Depending on the genre of movie, there always seems to be similarities in the events that take place. For example, in a romantic comedy, the good guy usually wins the girl in the end even if he has to fight for her. Similarly, in action films, the hero almost always nearly dies but fights on to be the bad guys and come out triumphant in the end. Horror movies are no different as there seems to be certain themes or situations that arise time and again. It may be that these themes are what makes horror movies work or that they keep the viewers interested. Here are five secret rules every horror movie seems to obey.
1. There is Always Car Trouble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk2G4LswpVA
The characters in horror movies are forever running into car trouble. Prior to any horrific events happening, the heroes often break down or hit an animal in the road. This is not an end to their problems as further difficulties seem to arise when they are trying to get away from a killer, monster or supernatural force. The car is often their means for escape and almost without fail a car will fail to start or they haven’t got their keys. Even if they make it to the car smoothly and it starts straight away, it is not unknown for the killer of the movie to have made it to the car first and for them to rise up from the rear of the vehicle.
2. Cars Are Ridiculously Old
Perhaps one reason that people in horror movies always seem to have horror movies is that they are always driving ridiculously old cars. The perfect example of this is the cars in both the 1977 horror movie ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ and the 2006 remake of the film. The family is traveling around in a ridiculously old car that is not really fit for the purpose of dragging around their camper.
3. Children in Supernatural Movies have the Same Haircut
For some unknown reason, the young actors in supernatural horror movies have all visited the same hairdresser. Either that or their mothers trim their hair using a pudding bowl as a guide before filming begins. The boy in the ‘Voice From the Stone’ who communicates with his dead mother is the perfect example.
4. Masks Reflect Socioeconomic Status
You may not have noticed, but the amount a killer covers up in a horror movie reflects their economic status. Those who are rich or financially stable never seem to wear a mask to conceal their identity. For example, Hannibal Lecter seems quite happy to murder as himself. On the other hand, poor killers have full facial masks or even entire costumes. Leatherface in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a good example of this.
5. Certain Jobs Put You at Risk
Although there are examples of people being murdered form all professions, horror movies seem to favor certain jobs and anyone working in one of these professions is particularly at risk. Photographers, caretakers, and babysitters are high on the list of people who get murdered in horror movies. However, the profession that seems to top them all is writers. Whether they are writing a fictional novel or working as a journalist for a newspaper, writers seem to fall foul of villains in many horror movies. Just one example of this is the 2012 movie ‘Sinister’ which is about a crime writer who discovers a box of movies that puts his family at risk.
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