We know that reality tends to surpass fiction but when this happens within the horror genre, well, things get complicated.
And it is that there is no sensation like fear, that is, there is no genre like terror, it does not matter how we turn the matter. No matter the usual academic no-go, the crisis of ideas, the most contagious fashions or the classism that comes with the envy of success, there is no genre like terror. Scary cinema scares us, but it also captivates us, it makes us travel to places impossible to fathom outside of its subject matter, it reveals facets of ourselves that we did not know and, together with comedy, it is the ideal medium to go through censorship of all kinds , preserving itself in time as a witness of past times, future problems and present hopes. A good film demonstrates the power of cinema, that of staging, that of atmosphere, light and shadows. Every movie buff or aspiring filmmaker has ever dreamed of creating a horror movie with which to hit viewers in their seats.
The success of ‘The Exorcist’, by ‘The night of the Living Dead’ and, above all, of the slashers The 70s and 80s (‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, ‘Friday the 13th’, ‘Halloween’ and ‘Scream’) made the horror genre one of the most popular. However, repeating and repeating formulas of success has also turned what was once a very diverse, rich and original genre into a succession of clichés, an alarming poverty in the diversity of a genre that will always be much more than hellish possessions, zombies and serial killers of a group of teenagers. Films like ‘Midsommar’, ‘Let me out’, ‘It Follows’ or ‘The Witch’ have once again demonstrated that the success of scary continues to need, and is grateful for, originality.
But now it’s time for those chills to really run through our bodies. We review some titles that, like a documentary, present themes that we would prefer had come from the imagination of some tormented screenwriter. Do you dare to see them all?
1
‘The nightmare’ (Rodney Ascher, 2015)
Study on sleep paralysis, focused on those who suffer especially terrifying episodes.
Strange intruders in the room, inexplicable movements of objects and, in the worst case, physical contact in different parts of the body, will make you have a difficult night.
2
‘The Bridgewater Triangle’ (Aaron Cadieux, Manny Famolare, 2013)
In southwestern Massachusetts, in a triangular area of about 520 square kilometers, it all happens.
There I have seen Bigfoots, impossible cryptopzoological creatures, spirits, lights in the sky and remains of all kinds of rather profane rituals, some with human remains not necessarily voluntarily offered by their owners.
3
‘Haunters: The Art of Scare’ (Jon Schnitzer, 2017)
Although they are not yet entirely popular in Spain, the horror houses have become one of the fashionable experiences in the United States.
This documentary immerses us in some of the most sugarcane, revealing a subculture that has ended up generating attractions that are, basically, agreed torture. Will the escape room bubble turn into this?
4
‘Cropsey’ (Joshua Zeman, Barbara Brancaccio, 2009)
The legend created by the inhabitants of Staten Island about a monster that kidnapped children, served so that the little ones did not play alone in the street. The problem was that, in the early eighties, he was no longer a legend.
During the filming and preparation of the documentary, Zeman collected so much material about the darker side of Americans that he began filming a new title.
5
‘Killer Legends’ (Joshua Zeman, 2014)
Urban legends can be as terrifying as the cases they are based on, sometimes even a little less.
The director investigates the macabre origins of many of these stories, less mythological than we would like.
6
‘Just, Melvin: Just Evil’ (James Ronald Whitney, 2000)
Josef Fritzl was not the first. Across the pond, Melvin Just abused and tortured three different generations of his family.
The case is thoroughly documented and narrated by the director of the documentary, Melvin’s grandson.
7
‘The devil and father Amorth’ (William Friedkin, 2017)
William Friedkin, director of ‘The Exorcist’, accompanies Father Gabriele Amorth, an official Vatican exorcist, in one of his works.
“An absolutely terrifying experience“Friedkin himself told us when we asked him about the documentary during his time in Sitges 2017.”It was disturbing. It may not be scary for some, it depends on your religion, but it will be disturbing for everyone because, after all, someone shows up suffering a lot”.
8
‘The impostor’ (Bart Layton, 2012)
In 1994, in Texas, a 13-year-old boy disappeared. Three years later, the little boy is found in Spain. When he returns home, part of the family clings tightly to the happy resolution of the case while the rest begin to distrust themselves. really, the one who is there with them is the child they lost.
Layton mixes real interviews with a careful dramatization in which he lets the viewer draw their own conclusions, all terrible.
9
‘Jesus Camp: Soldiers of God’ (Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, 2006)
In North Dakota there is a nice evangelical camp called ‘Kids on Fire’. There, young people from 6 years old, become soldiers of the army of God.
Nominated for an Oscar, the documentary shows us that the right path, at least in these torture centers, is to pray until you faint and worship effigies of George Bush.
10
‘Häxan: Witchcraft through the ages’ (Benjamin Christensen, 1922)
“What my witch looks like the most is the witch from ‘Häxan’”Commented Robert Eggers, director of the magnificent ‘The Witch’, which opened the Sitges Festival in 2015, leaving its demanding attendees astonished.
In ‘Häxan’, Christensen embodied his knowledge of the ‘Malleus maleficarum’, the extensive inquisitorial treatise on the witch hunt published in the 15th century. The result is a silent mix of documentaries and dramatizations in which, if one gets carried away, one will end up traveling to dark corners of our history.
This content is created and maintained by a third party and is imported to this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
