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SCARYVILLE — If there is one thing that can make or break a horror film, it’s the setting. Would Freddy Kruger be as scary if he lived on Drury Lane instead of Elm Street? Probably not.
“As Above/So Below” will be in theaters this weekend, and the setting is definitely one thing this movie nailed. A group of young adults explore the Paris catacombs in search of an archaeological discovery. Just thinking about the miles of catacombs under Paris is enough to start a cold sweat.
Here are some other real-life places that can make any movie scarier.
The ocean — Jaws
Anyone who says they weren’t afraid to get in the water after watching this movie has got to be lying. Sure, the movie has plenty of flaws, but that doesn’t take away the fear “Jaws” can plant in your heart for the rest of your life.
This shark is the most relentless predator. Maybe that is why, even though we all know it’s completely fake, it haunts our nightmares and flashes through our minds before we jump into any body of water, sometimes even the bathtub.
“Jaws” is one of those movies that everyone should see at least once in their life, almost like a rite of passage in America. On OK.com it is appropriate for ages 13+ and 100 percent worth your time.
Marshes — The Woman in Black
For some reason when I was younger, I anticipated quicksand to be a much bigger problem than it actually turned out to be. There is something just horrifying about being sucked down into the ground, and that intense fear is captured in “The Woman in Black.”
“The Woman in Black” takes place in a rural English village surrounded by marshes. This may seem like a quaint location for a vacation, but this movie emphasizes the danger of such a place. Not even Daniel Radcliffe can save you from fear of the marshes.
If you are planning a vacation anywhere near a marsh or a swamp, you might want to wait until you get home to watch this movie. “The Woman in Black” is rated OK for ages 14+ and is 71 percent worth your time.
Space — Event Horizon
{#event horizon} The mystery of outer space lends itself really well to almost any scary story, making it the ultimate setting for horror movies. “Event Horizon” explores time and space in an extremely dark and distorted way. A rescue team responds to a distress call from a ship that disappeared seven years before. Along with the ship, the team members discover a nightmare more terrifying than any they could ever imagine.
If you aren’t afraid of the dark before you watch this, you will be after. “Event Horizon” is 100 percent worth your time — if you love horror films — and is OK for mature audiences of 18+.
The Woods — The Cabin in the Woods
The woods may not be quite as dark and unknown as outer space, but are still just as creepy. Everything somehow becomes more intense in the woods, whether it’s telling scary stories by the campfire or finding your way back to your tent in the dark.
There are countless movies that take place in a forest and scare the pants off anyone, however, “The Cabin in the Woods” seems to make the most out of this scary setting. Combining almost every element of any horror movie in history, “The Cabin in the Woods” simultaneously pokes fun at the genre and displays our worst fears on screen, including zombies, aliens, demons and the occasional merman.
If space is the ultimate scary setting, then the woods have got to be the most iconic. “The Cabin in the Woods” is 70 percent worth your time and OK for ages 18+.
Sarah Bringhurst is a recent graduate from Utah Valley University and currently interning with Ok.com. EMAIL: sarah@ok.com
