informative speech on horror movies

The Art of the Monologue and 6 of Horror’s Most Memorable Speeches

Sometimes it’s not the scares or the death scenes that stick with you once the end credits start to roll. A well-performed and well-written speech, or monologue, can go far in elevating a horror movie to special status. Monologues pre-date cinema, as far back as ancient Greece, and serve a purpose in storytelling. They provide exposition about the plot or give vital details about a character or cast events from the narrative in a new light or serve the central themes. The best monologues should highlight the tone of the film and leave you spellbound.

There’s an art form to them. Sitting through a long-winded speech can feel tedious, mainly if the sole purpose is to deliver exposition. Timing and writing are of equal performance to the delivery; the performance selling the monologue clinches it. Tone plays a significant factor in horror’s most memorable movie monsters. They say a lot about the character’s mindset and often create unease. Some even build anticipation. A horror movie monologue furthers the story or character development while contributing to the overall mood or atmosphere.

Here are just some of the absolute best in horror history.

Psycho  – “She wouldn’t even harm a fly.”

All seems tidy and well at the closing moments of Psycho . Norman Bates’ intended victims have evaded him, and he sits alone in a jail cell, wrapped in a blanket and his thoughts. Norman’s inner voice is gone, edged out entirely by his “mother.” Mother’s inner speech talks about Norman taking the fall for her crimes, and expresses zero remorse while ominously promising to kill again. This monologue starts as an insight into how far gone Norman’s mind is but builds toward directly addressing the audience in a final zinger. All the while, actor Anthony Perkins nonverbally expresses the evolution of emotions, culminating in that chilling, knowing smile.

Jaws  – The U.S.S. Indianapolis 

One of the most effectively frightening scenes in this classic doesn’t feature the shark at all, but a quiet moment among the three men hunting it. After comparing battle scars and laughs, Quint sucks all the joy from the cabin with a sobering account of tiger sharks circling the crew of a sunk U.S.S. Indianapolis. With his serious, quiet tone, Quint relays specific details as if he’s just lived through it. The trauma is still vivid in his mind, and thanks to this monologue, it’s forever fresh in our minds, too.

The Silence of the Lambs  – Meeting Hannibal Lecter 

Scenes of Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter only made up sixteen minutes of screentime here, yet ran away with the entire film. This forceful introduction to his character set the tone. From his heavily secured cell, Lecter quickly sizes up the timid Starling. He launches into a speech that profiles her with specificity. Lecter’s cold blue eyes drill holes into her all the while. At first glance, Lecter may seem unassuming. The moment he opens his mouth to speak, the chilling intelligence with a bravado to match ensures this is one killer you want to avoid at all costs. All villains love a good monologue, and Hopkins’ portrayal keeps it believable.

The Exorcist III  – the Gemini Killer

Suppose there’s a monologue that involves delivering an insane amount of exposition within the span of a few minutes. In that case, you need an engaging performer capable of selling it while leaving viewers wholly in their grip. Brad Dourif is indeed that actor. In a cell with Lt. Kinderman, Dourif’s Gemini Killer gives a rousing speech that details his journey to Hell and back. It answers significant questions to the plot. In other words, it’s a lot of information to digest at once. Dourif somehow makes it easy by way of intensity. His quiet seething crescendos into an eruption of fiery wrath. It’s impressive, as we’ve come to expect Dourif to be. 

Deep Blue Sea  – A Hero’s Rally

A misdirection is a vital tool in scare-crafting. It’s like a magic trick; get the audience to look another way, so their guard is down when the scare happens. Here, the misdirection brilliantly comes in the form of a hero’s monologue. When the entire oceanic laboratory is falling apart, and everything is going wrong, enter Samuel L. Jackson’s Russell to calm the bickering and motivate the survivors. It works. His commanding presence and rousing speech get everyone’s attention. It’s a rallying cry that gives hope and direction. As Russell takes charge, the music swells, and this hero takes control; no one notices until far too late how close to the water’s edge he stands. Cue his shocking demise.

Hereditary  – “I’m your mother!”

Toni Collette dominated this movie for several reasons. As Annie Graham, Collette sustained high levels of emotion throughout, from abject terror to crippling devastation. Of all Annie’s scenes, though, it’s her explosive outburst over a quiet family dinner that packs a brutal punch. Here she unloads a bottomless well of anger toward her son over the accidental death of her daughter. Annie goes through grief stages, but it’s exacerbated to an insane degree by the horror. Collette’s performance here is extraordinary, and it furthers the growing divide in this family while building upon the unsettling mood within the house.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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‘malevolence’: the overlooked mid-2000s love letter to john carpenter’s ‘halloween’.

Written and Directed by Stevan Mena on a budget of around $200,000, Malevolence was only released in ten theaters after it was purchased by Anchor Bay and released direct-to-DVD like so many other indie horrors. This one has many of the same pratfalls as its bargain bin brethren, which have probably helped to keep it hidden all these years. But it also has some unforgettable moments that will make horror fans (especially fans of the original Halloween ) smile and point at the TV like Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood .

