7) The Conjuring
Seldom does one think of analyzing the story when it comes to horror films, as most viewers’ intentions are solely to subject themselves to minor heart attacks. With such yearning of sadism, the crafting of the mood is arguably one of the most important – and difficult – aspects of the genre. Keeping that in mind, the ever-so-expected, but unexpected twist needs to be seamlessly woven in, lest it feel more like a cop out than a revelation. Director James Wan succeeded in all these points and gave us a an old-school thriller of a masterpiece with The Conjuring.
The story can be summed down to a very generic logline: “A family moves into a house with a haunting past and must deal with the tormented souls within.” In fact, a million other horror films could share that same logline, but it takes great directing to tear it apart and piece together just what made this cliché a cliché in the first place. The same old tactics like mirrors, odd noises, and creepy girls watching you sleep is all too familiar, and yet each of these parts show agency and hook into the story, rather than being crammed in for obvious scares. In an odd way, the viewer is able to connect to the suspense rather than just merely expecting it.