“What’s your favorite horror movie?” This is the question that the assassin asks his victim before killing her in Scream. While a new installment of the cult saga has been released in theaters, 20 minutes asked the question to its Internet users. If many of you – the youngest in particular – are fond of recent horror film franchises, “to go wild at the cinema with friends” according to Sam or “because it sends a good dose of pure adrenaline” according to Margaux , there are also many comments that prove that you take the horror genre very seriously.
In general, everything starts with a first significant experience. And if we are to believe your testimonies, your parents were slightly lacking in the supervision of their children… “The horror film that marked me most remains sleepy hollow of Tim Burton, recalls Marianne. Just perfect in the noir and gothic fantasy horror movie genre. I saw it very early, I must have been 5 or 6 years old and it terrified me, but I asked for it constantly as it fascinated me. Max was a little older for his first time: “The film that struck me the most was The curse (the 1976 version with Gregory Peck), my big sister had borrowed the video cassette from a friend in 1982 but hadn’t dared to watch it alone… I was 9 years old, I had nightmares of it with wet awakenings for several weeks to the point that my mother was very worried at the time and I had never spilled the beans…”
“My spouse has already found me watching Chainsaw Massacre breakfast “
After these early experiences that were both traumatic and exciting, you told us how you built a horrifying taste and culture. Max continues: “As a teenager then a young adult, I saw a lot of horror films, the most interesting were The Ring in 2002 and its original Japanese version that I saw a little later. » Clémence, « fan of horror films since I was 10, when I came across the VHS of The lair of madness “She built a real cinephilia:” It’s an ultra coded genre, in which the directors take pleasure in marking their source of inspiration by multiplying the references. So that each horror film is always part of a current. I love to see if the creators have been able to bring their personal touch to make the work original. So I don’t really watch these films anymore to get the willies (for twenty-five years I’ve been almost immune) but to build my little personal encyclopedia of the genre. My spouse has already found me watching Chainsaw Massacre at breakfast, it no longer surprises him. »
Another fan of the genre, Elodie does not consider herself a “specialist” but explains that she likes “all the sub-genres: horror, SF horror, horror comedy, slashers, zombies… I find that this style particularly allows total immersion in the story, more than with any other type of film. Not only do I tremble with the characters, but I also wonder what I will do in such and such a situation. »
“I don’t really like horror movies today. »
Last point in common between most of your testimonies: recent horror films leave you unmoved. Is it you who have aged or is it the current genre cinema that is less interesting? We can’t say, but you have a hard tooth with our times…
“In recent years, the films that have marked me are quite rare, because of an overly systematic tendency to jump-scare to the detriment of the atmosphere”, explains Steeve. “I don’t really like horror movies today. I find the classics of the type Conjuring boring”, says Marianne who still finds some interesting horror creators: “I really like the work of Ari Aster – Hereditary, Midsommar…- as well as that of Robert Eggers, The Witch, The Lighthouse and his neighbor The Northman which looks amazing. Phew, we were scared.