Malevolence is the story of a silent and masked killer told through the lens of a group of bank robbers hiding out after a score. The bank robbery is only experienced audibly from the outside of the bank, but whether the film has the budgetary means to handle this portion well or not, the idea of mixing a bank robbery tale into a masked slasher movie is a strong one.

Of course, the bank robbery goes wrong and the crew is split up. Once the table is fully set, we have three bank robbers, an innocent mom and her young daughter as hostages, and a masked man lurking in the shadows who looks like a mix between baghead Jason from Friday the 13th Part 2 and the killer from The Town That Dreaded Sundown . Let the slashing begin.

Many films have tried to recreate the aesthetic notes of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween , and at its best Malevolence is the equivalent of a shockingly good cover song.

Though the acting and script are at times lacking, the direction, score, and cinematography come together for little moments of old-school slasher goodness that will send tingles up your spine. It’s no Halloween , to be clear, but it does Halloween reasonably proud. The nighttime shots come lit with the same blue lighting and the musical notes of the score pop off at such specific moments, fans might find themselves laughing out loud at the absurdity of how hard the homages hit. When the killer jumps into frame, accompanied by the aforementioned musical notes, he does so sharply and with the same slow intensity as Michael Myers. Other films in the subgenre (and even a few in the Halloween franchise) will tell you this isn’t an easy thing to duplicate.

The production and costume designs of Malevolence hint at love letters to other classic horror films as well. The country location not only provides for an opening Halloween IV fans will appreciate but the abandoned meat plant and the furnishings inside make for some great callbacks to 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . All of this is buoyed and accentuated by cinematography that you rarely see in today’s low-budget films. The film is shot on 35mm film by A&E documentary filmmaker Tsuyoshi Kimono , who gives Malevolence an old-school, grainy, 1970s aesthetic that feels completely natural and not like a cheap gimmick.

Malevolence is a movie that no doubt has some glaring imperfections but it is also a movie that is peppered with moments of potential. There’s a reason they made a follow-up prequel titled Malevolence 2: Bereavement years later (and another after that) that starred both Michael Biehn and Alexandra Daddario! That film tells the origin story of our baghead, Martin Bristol. Something the first film touches on a little bit, at least enough to give you the gist of what happened here. Long story short, a six-year-old boy was kidnapped by a serial killer and for years forced to watch him hunt, torture, and kill his victims. Which brings me to another fascinating aspect of Malevolence . The ending. SPOILER WARNING.

After the mother and child are saved from the killer, our slasher is gone, his bloody mask left on the floor. The camera pans around different areas of the town, showing all the places he may be lurking. If you’re down with the fact that it’s pretty obvious this is all an intentional love letter and not a bad rip-off, it’s pretty fun. Where Malevolence makes its own mark is in the true crime moments to follow. Law enforcement officers pull up to the plant and uncover a multitude of horrors. They find the notebooks of the original killer, which explain that he kidnapped the boy, taught him how to hunt, and was now being hunted by him. This also happened to be his final entry. We discover a hauntingly long line of bodies covered in white sheets: the bodies of the many missing persons the town had for years been searching for. And there are a whole lot of them. This moment really adds a cool layer of serial killer creepiness to the film.

Ultimately,  Malevolence is a low-budget movie with some obvious deficiencies on full display. Enough of them that I can imagine many viewers giving up on the film before they get to what makes it so special, which probably explains how it has gone so far under the radar all these years. But the film is a wonderful ode to slashers that have come before it and still finds a way to bring an originality of its own by tying a bank robbery story into a slasher affair. Give Malevolence a chance the next time you’re in the mood for a nice little old school slasher movie.

Malevolence is now streaming on Tubi and Peacock.

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February 1, 2019 • 0

Top Monologues in Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller Movies

Monologues have always been rather close to my heart. I remember studying for my LAMDA and having to perform a monologue as my final exam.

It was nerve wracking and a lot harder than I expected. During rehearsals, my tutor would stop me midway and ask me to repeat the lines with stage directions, whether it was walking a few paces whilst changing the tone of my voice to reflect the dialogue and action, or a momentary silence before continuing within the emotiveness of the scene.

With horror/sci-fi/thriller movies centred around the emotions of fear, desperation, love, hate, suffering and perseverance to survive or kill, I thought I’d collate some of my favorite monologues in horror/sci-fi/thriller movies.

As I embark upon my own first feature film script, these particular monologues provide useful priming material into how actors can really bring to life dialogue and with it the narrative and exposition within a story.

Thank you to fellow friends/writers/directors in the horror world for providing me with some great resources. Nancy Kilpatrick ,  David Britland ,  Kim Newman , Gareth Beverstock and David Campion .

Lynn Lowry’s monologue about her erotic dream in Shivers (1975)

From the master of body horror, David Cronenberg evokes passion and eroticism. Nurse Forsythe ( Lynne Lowry ) reveals the truth behind her newly found lust coursing both physically and mentally through her body due to a parasitic virus. She lures the audience in with her tales of insatiability, wonder and compulsion. The tone of her voice is hypnotic as we’re drawn into this new and appealing world, where the unification of flesh, no matter how young, old or diseased, is brought about by being devoured sexually without judgement.

