick answer is, “Where else am I allowed to write such compelling characters without feeling compelled to let the “good guy” win in every story? Because the reality is, “good guys” don’t always win in real life and my chance to create a slice of reality in my cinematic pursuits helps me be authentic in the medium in which I work. I can identify the injustices of the world by pontificating and creating lasting visual emotions that can remind us “why” we must evolve as a species. But hey, that’s just me.