From ‘Doctor Sleep’ to ‘It Chapter 2’: why horror film directors need to do better – The National

Its difficult to define what makes a great horror movie. For a genre thats often considered formulaic, I actually think its one of the toughest to get right. Its about balance getting in the perfect amount of jump-scares, suspense, psychological undertones and that je ne sais quoi that makes the hairs on your arm stand on end, while also building a plotline that stays with you long after the lights go out.

Every time you re-watch a good horror movie you should see something new, something you didnt see the last time because you were too busy freaking out. A truly great horror movie has layer upon layer upon layer. Stanley Kubrick understood this well.

Thats perhaps one of the biggest reasons I was disappointed by the film adaptation of Stephen Kings 2013 novel Doctor Sleep. Dont get me wrong, its not a bad movie, and I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the Overlook Hotel, but when you compare it with Kubricks The Shining inevitable given that its the sequel it fell far short.

Lets take another recent King adaptation Pet Sematary. The 1989 version haunted my dreams (as did John Lithgow after I watched Dexter) , but the 2019 remake didnt measure up. Sure, it made me jump and occasionally cover my eyes but thats about it. As soon as I left the cinema I'd moved on, never to think of anything from that film again, other than my disappointment.

Before that, there was 2018s remake of Halloween, following on the back of one of the most popular horror series of all time, one that pioneered the slasher flick. In it, Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the silver screen as Laurie Strode, and yet it resorted to the same old gimmicks and unsubtle tricks to spook its audience. You could argue thats staying true to the original, but Id rather see these remakes turn something old and lets face it now overdone into a film that feels nostalgic yet fresh. It certainly didnt break any ground in 2019.

Dont even get me started on It Chapter Two. Thats just two hours and 50 minutes of my life I cant get back.

But then there was a saving grace: Jordan Peeles Us. Now, if you want to know what a good modern horror movie should look like, then thats a great example. Its sinister, scary and, most importantly, youll want to talk about it from the moment the credits roll (because before that you wouldnt dream of missing a single second). Peele plays with the genre, in this and his debut Get Out, in a way I havent really seen any other director do.

Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House (created and directed by Mike Flanagan, who is also responsible for Doctor Sleep) is another great example. The show has its viewers on the edge of their seats without resorting to loud noises and unnecessary gore. Its all in the suspense and subtleties of storytelling. I only hope the second series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, set to drop next year, follows the trail blazed by its predecessor.

As you can tell, Im a big fan of horror, but when you watch as many of the genres films as I do, you can become jaded. But perhaps instead of lamenting their creators, I should simply lower my expectations, stop overthinking and buckle in for the ride.

Updated: November 14, 2019 05:12 PM

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From 'Doctor Sleep' to 'It Chapter 2': why horror film directors need to do better - The National

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero