My Top 5 Non-Horror Horror Movies

Horror-No Country For Old Men-Courtesy of Miramax

Horror movies are edgy. They create a tense atmosphere that stays with you long after you watch them. Here are 5 non-horror movies that are sure to get you ready for all of the Halloween movie marathons.

Horror doesn’t necessarily have to contain blood and gore. It comes in many packages. As you will notice, most of the films on my list are considered dramas. However, each of these works contain horrific events that occur that propel them into the realm of psychological terror.

5. No Country for Old Men

This is an obvious choice. Javier Bardem won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the 2008 Academy Awards for his portrayal of the chilling Anton Chigurh. There is a ton of thought on this character on the Internet.

Some of it from this site. We can talk about that in the comments if you’d like. I want to talk about how No Country for Old Men creeped me out.

The movie won 3 other Oscars. Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture all went to Joel and Ethan Cohen. They earned them. Except for a traveling Norteno Band just across the Mexican border, there is no music in the movie until the end credits.

The lack of a score shifts the focus onto the cinematography. I’ve never felt so uneasy watching a sunny western landscape. Things may seem sunny, but there’s always a lightening bolt shooting out of foreboding clouds over a character’s shoulder.

This happens several times in the movie. It reminds me of Sue’s nightmare from the end of Carrie. When Sue pays her respects at Carrie’s grave, it’s bright and sunny. While she is walking toward the grave, the cars behind her, over her shoulder, are moving backwards in slow motion. It’s out of place and gives me the creeps more than a cheesy jump scare. It’s the kind of thing you might notice subconsciously. It’s like a subliminal cut hiding in plain site. You’re not focused on it, but you’re aware of it. And you know it’s wrong.

There’s also this claustrophobic feeling I get from No Country for Old Men. The movie owes this to that lack of a score. We’re left on our own with the characters. We aren’t told how to feel. We try to make the same choices the characters are making. Most of them are life or death. Even though the movie is set in endless mesas, the open road, and comfy sized hotels, you can feel the pressure of everything happening crushing down on you.