The opening and closing narration of The Haunting (1963)

With a classic storytelling, the opening of the Haunting (1963) based on the Shirley Jackson novel demonstrates how stories should be told. Quintessentially British, you can only but feel a need to gather around a real coal fire, ‘cozied’ up, wrapped in a dressing gown, slippers, and an over-sized vessel full with your favored hot beverage. But most importantly, all while in a haunted house.

Character Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson), invites the audience with his informative narration, creating the mystery which sets the premise of the terror which is about to unravel.

The Invisible Man (1933)

Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) is convinced that he’ll find a way to solve his crisis, not looking to resort to help from anyone else. Impassioned or mad, he tells his fiancé of his secret, one which he’s incredibly proud of as he languishes in what is a potentially chemically induced megalomania.

Silent Night Deadly Night (1984)

When Grandpa Chapman (Will Hare) comes out of his coma, unbeknownst to the adults, he suddenly starts talking to his grandson Billy (Danny Wagner). His story comes as a warning, about how Christmas Eve is the scariest night of the year.

Hare gives the most convincing performance, scaring Billy, from the way he suddenly transforms and wreaks havoc and fear upon all watching, using the physical changes and delirium etched across his face. It’s a true character driven performance, perhaps watching lunacy at its best.

In fact, Grandpa much reminds me of Hector Salamanca (Mark Magolis) in Breaking Bad, where facial acting, and the control of expression physically, can be just as powerful as dialogue-driven scenes.

AJ Bowen’s Monologue at the end in A Horrible Way To Die (2010)

Director Adam Wingard’s gritty flick comes together at the end with a speech by a serial killer which actually conjures sympathy. Lessons are learned, but yet violence still brews under his skin. Character Garrick Turrell’s (AJ Bowen) monologue is able to demonstrate a more human side to a man who is seen as a monster, as he violently kills and saves a life in one scene. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a link to this particular monologue, but you can watch the film on Shudder .

Opening monologue to The Fog (1980)

Opening to a ticking pocket-watch as it counts down to 11:55. With a loud, sharp snap of the watch closing we see Mr Machen (The amazing John Houseman) sitting at the head of a small campfire surrounded by his young charges overlooking the town and the bay. There he tells them all a nugget of the dark history of the town. Houseman’s delivery gives menace, hanging onto some words while letting others drift by like an icy chill.  And, always emphasising the date on which these cursed events took place. Even now that date has been seared into my mind. The 21 st of April is a day I hope never to see fog.

Phoebe Cate’s story of why she hates Christmas in Gremlins (1984)

This monologue is one loaded with the ‘feels,’ a dark, grim tale within a black comedy. During a brief break from the chaos happening around the rest of the town, Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates) and future partner Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) share a moment, where she opens her heart with a tear-jerking tale of why she hates Christmas. Or how she found out that Santa didn’t exist. Cates reveals her tale almost like she is detached from the events she’s recounting, yet she does a great job at fighting the pain beneath, like it’s the only way she can deal with her childhood trauma.

The ‘It’s easy to create a victim’ monologue from Martyrs (2008)

Martyrs by itself can be a really difficult film to watch for those with a sensitive disposition, or generally have some standard when it comes to brutality and violence. Yet out of all of the violence, blood and torture there is this monologue by the Mademoiselle (Catherine Bégin). There is no real relief in what starts cold and gradually warms, like a scientist letting slip their obsession in their chosen field. Bégin’s understated passion is fulfilling the organisation’s desire to successfully capture and craft a martyr. All in order to obtain some secret that countless martyrs of the past have seen through their own torment. This muted excitement has a strangely chilling quality since ultimately Anna’s torment has only just begun.

Mola Ram’s ‘Kalimar,’ spooky speech from Indiana Jones Temple of Doom (1984)

Not quite a monologue as such, but still an epic scene where Mola Ram (Amrishlal Puri) holds a ritualistic ceremony prizing the heart from one of his followers whilst summoning words alongside his actions to encourage his devotees. His presence, stature and conviction are enough to terrify, along with his booming voice of command.

Monologue by Pinhead in Hellraiser (1987)

‘No tears please, it’s a waste of good suffering,’ just some of the profound and yet poetic lines of dialogue Pinhead (Doug Bradley) lavishes throughout Clive Barker’s film Hellraiser .

The whole film wreaks of some beautiful literary passages that those who are familiar with Barker’s novels/writings will enjoy seen bought to life. Here, character Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) makes a deal with Pinhead whilst he defiantly announces his presence and purpose.

‘Who’s gonna love me,’ end monologue by the mother in Precious (2009)

Although this isn’t strictly horror, it is a social-realism thriller based on a novel called ‘Push,’ by Sapphire. A book I’ve also read which actually unfolds pretty much like the novel.

‘Who’s going to love me,’ a line which elicits a whole different meaning in the context of a woman who knew her husband was sexually abusing her three-year-old daughter and continued to allow it.

