Some horror movies make it their sole mission to absolutely terrify their viewers, some only want to leave them with a feeling of unease, others - think along the lines of Saw - want to saturate the screen with as much gore as possible, but then there are those that take their time to create an overall eerie experience. It's this last breed of scary cinema that doesn't get nearly enough credit for taking the steps it does.
Anyone can put on a mask, pick up a sharp instrument, and chase a screaming girl down a dark hallway, but it takes true craft to build a world, make it scary, and give it ample reason to be so. Sometimes a little atmosphere goes a long way.
The Witch
An easy entry to start with, this colonial nightmare by director Robert Eggers uses atmosphere and environmental storytelling to create a terrifically disturbing horror film. Suspense and visuals are the film's best friend as an exiled Puritan family falls to the mercy of a dark forest and prey to a witch in the woods.
There is little in way of jump-scares, but The Witch has a laundry list of terrifying moments on and offscreen. The audience knows there's something evil in the woods, it's only a matter of time before it consumes everyone on screen.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Not all atmosphere has to be dark and chilling, sometimes it can be creepy and comical as well. Clowns are a typical source of Terror for many people, but this 80s horror-comedy perfectly blends the silly and the scary to a phenomenal degree.
It's the mix of tones that helps establish the film's identity. Evil alien clowns turning victims into cotton candy might sound ridiculous on paper, but when paired with the ghoulish and cartoony visuals of the film, it actually becomes quite disturbing. Still, the movie knows how to sprinkle in enough humor to balance out the horrifying implications.
Crimson Peak
Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak is a very interesting animal. While it was billed and marketed as a terrifying haunted house film starring Tom Hiddleston, it's actually more of a gothic fantasy with horror elements. This is all accomplished by environment, atmosphere, and direction.
The movie turns typical haunted house cliches into tragic, horrifying, and even beautiful elements to create its haunting tone. While it might not have been the ghostly gorefest most viewers were expecting, those who did see the film were treated to a breathtaking experience in the genre.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
While he might be better known for his gangster films, Francis Ford Coppola's detour into the horror genre resulted in some pretty impressive films, especially from a visual and storytelling standpoint. Bram Stoker's Dracula, while one of the closest adaptations of Dracula, is easily one of the most elaborate and atmospheric.
In no uncertain terms, the film essentially has everything one could possibly ask from a vampire movie. It has a haunted castle, full moons, graveyards, and lots and lots of blood. Sometimes it's okay to give the audience what they want.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark
Guillermo del Toro comes back again with another visually impressive horror outing (even though he only produced this picture). This book-to-movie adaptation succeeds at creating a bone-chilling experience for the audience as Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark relies on its atmosphere to get its scares.
Sometimes it's not the story that's scary, but how it's told. Del Toro makes perfect use of that maxim with every eerie location, scary monster, and other atmospheric choices in this film.
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Along with his gift for one-liners, references, and all-out creep factor, Freddy Krueger knows how to use his environment to his benefit. Whenever somebody enters the dream world in any of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, audiences instantly know they aren't playing by the laws of reality anymore.
The movies might be a product of the '80s, but the glowing reds of the boiler room and the evil greens of the dreamy mists were a great and memorable way to give Freddy's world a distinct visual style.
Alien
The Nostromo from Ridley Scott's Alien was a deceptively ideal spot for a slasher movie. While a spaceship might not seem like the first choice for a horror movie, adding a hungry and predatory alien monster to the mix will almost always earn a few jumpscares.
"In space, no one can hear you scream" is an accurate statement surrounding the claustrophobic vibes as the crew is locked inside their craft with the titular alien. Even without the Xenomorph's presence, the dark corridors and mechanical bowels of the ship undoubtedly help sell the isolation element constantly present in the film.
Trick R’ Treat
To say that Trick r' Treat doesn't absolutely drip with Halloween goodness is a gross understatement. There are very few instances in the movie that aren't filled to the brim with pumpkins, skeletons, witches, candy, or any other combination of traditional imagery associated with the holiday. Even the simple use of orange and black plays a starring role.
The atmosphere and environment not only create an ideal backdrop for a Halloween horror movie but makes each climax of the stories in the anthology pop like the panel of a comic book. The Crypt Keeper would be proud.
Beetlejuice
Granted, most of Tim Burton's movies already rely on his gift for tone and atmosphere, but Beetlejuice helped make his weird and wonderful style iconic. Bright greens, dark purples, pinstripes, and spooky characters are just a few of the flavors of Burton that practically jump off the screen in this horror-comedy.
The colorful Neitherworld is a complete opposite reflection of the stark and simple land of the living. The former half of the equation is only magnified once Beetlejuice is set loose on the house, much to the audience's delight.
Sleepy Hollow
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Burton's use of shades and tints can also help set the mood and vibe of his films. Especially when his goal is to create a good, old-fashioned gothic horror movie. The somber and spooky countryside of Sleepy Hollow not only captures the dark and shadowy elements of Universal or Hammer monster movies, but makes the glow of jack-o-lanterns and the neon splash of blood positively pop.
At the core of the matter, Burton knew exactly what kind of film to make and he changed his palate accordingly. The result was a film that rings truer than most in the gothic genre even after all these years. Legends never die, as they say.