Horror is a genre that has enthralled audiences for centuries. At its core, horror aims to elicit fear, panic, alarm, and dread from viewers. While horror movies and books may focus on different types of storylines and creatures, most successful works in the genre contain 4 key elements:
Suspense
Suspense is a crucial part of any horror story. This is the tense feeling that something frightening or disturbing is going to happen at any moment. Suspense puts audiences on the edge of their seats in anticipation. Some key ways writers and filmmakers build suspense include:
- Foreshadowing – Dropping hints that something bad is coming
- Cliffhangers – Leaving characters in precarious situations between scenes or chapters
- Escalating threats – Increasing the stakes and sense of danger throughout the story
- Unresolved tension – Dragging out conflict and uncertainty over long periods
- Creepy music – Using ominous instrumental tones or scores to underscore tension
The most suspenseful horror stories keep audiences guessing the whole time. While jump scares may provide momentary frights, true suspense comes from sustained uncertainty and apprehension.
Mystery
Along with suspense, effective horror incorporates a sense of mystery and the unknown. This may involve unexplained or supernatural phenomena, monsters or killers with unclear motivations, or strange events unfolding. Leaving some questions unanswered or details unclear serves to disturb audiences and make threats seem more terrifying. Common mystery devices in horror include:
- Unidentified killers or entities – Not knowing exactly what evil force is menacing victims
- Strange occurrences – Bizarre incidents with no logical explanation
- Old legends – Stories, myths or prophecies hinting at greater dangers
- Missing information – Withholding critical facts from the audience
- Ancient texts/recordings – Journals, audio logs, or arcane books with disturbing secrets
Blending known and unknown horrors makes the mystery more engaging. Providing just enough information to pique curiosity while keeping the audience in the dark preserves unease.
Terror
While suspense and mystery set up an unsettling atmosphere, the payoff of horror comes from terror. This is the feeling of raw, visceral fear and panic felt in the face of threatening forces. Terror typically results from:
- Jump scares – When threats suddenly appear without warning
- Graphic violence/gore – Gruesome sights of blood/injury/death
- Chases/attacks – drawn-out scenes of victims being pursued/assaulted
- Disturbing imagery – Props, creatures, environments that fundamentally unsettle audiences
- Hopelessness – A sense that escape or victory against evil is impossible
The emotional intensity of terror is why audiences gravitate toward horror. Viewers may be unsettled yet excited by the adrenaline rush from facing deep-seated fears of harm, suffering, or death in a controlled fictional setting.
Dread
The final key ingredient is dread. This is the persistent, underlying feeling of inevitable doom that hangs over the characters. Dread is fostered through:
- Ominous settings – Locations imbued with a creepy atmosphere
- Harbingers – Objects, events or omens hinting disaster is approaching
- Hopelessness – A bleak, desperate outlook for victims
- Escalation – The sense evil is growing stronger and cannot be stopped
- Anticipation – Waiting anxiously for the next frightful development
Dread enhances immersion in the horror experience. The audience feels the constant tension along with the characters. This makes the eventual terrifying outcomes even more impactful.
Using These Elements Together
Master horror storytellers blend these 4 elements together for maximum impact:
- Suspense makes audiences feel tense and on-edge, priming them for scares
- Mystery deepens a sense of uncertainty and the unknown
- Terror elicits strong fearful reactions and adrenaline rushes
- Dread compounds sustained feelings of imminent catastrophe
For example, in many slasher films:
- Suspense comes from scenes of characters going about normal activities, unaware a killer is lurking
- Mystery surrounds the killer’s identity and motives
- Terror results from visceral chase scenes and brutal murders
- Dread builds from early on that the killer will eventually claim more victims
Balancing these dynamics keeps the audience unsettled. The suspense and mystery set up fearful anticipation. The terror and dread pay off with disturbing dramatic moments and a sense of inevitable doom.
Examples from Iconic Horror Stories
Looking at some classic and popular horror stories shows how these elements work together effectively:
Psycho (1960)
- Suspense comes from Norman Bates’ ominous mood swings when interacting with guests
- Mystery surrounds Mrs. Bates – who is she? What happened to her?
- Terror emerges during the iconic shower murder scene
- Dread permeates the Bates motel, arising from Norman’s unstable psychology
The Exorcist (1973)
- Suspense builds through ominous signs something is wrong with Regan
- Mystery surrounds whether she is possessed or mentally ill
- Terror results from her monstrous physical transformations and violent outbursts
- Dread settles in early on that a powerful demonic force is present
Halloween (1978)
- Suspense revolves around when Michael Myers will strike next
- Mystery clouds Myers’ motivations and apparent indestructibility
- Terror flows from Myers lurking silently before brutal kills
- Dread permeates that he cannot be stopped or reasoned with
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
- Suspense stems from the unseen force haunting the woods
- Mystery feeds on the unknown origins and motives of the witch
- Terror arises from the raw, unscripted fear of the student filmmakers
- Dread creeps up from the fate implied by the opening news reports
It Follows (2014)
- Suspense comes from waiting for the unseen evil to appear
- Mystery surrounds the entity itself and who it will target next
- Terror emerges from its sudden manifestations and attacks
- Dread revolves around its relentless pursuit of victims
Using Horror Elements Effectively
Crafting a compelling horror story requires skillfully blending suspense, mystery, terror and dread throughout. Some tips include:
- Build suspense gradually through foreshadowing and escalating threats
- Reveal just enough details to stoke mystery without explaining everything
- Save big jump scares and visceral terror for when they will have maximum impact
- Allow a sense of creeping dread to grow subtly rather than dominating outright
- Pace shifts between quiet tension and shocking frights to keep audiences hooked
The unknown and anticipation of horror tend to scare people more than overt blood and gore. Imply or hint at sinister forces, rather than constantly showcasing them.
Conclusion
Suspense, mystery, terror and dread form the central pillars of effective horror. Master storytellers interweave these elements to build apprehension, exploit fears of the unknown, unload shocking events, and convey an ever-present sense of imminent catastrophe. This provides audiences with a terrifying yet thrilling fictional experience from the safety of their seats. Horror continues to thrive by tapping into these primal human emotions.