Mary (Mo’Nique) justifies her motive in a way that questions the agonising circumstance, where damage is caused, solutions are served as redundant, and where the depth of abuse from instigator, to giver and then the victim is suffered by all. A truly disturbing look into the psyche of a woman whose idea of love is misconstrued.

Opening and closing monologue in Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death actually has an opening and closing monologue, but I could only source the closing.

The film itself is a surreal psychological trip into a woman’s (Zohra Lampert) struggle with her psychosis, with a conscious attempt to shield others close to her from a mental health condition she’s experiencing.

What we’re left with is vampiric happenings, a potentially haunted house, melodrama, murder and the possibility that it’s all just a delusion. A wonderful movie, accompanied by a haunting score by Orville Stoeber and Walter Sear.

The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade,” also known as Marat/Sade ” (1967)

Marat/Sade, tells the story of Marat, a French revolutionary who’s executed. Seen as a play within a play, the story is based in an asylum called Charenton, where inmates are actually involved with an in-house production directed by another inmate which just so happens to be Marquis de Sade (Patrick Mcgee).

The ‘Mad animal,’ speech performed by Ian Richardson, triggers an interesting dichotomy in the sense that watching a play written for the stage almost feels like it should be seen live, but works brilliantly on the screen and is equally as captivating. I’ve watched this particular scene a few times now and I haven’t tired of it yet.

Addams Family Values (1993)

When Debbie (Joan Cusack) kidnaps the Addams Family after her marriage to Fester (Christopher Lloyd), she didn’t realise that such torture would be so welcomed.

‘Our whole family together at last, three generations above ground,’ Morticia Addams (Angelica Houston).

As she lays into her exposition, Debbie is admired and supported by her captives. All the while, the characters effortlessly weave in and out of conversation with surprising loving tenderness as she works through her soliloquy.

Thanks for reading all!

Please check out my Instagram/Twitter @Wickergirl666 and my up and coming film Twitter @Frommetoyoufilm and Instagram @from_me_to_you_film.

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Categories: actors , Cinema , Film , Horror , horror film , Mystery , People and Blogs , performance , sci-fi , Thriller

Tagged as: A Horrible Way to Die , acting , Adam Wingard , Amrishlal Puri , blogs , Cinema , Claude Rains , Clive Barker , David Campion , David Cronenberg , Doug Bradley , Film , Gareth Beverstock , Gremlins , Hellraiser , Horror Fan , Joan Cusack , Kim Newman , Let’s Scare Jessica to Death , Lynne Lowry , Marat/Sade , monologues , Mystery , Nancy Kilpatrick , Patrick Mcgee , performance , Precious , Scifi , Screenplays , Shirley Jackson , Shivers , Shudder , Silent Night Deadly Night , The Fog , The Haunting , The Invisible Man , Thriller , Will Hare , Writing

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10 Horror Movies That Deliver Important Messages About Society

Horror movies aren't just gore and jump scares; many provide important messages to drive home for audiences.

Horror films like Halloween and Friday the 13th are well known for their promises of bloodbaths, epic battles between the forces of good and evil, and never-ending sequels. In between the gore, guts, and ghosts, however, the horror genre also excels at providing relevant commentaries for audiences . Whether through their fables of morality or the choices made by their characters, socially relevant stories about everything from race to sexism are embraced and enhanced by horror tropes.

Updated October 8, 2023: In honor of Halloween, this article has been updated by Amanda Minchin with even more great reasons why these horror films are great reflections of society.

From the iconic endings of Night of the Living Dead and Rosemary's Baby to the insipid what-ifs of films like The Purge , these movies show us what happens when our moral compass goes awry. Here are ten horror films that deliver important messages about society.

10 Psycho (1960)

Psycho was a monumental film for its time , turning the definition of leading lady screen time on its head and defying the established Hays Code by having a man and a woman share a bed, not to mention its amoral protagonist, Marion Crane.

Yet, the core message of Psycho extends far beyond its racy scenes and characterizations. Its titular villain, Norman Bates, represents the cumulative result of childhood abuse running unchecked. After spending his formative years abused by both his mother and stepfather, Norman becomes a timid introvert... that is, until one day when he reaches his breaking point, murdering both of his abusers. In order to cope with what he's done, Norman develops a split personality through which he continues to enact murders over and over again, keeping one of his abusers close at hand, all the while to 'watch.'

9 M3GAN (2022)

M3GAN is not someone this writer would like to meet in a back alley! All jokes about creepy dolls aside, M3GAN is a cautionary tale of the dangers of technology and, notably, childhood neglect that feels taken from the pages of a developmental psychology textbook.

The story's two main characters, Gemma and Cady, are brought together by the tragic death of a close family member. Cady is just a child longing for someone to substitute for her deceased parents. Instead, Gemma begrudgingly takes on a parental role that she is less than qualified for. She relegates her parental responsibilities to M3GAN, an invention of her own making.

