The Art Of The Scare: Why Horror Movie Trailers Are So Dang Frightening
Ever wondered why horror movie trailers are darn so scary?
Well, yes, I know the obvious answer is “duh, it’s a HORROR trailer”. But if you really think about it, they only go for about one to two minutes, and yet they make you feel like you’ve experienced the fright of your life.
While it might be easy to think they’re just stuffing a bunch of jump scares in there to get you on board, the truth is there’s actually an art to the modern horror movie trailer and that genius lies in a very unexpected element: the score.
If you’re like me (weak), you usually watch these with the screen strategically tilted away so you can’t really make out what’s going on, only to realise that this tactic has one fatal flaw: you can still hear it, and so instead your fear manifests in the unknown.
This is why sound is more important than ever when producing a trailer, as no matter what you see on screen, it’s what you’re hearing that’s scaring you.
To prove this isn’t just crazy talk, let’s use Hokum’s trailer as an example. The film’s brought to you by director Damien McCarthy, the twisted visionary behind highly acclaimed modern horror films, Oddity and Caveat — so you know it’s gonna be scary (and slightly disturbing too, I can’t lie).
The film
Before we get into the trailer, let me give you a rundown of the plot, just so you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Spoiler alert: this won’t help with the scare factor at all (I learnt that the hard way).
The film follows Ohm Bauman (played by the impeccable Adam Scott), who retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes. What could possibly go wrong? Well, try harrowing tales of a witch haunting the inn’s honeymoon suite on for size.
After suffering from disturbing visions while being amongst shocking disappearances, our protagonist is forced to confront the dark corners of his past.
So now that you’re all caught up, I recommend taking a deep breath, and let’s get into the trailer.
P.s This film is rated MA 15+, so viewer discretion is advised.
The trailer
If you ask me, the Hokum trailer is truly a terrifying experience for all of your senses, but especially for your ears.
After much mental preparation to actually take in the trailer itself (and trying not to be distracted by whatever the heck was in that elevator), I found myself extremely fascinated by its calculated use of sound.
While the score of a film trailer typically accompanies the visuals and dialogue on screen, the use of sound in this trailer strays from the predictable horror formula and instead uses the condensed format to build a world that feels inherently disturbing, giving us a sense that the things that we are seeing are not functioning like they’re supposed to. As if going to a run-down inn in Ireland to spread your dead parents’ ashes wasn’t creepy enough already.
As the trailer progresses, the sounds that we hear don’t match up with the visuals that we’re seeing, forcing us into a state of sonic confusion. Like seriously, who the heck was playing that toy piano, and how does that even fit into this universe? Has anyone bothered to check on the children?
Our attempt to process the mismatched visuals and sounds — as well as the highly textured sonic layering — enhances the narrative’s tension, as we become psychologically disoriented in the world of Hokum. Right off the bat, we’re put in a position to distrust the mundane items we’re being shown, to the point where we can’t even be comforted by the presence of the usually charming Adam Scott as our protagonist (who is clearly equally as disturbed as we are).
If there’s one perfect example of this ‘eerie-fying the mundane’ in this trailer, it’s the bloody bell rings. From the desk bell to the elevator ‘ding’ and, of course, that freaking creepy clock, our senses are quickly overwhelmed into a sense of panic as the foreboding visuals flash before us. This sound sequence went off in such an unpleasant and off-beat manner that it literally had me fighting off the urge to close my eyes and throw my phone away.
Let’s just say I will have a visceral reaction to bells for the foreseeable future. Thanks, Damien McCarthy.
Horror is so back
My fascination with this trailer and its epic use of sound aside, there’s one thing we can all agree on: horror is so back.
Any fear-loving friends out there, mark your calendars ‘cos Hokum’s in cinemas from April 30 and you don’t wanna miss it. If you’re a little film nerd like me, you’ll be counting down the days to witness this masterclass of horror styling in person.
From the genius of McCarthy’s vision to Scott’s chilling performance, this film is bound to reach cult-classic status faster than I shut my laptop when that bunny-person-thing popped up on my screen.
So grab your scary-movie-watching crew (or go alone like an absolute maniac) and book your tickets to this year’s biggest horror flick ASAP.
