Horror movies aren’t for everyone, especially those who get spooked easily. However, some people enjoy watching horror films despite the fact they’ll have nightmares later (exhibit A: me). If you’re one of those people who doesn’t enjoy horror, though, or you’re just someone who wants to try and get over your fear of the genre, then you’ve come to the right place. There’s a common misconception that in order for a horror film to be good, there needs to be constant scares, a high amount of gore and a neverending sense of dread. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. With October soon coming to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to write an article highlighting a few films that I personally do not find to be that scary.
First on our list is “What We Do in the Shadows.” While not an outright horror film, there are still horror elements present. Released in 2014 and written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, the horror-comedy follows a group of vampires living in a New Zealand apartment together. The film is shot as a documentary, capturing the escapades of the vampires day-to-day lives as they prowl the streets for victims, adapt to modern technology and interact with other supernaturals such as werewolves and zombies. It’s a fun ride and for those who are unsure if they’d like it or not, don’t worry. There are more comedic moments than frightening.
Next up is “The Cabin in the Woods,” another horror-comedy. Released in 2011 and written and directed by Drew Goddard, the film follows a group of college students who plan a trip to a remote cabin. Unbeknownst to them, however, they are victim to a mysterious ritual that takes place all over the world. “The Cabin in the Woods” is more of a film for seasoned horror veterans, as the film calls back to certain archetypes in the genre that will raise a chuckle out of these audience members. Even so, it is still an enjoyable film for those who aren’t too familiar with the genre. Do be warned, though, there is a fair amount of gore present but it won’t give you nightmares (at least, it didn’t give me any).
Next on our list is “Happy Death Day,” a 2017 black-comedy slasher film directed by Christopher Landon and written by Scott Lobdell. The film follows Theresa “Tree” Gelbman, a university student who finds herself in a strange time loop where each time she is killed, she is forced to relive the same day over and over (which happens to be her birthday). Thus, the film follows Tree as she tries to find out who her killer is in order to put a stop to the time loop which has consumed her life. There aren’t too many scary moments and the gore is minimal, so if you’re someone who isn’t a fan of horror movies, you might enjoy it.
Our next film isn’t of the horror-comedy genre but it’s still a good one. “A Quiet Place” is a 2018 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by John Krasinski and written by Bryan Woods, Scott Beck and Krasinski. The film follows the Abott family consisting of father Lee, mother Evelyn , daughter Reagan and son Marucs. “A Quiet Place” follows them as they navigate to survive the world after it has become inhabited by blind extraterrestrial creatures who hunt prey with their hypersensitive hearing. I found this film to be more emotional than scary, honestly, but the visuals of the monsters are quite creepy.
Last on our list is “The Craft,” a 1996 supernatural horror film directed by Andrew Fleming and written by Fleming and Peter Filardi. The film follows a group of four teenagers who take an interest in witchcraft in order to fulfill their personal gains and get what they want in life. However, negative consequences soon begin to follow the girls as their lust for power consume them. As a result, it’s up to the latest addition to the coven, Sarah Bailey, to figure out a way to end the girls’ reign of terror so no one gets hurt. If you’re someone who is into the supernatural (especially witchcraft), you might enjoy “The Craft.” While there are frightening visuals here and there, I don’t think it will give anyone nightmares.
And that’s our list! While there are certainly more films I could list, I will leave it here for now. I hope you’ll enjoy the movies I mentioned above, they’re definitely some great ones! I’m sure you won’t get any nightmares and if you do, then … I’m so sorry!