M3GAN: Why It's an Important Commentary on Parenting Through Technology

M3GAN herself represents an undeveloped child figure; she feeds off Cady and Gemma to create habits and a better understanding of the world, which results in M3GAN having no parameters between right and wrong... with horrific consequences, of course.

8 Barbarian (2022)

Barbarian is arguably one of the best-written horror flicks of the 2020s so far. Written and directed by Zach Cregger in his solo debut, this original story produces tension alongside moments of comedic relief for the audience to breathe. The film follows Tess (Georgina Campbell), who, on her way to a job interview, discovers the rental she booked is already occupied.

Barbarian is ultimately a commentary on the destitute communities in South Side Chicago from the 1980s. Its titular antagonist, Frank, represents the horrific acts that humanity can engage in when left uncared for and unnoticed by society's authority figures.

7 Smile (2022)

Films like Smile borrow elements from movies like It Follows and The Ring . Even so, it still manages to hit home with audiences due to its strategically crafted jump scares and tormented lead, Rose, who is plagued by the trauma of having seen her patient, Laura, kill herself. This soon turns into Rose seeing horrifying smiles in everyone around her.

The curse in this film is a commentary on trauma as a whole; Rose carries trauma that comes from dealing with an addict mother in her childhood, her emotional detachment from her ex-boyfriend, Joel, and her resentment towards her sister, Holly. Any woman who's ever been asked to put on a smile against their wishes can easily relate.

6 Halloween Ends (2022)

Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, made her first appearance in John Carpenter's iconic 1978 slasher flick Halloween . While not all of Halloween films to follow focused on the trauma endured by Strode, 2022's Halloween Ends deals with this trauma on a much larger scale, in the form of the town of Haddonfield .

Halloween's Townsfolk Made the New Movies So Much Better, and Here's Why

Following the most recent 2018 bloodbath caused by Michael Myers, Haddonfield turned into a paranoid and cruel community looking to deflect their anger over their collective loss onto just about anyone. Anyone, in this case, turns out to be Corey Cunningham, a babysitter whose charge dies on his watch. Corey is simply a victim of circumstance, driven to insanity by an unforgiving neighborhood. In doing so, this film introduces a previously unforeseen element of generational trauma along with its focus on mob mentality.

5 Scream 3 (2000)

While the Scream franchise is well known for its commentary on slasher horror, Scream 3 tackles an equally taboo subject in the early 2000s - Hollywood's abuse of power towards aspiring actors.

While Scream and Scream 2 both lead audiences through the aftermath of the mother of the main character Sidney's poor life choices, Scream 3 explores Maureen's life prior to marrying and settling down in Woodsboro. This film depicts her as a young woman who seeks stardom in the bright lights of Hollywood. Unfortunately, Maureen falls victim to Hollywood producers. Maureen is the victim. of abuse in the Hollywood system by a powerful producer, one that became more relevant as time went on. It also feels incredible gross that the movie was produced by Harvey Weinstein himself and the film seems like Wes Craven commenting on open secret everyone in Hollywood knew about.

4 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is easily one of the most thought-provoking entries in the franchise. It serves as an origin story of sorts, starting with the abandonment at the birth of Thomas (aka Leatherface) in a slaughterhouse, the same slaughterhouse he's let go from years later. His first set of victims, meanwhile, are out on one last road trip before conscription.

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War , this film showcases the fear of American youths when forced into situations beyond their control, from being drafted to the war or forced to enlist to being let go of the only job they know. The film also shows the economic impact the war had on the working class, with the Hewitt family having to resort to cannibalism as a means to survive.

X is Ti West's first film of the X trilogy. In it, a team of adult filmmakers are trying to shoot a porno. They take over the dilapidated barn on the farmstead of an elderly couple. That is, until things go terribly, horribly awry...

Ti West's X and Pearl: How the Two Perfectly Complement Each Other

Starring Mia Goth in the dual dominating roles of Maxine and Pearl, X also provides an insight into the post-Vietman war climate in America and its correlation with feminism and filmmaking. Wayne and R.J. represent ambitious filmmakers of the time looking to profit off the liberal shift in Hollywood filmmaking, which is in turn influenced by the end of Hays Code regulations. Maxine represents the youth of the 1970s embracing the new feminist movement. This film reflects on how these women developed a concrete sense of individualism and freedom over their own sexuality.

2 Pearl (2022)

Released just a few months after its predecessor, Pearl is a sequel that parallels the themes of its predecessor but in an entirely different political climate, that of WW1 America . Even murmurs of the 1918 Influenza pandemic echo our own pandemic of today.

In the film, Pearl is born with virtually all the odds stacked against her. Between her oppressive mother, her relegation into a part-time caretaker for her invalid father, an innate sense of individualism that's far ahead of her time, and her undiagnosed mental illness, there's a lot not going for her as a character. All of these elements, combined with her repressed sexuality, push Pearl to her breaking point, turning her into a murderous deviant who lacks both guilt and reason.

A dark social commentary on America , Pearl represents countless people who, if given the attention and professional medical help they need in due time, could have easily gone down a whole new life path.

