Horror of Personality Movies Will Freak You Out!

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These movies are for the "freak" or "weirdo" in all of us.

The antagonist is usually someone that looks perfectly normal, but has a hidden evil side.

This subgenre of horror movies does away with the fiendish ghoul or malevolent demon from hell. In the horror-of-personality film, the antagonist is human, and usually looks and acts like a normal person. And that’s where the twist comes, because behind the ‘normal’ façade, there’s usually one sick puppy.

These films very often deal with psychological disorders. Very often the antagonist is not ‘right’ in the head. However, there have been many movies where the bad guy was very sane, but just happened to be evil. These films really offer us a deep glimpse into the workings of the human mind and the fragility of life.

While the horror-of-the-demonic films generally dominated the screen in the early days of film, the horror-of-the-personality film came of age in the sixties.

This is not to say the concept did not exist before this time. There are several works of literature that if made into movies, could certainly be considered horror of personality films. A prime example of this is Edgar Allen Poe’s The Cast of Amontillado.

As far as movies are concerned, the quintessential horror of personality film is Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. This movie builds horror and suspense and fright without a single monster being shown. Instead, the movie inundates our mind with shocking and mentally invigorating messages.

In Psycho, the villain is by all means a normal man. Okay, well perhaps Norman Bates wasn’t all that normal, but he looked and acted pretty normal. But as the story unfolds, we begin to learn something’s not quite right at the Bates Motel. And then we get the shower scene, and the strong violin riffs, and next thing we know, we’re scared witless.

What’s most frightening about the horror of the personality film, is that the story is usually very plausible. While we might have to take a leap of faith for the horror of the demonic film or the horror of Armageddon film, we can truly believe in the horror of personality film. That’s because we all know there are sick-minded people out there. We hear about them all the time on the news.

Another example of this subgenre is the classic movie The Shining starring Jack Nicholson. I don’t have to go over the plot for The Shining; I’m sure most of you have seen it already. However, let’s recognize a few common themes with the movie Psycho.

Jack, the main character and antagonist, appears on the outside as a normal person. Even though there are some paranormal references in this horror movie, the fact remains that the antagonist is still a regular human. There is no evil monster, so to speak. The entire plot is primarily driven not just by the character, but by the character’s horrific personality. And that’s what makes this a horror of personality film.

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Horror Movie or Thriller Movie?

There is one problem I’ve encountered with trying to classify a movie as a horror of personality film. Very often, this type of film can also be considered a thriller. Here we see how many movies often blend and even bend genres.

This bending and blending of genres doesn’t just happen in horror of personality films. It also happens in horror of the demonic films. I’ve seen many horror-of-the-demonic films that could also be classified as science fiction or fantasy fiction. While it would be nice if every film or book we see could easily fit into one particular genre, it just isn’t always the case.

Another horror movie that could be considered horror-of-personality is the movie Saw. The antagonist Jigsaw Killer uses various deadly traps to kill his subjects. However, Jigsaw is neither a monster nor a demon. Just a regular man with some serious mental issues.

And this brings me to an interesting question. There’s no doubt Saw is a horror movie. However, the movie Silence of the Lambs which also features a serial killer antagonist, is considered a thriller. What is it that makes one movie a horror-of-personality film and the other a thriller?

In my opinion, and I may change this if more information comes to light, it’s the plot that makes the difference. In Saw, the plot revolves around the killings, the horror, the blood, and the villain. The purpose of that plot is truly to horrify and disturb the audience.

But in Silence of the Lambs, the plot revolves around the heroine Clarisse, her relationship with Hannibal Lecter, and the mystery surrounding the murders. The purpose of this film is to intrigue the audience, and keep them in a state of suspense. Not fear.

The bending and blending of genres is evident in various movies, not just horror movies. The fact is, most modern stories cover a broad range of genres, and not just one. Modern audiences are just too sophisticated to accept a simple plot with simple themes.

The novel I'm working on is not necessarily a horror novel, it does certainly incorporate some horror elements. After all, a large portion of the story is plotted around spiritual possession and an evil cult. However, I incorporate many other elements into the story, so I don't consider it straight horror. In fact, I actually label it as a mystery/thriller. But I’ll leave it to the reader to decide.

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