Since the start of the Western filmmaking industry, horror has always been present. It first starred in Horace Walpole’s novels and gradually gained popularity throughout the years. Now, the horror genre is favored, as movies like “Five Nights at Freddy’s” and “M3GAN” are prominent among teens. With this increase in popularity of the horror genre, more and more horror movies are becoming PG-13.
Horror movies with restricted violence and little to no bloodshed are considered to be PG-13. PG-13 horror movies have the same kind of jump scares and monsters as R-rated movies but use more intricate cinematography and plot. Many look down on PG-13 horror movies, viewing them as less scary due to their rating and target towards younger audiences. However, they are superior to traditional horror movies due to the well-thought-out cinematography, use of the five senses, and compelling acting. Most popular cinemas in the horror genre are PG-13, proving that a film doesn’t need gore and creepy monsters to succeed.
Taking an uncanny approach, PG-13 horror movies use different tactics to scare the audience, unlike traditional horror films. For example, “Tarot,” a recent horror movie released on May 3, 2024, is centered around a deck of cards that predict the future of the possessors. This movie was disliked by many due to the unrealistic dialogue and characters. However, this movie had particularly good cinematography. The directors used dramatic lighting and daunting shadows to frighten the audience, creating an eerie and supernatural atmosphere that scared viewers.
To create suspense, the five senses are used in PG-13 horror movies. A perfect example of this would be “Imaginary” from Blumhouse. In the movie, we meet Jessica who moves back to her childhood home with her family. At the house, Jessica’s youngest daughter finds a teddy bear that might be haunted. As the movie progresses, the teddy bear acts strangely, trying to exploit Jessica’s daughter. Although this movie’s plot is not out of the ordinary, it uses different senses to create fear. Instead of just using sight and incorporating scary monsters, the film takes our other senses like hearing or touch to produce fear. Playing with our sense of hearing, this movie makes us hear things that we can’t see. The movie also uses touch when Chauncey, the teddy bear, plays with Jessica’s youngest daughter. As the movie progresses, we see how unnatural Chauncey’s actions are and how he is controlling Jessica’s daughter while they play together. Throughout the movie, they incorporate these two different senses, adding to the suspense.
Although PG-13 horror movies might not have all the gore and flesh that one might expect, they have so much more to offer. They are superior to traditional horror movies because they use different ways of thinking to frighten the audience. They use the five senses and good cinematography to create an ominous ambiance. PG-13 horror movies are continuing to improve as time passes, providing a refreshing touch and a better outlook to the classic horror genre.