1 Get Out (2017)

It's nearly impossible to have a discussion about horror movies with a message without talking about Jordan Peele's iconic directorial debut, Get Out . The film follows a young Black man, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), and his decidedly white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), who are en route to her parent's estate for a long weekend. What follows is easily one of the worst cases of meet the parents ever invented.

Inspired by films like The Stepford Wives and Candyman , this film serves as a much-needed update to the classic body-snatching trope. The topic of race is especially poignant in a film where the bodies of healthy Black men and women are bought and sold for profit. Both its released and alternate endings point back to the iconic finale of films like Night of the Living Dead , where the main character escapes peril only to be downed at the hands of his suspicious would-be rescuers. This film should serve as a wake-up call about how different groups are treated in America.

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Author Interviews

Horror's 'shock value' redefined in the 1960s.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis starred in John Carpenter's 1978 horror film classic Halloween. Anonymous/AP hide caption

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis starred in John Carpenter's 1978 horror film classic Halloween.

The 1968 horror movie Targets starred Tim O'Kelly as a Vietnam vet who killed his wife and mother before he went on a massive shooting rampage across Los Angeles. Roger Corman, the great B-movie director, produced the film under one condition: Writer and director Peter Bogdanovich had to cast Boris Karloff as a supporting cast member in the movie.

"This was a real problem for Bogdanovich," theater critic Jason Zinoman tells Fresh Air 's Terry Gross, "because he didn't think Karloff was relevant anymore."

But Bogdanovich came up with a solution, one that appeased Corman while also satisfying his own vision for the film: "He broke up the movie into two halves," says Zinoman. "[In] one, Karloff plays an aging horror star who [is] no longer very relevant and who delivers this speech which says 'No one's afraid of a painted monster.' And in the second, [Bogdanovich] articulates what he thinks is truly scary, which I think anticipates a new school of horror."

That new school of horror, says Zinoman, was based on real life: realistic, mundane events that could leave the audience wondering where evil could lurk (everywhere) and who could be evil (everyone). Serial killers replaced monsters — and uneasy sensations in a movie theater replaced the shock value of seeing werewolves jumping out on-screen.

Shock Value

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In Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood and Invented Modern Horror, Zinoman recounts how directors like Bogdanovich, Wes Craven, George Romero, Roman Polanski and Brian De Palma started to redefine the horror genre in the aftermath of the Vietnam War — and influenced the genre for the next several decades.

"From 1968 to 1970 ... the essential monsters are no longer werewolves and the supernatural, [but instead] serial killers and zombies," he says. "And there's a certain kind of moral ambiguity — and generally, a sense of confusion and disorientation that marks most of these films."

'Night Of The Living Dead'

One of the greatest horror films to come out of that era, says Zinoman, is the 1968 George Romero classic Night of the Living Dead , which featured the now-classic combination of zombies, people trapped in an abandoned farmhouse and lots of blood and guts.

"It's a key figure in the history of gore," says Zinoman. "It wasn't the first movie to have a lot of gore but it was used effectively and became part of the art palette of horror movies."

Romero made the film on a very low budget, inspiring other filmmakers to create their own ghoulish works.

"What it showed was you didn't need that much money, you didn't need to be in L.A. and you could do this in your hometown with a few friends and you could have a huge impact," says Zinoman. "When I talked to all of these directors — John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper — everyone has a story about when they saw Night of the Living Dead ."

Interview Highlights

Jason Zinoman is a critic and reporter for The New York Times . He has written for Vanity Fair, The Economist, Time Out New York and Slate . Shock Value is his first book. Earl Wilson/ hide caption

Jason Zinoman is a critic and reporter for The New York Times . He has written for Vanity Fair, The Economist, Time Out New York and Slate . Shock Value is his first book.

On the influence of Rosemary's Baby

"[It] adopts the strategy that became very common in the horror movie which is to set up a very normal, realistic, mundane landscape and then introduce the supernatural to get the audience to suspend its disbelief for a little bit. And what Polanski wanted to do, was to really ... keep the audience guessing on whether or not Rosemary was crazy and imagining that she was about to have the devil's child or this was really happening. And he did it by emphasizing how subjective the movie's point of view was. And that's the real suspense of the movie."

On never seeing Rosemary's baby in the film

"In Polanski's mind, this is a movie that really wanted to be more about suggestion. It wanted to be in the mind of Rosemary."

On Halloween 's influence

"[It] really popularized the conventions of the slasher movie. It wasn't the first movie to show a serial killer in a mask and it wasn't the first movie to show an unmotivated killer ... but it was the movie that popularized all of these conventions and it has been written, imitated and copied arguably more than any other movie in horror."

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Movie interviews, j.j. abrams: the 'super' career of a movie-crazed kid, halloween tricks and audio treats, 8 things everyone needs to know about zombies, director brian de palma digs into 'redacted' story, horror film director george romero.

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Most Memorable Speeches from Horror Movies

• By: Stephanie Fulton

The scariest time of the year is upon us. This Halloween, we want to celebrate the creepy, terrifying speeches from some of the most celebrated horror films. So grab the popcorn (and perhaps a blanket to hide under) and enjoy the most memorable speeches from horror movies this Halloween.

