JSランゲージスクールブログ | American horror movies
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Today, I would like to talk about the different kinds of horror movies in the US. Yesterday, I was watching a horror movie with a Japanese person and they thought the movie wasn't exactly like their image of a typical American horror movie. When I asked what the idea of American horror movies was in Japan, they said that many people think that American horror movies are filled with jump scares, and lots of gore. If you don't know what jump scares are, it is when the movie has some silence and then some loud sound, to make you jump in your seat. A lot of horror movies use this tactic to scare viewers. Gore means very bloody.
Actually, in America there are many kinds of horror movies. We have slasher movies, gory movies, paranormal movies, psychological thrillers, and others. I will explain these four kinds of movies. Even people who don't like horror might like one or more of the genres because it does not fit their typical image of American horror.
First, I'll start with slasher movies. Slasher movies are movies that have a killer in them. The killer is trying to kill all of the main characters, not just one person. Many times, slasher movies overlap with gory movies. This is not always the case though, as some slasher movies don't show the actual killing on the screen. Some of the most iconic slasher movies are Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, and more.
Next, we have gory movies. Gory movies are filled with blood. These are the kind of scary movies that I also do not like. Many people do not like seeing blood, but there is also a big group of people who enjoys watching these kinds of movies. Some famous gory movies are Saw, the Human Centipede, and Hostel.
Paranormal movies are the next kind of horror movie. Paranormal movies are my favorite kind of horror movie. These movies are about ghosts or demons or some kind of spiritual force that is evil. These are the movies that have a few jump scares, but not many. The movies really get into your head while you watch them. After the movie is over, you don't feel safe. These movies don't usually show much blood or a lot of the killings in graphic detail. The main point is to make you think about some force always being near you and freaking you out. These are the movies that are most similar to popular Japanese horror movies. Some of the most famous paranormal movies in the US are Paranormal Activity, The Conjuring, and Insidious.
Psychological thrillers are the last kind of horror movie I will talk about. Psychological thrillers are mainly focused on thinking. They don't have a lot of jump scares, gore, or even paranormal beings. Usually the main character is chasing something or someone and trying to find the mystery behind it. A lot of people put these movies in the category of suspense, but they can also be put in the horror category. Some famous psychological thrillers are The Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, The Shining, and more recently Black Swan.
These are just some of the different kinds of horror movies that are made in the US. There are also other genres, and there are some movies that don't fit well into any genre. I think American horror movies are much broader than a lot of Japanese people have as their image. What do you think about these kinds of movies? Would you watch any of them?
