Over the years, I’ve re-watched many horror movies, whether they have been recent and or if they have been made before my time. As I look back on horror films in the past, it makes me think that horror movies which have been released in recent years have been demoted to an entirely new standard. That is the main reason why I chose to write this article: to explain the reasons why I believe the horror movies in modern day, have taken a downfall from what they have been in the past. So without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Design. Design is an important part to the film-making industry, as it is the foundation that every movie builds upon. In the past horror films, I have felt that most of them have great character design and story design, whether its being a big iconic movie character or a lesser known movie role which makes the film what it is as an end product. In more recent years, this design category hasn’t been doing as well as it did, or was experienced, as it was back then. You can take two horror films like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Doctor Sleep,” and the design is so different when compared with the two. It’s not that the more recent horror films are the worst of all time, but I just prefer the old horror classics than the modern day horror films.

Originality. Originality is what makes a movie stand apart from others of its kind, and if you don’t have it, then you’re already setting yourself up for disaster. For example, in “Child’s Play”, the general public was freaked out of their minds when they saw that a child’s toy could go on a killing spree without the family noticing a single bit. But in modern day horror films, I feel that each time one is made, it piggybacks off of a horror movie in the past that did it right. On one hand, “The Conjuring,” is a film of its own kind: just a bunch of jump scares mashed up into one. But on the other hand, that’s just it, with nothing else. It all depends on how you look at it, which is what causes the issue in the first place, in my opinion.

Technique. The way or technique that is film is pulled off in is a gigantic part of what makes my criteria of what it is. Just like the previous film that I mentioned, “The Conjuring’s” technique is to surprise the audience with regular jump scares but to hit them with the scares, when they least expect it, throughout the entire film. Another great example of technique, used in the best way possible, is like Hush where you have the hearing and perspective of a deaf woman inside her home, while a killer is lurking around trying to get in and kill her for his own benefit.Technique is the glue that holds it all together, making it stronger than it would’ve been without it. Every great movie has a great technique and strategic planning to it, in order to make it as good as it is, compared to its competitors that have little to none of it entirely.

Execution. Movies may have the characters, the plot, and everything else, but the execution is what brings it all together. When everything falls into place, then the execution will be in order. The execution of each great horror film is always so impactful that the audience is left with a sense of achievement and accomplishment of watching a great horror film. After watching all of the classic horror films, I can say that, at least 90% of all iconic and original horror movies have pulled off a great execution as opposed to the others, such as unnecessary sequels and prequels, such as they are used in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th” franchises. That is the last of the 4 points on my criteria of making a great horror film.

To summarize this article, this is my full explanation of my anec-D.O.T.E. for all modern day horror films, in order to correct mistakes that may be made in the future of horror film-making. This is an opinion article, so if anyone has a different opinion on the argument, then so be it. Alike this article, I hope that everyone has a great Halloween and enjoys every minute of the occasion before it shifts into the holidays. Thank you for reading this article, and of course, have a happy Halloween.