Jaws is an excellent film. It’s full of suspense, action and terrifying sharks. But one of the tensest scenes comes from the fisherman Quint as he retells his deadly shark encounter. This moment builds the suspension of the shark hunt is definitely one of the most memorable speeches in cinema history.

2.The Silence of the Lambs

Anthony Hopkins haunting performance as Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster’s resilient Agent Clarice Starling won them both awards back in 1991. Movie fans still quote Lecter’s famous lines. This scene shows the iconic madman break Agent Starling down with his words while plastic walls divide them. This is another memorable speech that will creep you out.

3.The Shining

Jack Nicholson’s descent into madness while staying at the Overlook Hotel has captivated audiences for decades. This film is full of wild visuals that an audience cannot un-see. But Nicholson’s intense performance throughout the film is one that will never be forgotten.

4.Halloween

When you think of popular Halloween costumes, the serial killer Michael Myers might come to mind. This cult classic is a fan favorite when October rolls around. In a shocking revelation, Dr. Loomis unmasks the horror behind who Jason is, making it one of the most memorable speeches to celebrate this Halloween.

The Saw films have been terrifying fans for years. Nothing is more frightening than when the captive sees Jigsaw appear on the screen, asking if they want to play a game. This scene is cringe-worthy as Amanda must decide on whether she wants to live or die. And Jigsaw’s deadpan delivery makes this speech unforgettable.

We hope you enjoy these memorable speeches while you snack on your trick-or-treating candy. From everyone at Ethos3, have a happy Halloween!

Related Posts:

Presentation Storytelling Tips Inspired By Stephen King

7 Speeches That Will Make You Cry (A Lot)

Your Guide To Using Cliffhangers for Impactful Speeches

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Informative Speech Topics for Speech Class

Why Do I Need a Topic for an Informative Speech?

What are some popular informative speech topics.

Any student enrolled in a speech class will be expected to give a speech in front of his or her classmates.

This can be daunting, especially for students who want to ensure that they speak on something informative and have no idea where to start.

• A good rule of thumb for choosing an informative speech topic is to stick with a subject on which you have experience or one you have taken an interest in.
• This will shine through and make your speech flow naturally.

If you are interested in a particular genre of films, give an informative speech on the history of the genre.

• Include famous films, actors who have made a career in films in this category, great directors, remakes and plots.

For example:

A horror movie buff could give a speech on popular films of the 1970s and 1980s. This speech could include a synopsis of each film, name its major stars and discuss remakes or sequels.

2. Moments in History

Historical events and leaders make great subjects of informative speeches.

• A student interested in British rulers could trace the lineage through time.
• If you are interested in a particular country, you could talk about the current government of the country, the systems of government the country has had and political parties that have run the country.
• Those interested in Black history could give a speech on the civil rights movement, Black inventors or abolition.

3. How-To Guides

Students who are good with their hands will enjoy giving an informative speech that is essentially a "how-to" guide.

• If you are a baker, write a speech on how to bake a cake.
• Those who work on cars might give a speech on how to change the oil in your car.

The speech can be demonstrative of a physical activity or a sport the student plays:

• like how to do a Herkie in cheerleading or how to throw a football

4. Occupations

It is always interesting to learn about a day in the life of someone with an exciting occupation, and a student in speech class can use this to write an informative speech.

• Shadow a parent for a day and write a speech about what kinds of things he or she does, or put yourself in the shoes of a fictional person like a soldier, doctor or president to discuss the important on-the-job tasks.
• If you have decided what you want to be when you graduate, write a speech on how you will get to your goal.

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<!--StartFragment-->I am a current senior studying at the University of Missouri - Columbia with a major in Journalism and a minor in Sociology. I have interests in photojournalism, documentary journalism and design fields. <!--EndFragment--><!--EndFragment--><!--EndFragment-->

12 Horror Movie Podcasts to Make You Scream

By Matthew Chernov

Matthew Chernov

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No category of movie inspires passionate devotion quite like the horror genre. Although “Star Wars” groupies and superhero buffs might give them a run for their money, serious horror fans let their love of monsters, slashers, aliens and demons inform virtually every aspect of their lives . Part of that unmatched intensity is due to the vast history of the genre itself. While Lucas’s “Star Wars” and Richard Donner’s “Superman” kickstarted their fandoms in the late 1970s, horror’s filmic roots stretch back to the silent classics of the early 1900s, meaning there are literally countless titles for fans to discuss, debate, collect and obsess over.  

The problem is, when you’re the type of person who strongly believes the obscure 1981 creature feature “The Boogens” is actually an esoteric masterpiece, or you’ve got strong opinions on why the 1931 Spanish version of “Dracula” is far superior to the Lugosi film, or you’re just itching to argue with someone over which cinematic interpretation of Jack the Ripper is most authentic, it’s not always easy to find like-minded company.  

