Horror films are complex beasts that have to be constructed just right to reach peak effectiveness. The performances don't have to be Oscar-worthy nor does the cinematography need to be spectacular, but there are a few aspects that need to be done correctly.
For one, the villain needs to be both formidable and unique. Similarly, the setting needs to both stick out in the memory and feel relatable. Luckily, many of the most iconic horror movies and franchises have managed to create locations that have become as memorable as the films themselves are.
Camp Crystal Lake - Friday The 13th (1980)
From the fictional Wessex County, New Jersey, Friday the 13th's Camp Crystal Lake (later Camp Forest Green in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives) is one of those legendary names from horror that rings familiar even outside of the fanbase.
It makes sense that the series held onto the location, using it for just about every installment of the franchise save for Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan and the shark-jumping Jason X. The setting is idyllic, yet eerie all the same, and there's no better area to complement the films' "Ki Ki Ki...Ma Ma Ma" theme, constantly reminding the audience that the stalking killer has any number of trees, bushes, and cabins to hide in.
Springwood, Ohio - A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Springwood is seemingly a typical town with a bunch of typical suburbs. However, what's below the surface of the white picket fence calm is sinister, and that's not even counting Mr. Krueger.
The parents of Springwood took matters into their own hands, committed murder, and went back to their lives. But one way or the other, that's impossible, and Freddy is nothing if not blood-covered proof. The kids on Elm St. needed to be in standard two-story, plain-Jane Colonials because the location had to represent tranquility. These boring-looking houses have something going on in them at night that's anything but. Springwood is integral to the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, including the first episode of the once-lost show Freddy's Nightmares.
Antonio Bay, Southern California - The Fog (1980)
In John Carpenter's The Fog (his follow-up to Halloween), the setting is directly related to the plot. Antonio Bay is a small coastal town, relatively peaceful and predominantly populated by fishing families.
But these families harbor a dark secret from a century before, an event which is now being celebrated as a triumph when it was really nothing short of murder. The people of Antonio Bay (or at least their forebears) brought the ghostly lepers upon themselves, which is perfectly represented by the encroaching fog consuming their town.
Cuesta Verde, California - Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist's Cuesta Verde is another horror movie location that's both important to the narrative and representative of something sinister. Unlike Antonio Bay, however, which was metaphorically built on murder, Cuesta Verde was literally built on the dead.
It's a suburb built in the valley, right below a graveyard. However, what's on top of that hill is nothing more than headstones, and the bodies have remained in their final resting place. The plot of Poltergeist is the result of greed, and the wrong family pays the price.
The Overlook Hotel - The Shining (1980)
Using a real hotel, Stanley Kubrick was able to turn something rustic and peaceful into something objectively terrifying for The Shining.
The Overlook Hotel is gorgeous even when it isn't covered in snow, but that inclement weather is what really seals the isolated getaway's scary appeal. Even if Jack Torrance weren't being dragged into a paranormal nightmare in the labyrinthine building, Wendy and Danny would still have ghosts and a dangerous drive home to contend with.
Derry, Maine - It & It Chapter Two (2017/2019)
Whether it's the 1990 miniseries or Andy Muschietti's cinematic two-parter, the town of Derry is a very important part of It.
Another seemingly quaint, idyllic town, Derry is just one of several locations King has created for his works to honor the author's beloved home state: Maine. Projects beyond It took place at least in part within Derry, including Secret Window, Secret Garden (1990), Insomnia (1994), Bag of Bones (1998), Dreamcatcher (2001), and 11/22/63, but it was Pennywise's reign of terror that made the place iconic.
Perfection, Nevada - Tremors (1990)
One of the most rewatchable creature features of all time, Ron Underwood's Tremors, starring Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, is a definitive example of both the subgenre and genre-blending at large.
Like the best creature features, the film takes place in an isolated location. In this case: Perfection, Nevada. The film opens with Bacon and Ward's characters trying to ditch the town, which leads to a wonderful opportunity to show just how isolated and difficult to reach the area actually is, even when there aren't massive, carnivorous underground worms.
Amity Island - Jaws (1975)
An island is isolated by definition. That, combined with the hidden nature of what's below the ocean surface, makes Jaws' Amity Island seem utterly inescapable.
What's ironic is the fact that everybody is desperate to get to this one place where their death is at a current increased likelihood. But like the swimming, consuming predator, human beings will do exactly what they want. Then there's the man charged with saving them, Chief Martin Brody, who doesn't even want to be on the island in the first place.
Woodsboro, California - Scream (1996)
Just one of several films that saw Wes Craven advance horror as a genre, Scream was a movie that transcended its category to become a blockbuster.
Part of the appeal was the relatively famous cast (particularly Drew Barrymore and Party of Five's Neve Campbell). Another part was their collective perfect performances. Lastly, there was the town of Woodsboro, which manages to feel remarkably real and inhabited in two short hours. Scream 2 went to college while Scream 3 hit Hollywood, but there's good reason Craven returned to Woodsboro for his final film, which is a trend continued by Scream (2022).
Haddonfield, Illinois - Halloween (1978)
When "Haddonfield, Illinois" is displayed in orange text over a peaceful suburban backdrop, the audience knows the residents are in trouble.
What's terrifying about Halloween (1978) is how possible it is. Haddonfield contains near-empty streets and playing children just like any other small town, which conveys a purity that will soon be upset in a major way. Furthermore, while not all Halloween sequels are created equal, there are a few that managed to hold onto the Haddonfield feel: Halloween II (1981), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween (2018), and Halloween Kills (2021)