Thankfully then, there are dozens upon dozens of engaging horror movie podcasts available to satisfy every fan’s individual taste in terror. Produced and hosted by some of the funniest and most intelligent film experts you’ll ever encounter, these shows will make even the hardest of hardcore horror fans feel right at home. So if you’d rather watch “Xtro” than “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” or you can rank your favorite Mario Bava films at the drop of a hat, here are 12 horror movie podcasts that you need to subscribe to as soon as possible.    

Popular on Variety

Colors of the dark  .

Ever since the first issue hit newsstands in 1979, Fangoria Magazine has been on the forefront of horror movie coverage. So it’s only natural that their official podcast network would feature some of the best genre audio content on the web. Their most recent show is “Colors of the Dark,” co-hosted by erudite media scholar Dr. Rebekah McKendry and award-winning filmmaker Elric Kane. Having honed their craft on numerous other podcasts over the years, McKendry and Kane are a seasoned pair of broadcasters who draw you in with their fun and approachable personalities, and then knock you out with their encyclopedic knowledge of horror. Discussing nearly every new genre release in theaters and on streaming platforms, the hosts also devote episodes to cool subcategories of film, like icy snowbound horror, eerie backwoods folk horror, and horror movies about vacations gone very, very wrong.    

Every Horror Movie on Netflix  

It’s the middle of the night and you’re developing an oozing blister on your thumb from scrolling through the horror section on Netflix, desperately searching for something new to watch that won’t make you want to hurl the remote through the TV screen. But who’s heard of half of these films? The descriptions sound intriguing and the cover art is decent, but you’ve been burned way too many times before. That’s where the bluntly titled “Every Horror Movie on Netflix” podcast comes in. Amiable co-hosts Steven, Chris and Patrick (no last names ever mentioned) fearlessly sit through every horror movie on the streaming service and report back with their findings. Although they cover familiar studio films like “Poltergeist,” “Red Dragon,” and “Crimson Peak,” the real draw is hearing them discuss head-scratchers like the Emirati horror pic “Grandmother’s Farm,” the psychiatric chiller “Clinical,” the Australian zombie movie “Cargo,” and the moody Rhode Island-set thriller “The Block Island Sound.”  

Horror Queers  

Beloved by marginalized viewers and outsider artists throughout history, horror films have always been intricately entwined with queer culture. And that’s the lens through which co-hosts Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman examine the genre on the hugely popular “Horror Queers” podcast. Tackling films with sometimes subtle and sometimes overt LGBTQ+ themes, Lipsett and Thurman analyze everything from the 1936 queer-coded classic “Dracula’s Daughter” to oddities like the raunchy 1981 slasher spoof “Student Bodies” to the recent coming-of-age cannibal drama “Raw.” Rather than rehash dense academic theory, however, the conversation here is always accessible, provocative and enormously engaging. If you’ve never looked at “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge” as a groundbreaking coming out story, give “Horror Queers” a listen and you’ll be seeing the genre in a whole new light.    

The Kingcast  

What the acclaimed podcast “You Must Remember This” does for Old Hollywood, “The Kingcast” does for literary giant Stephen King. An absolute must-listen for fans of the author, the show takes an unfathomably deep dive into all things King, and includes perceptive analyses of both the novels and their film adaptations. But that’s only part of this podcast’s magic. On virtually every episode, co-hosts Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler are joined by a jaw-dropping list of special guests who drop by to chat about their favorite King movies and books. You’ll hear “Halloween” star Judy Greer discuss her love of “Misery,” Jamie Lee Curtis share opinions about “Stand by Me,” and “Eternals” superhero Kumail Nanjiani weigh in on “The Running Man.” Also included are in-depth interviews with Dee Wallace on the making of “Cujo” and Thomas Jane on the soul-crushing climax of “The Mist.” Part of the Fangoria Podcast Network, of course.  

Post Mortem with Mick Garris  

Most horror fans probably know Mick Garris for the numerous Stephen King adaptations he’s directed throughout his career, including the wonderfully bonkers “Sleepwalkers.” But anyone who’s actually met him in person will tell you that he’s also one of the nicest and most knowledgeable guys in the genre. And he puts that charm and brilliance to great use on his excellent “Post Mortem” interview podcast. Featuring celebrity guests like Clive Barker, producer Jason Blum, director Joe Dante, and even Whoopi Goldberg, Garris knows exactly what questions to ask, because he’s a genuine fan at heart. Think of him as horror’s answer to Mike Wallace. With a storyteller’s eye for pacing, he keeps the show moving quickly, and episodes rarely run over an hour in length, so the conversation never drags for a second.  

Kill by Kill  

Let’s face it. As horror fans, we all love a good kill scene. In fact, all too often, decent kills are the only thing that saves a film (mumble mumble “Halloween Kills” mumble mumble). And that’s the premise of “Kill by Kill,” a very funny show hosted by Patrick Hamilton and Gena Radcliffe. Each episode concentrates on a specific horror film, but rather than recap the plot, Hamilton and Radcliffe focus instead on the characters and how they die. A lively roster of special guests turn up from time to time to lend their two cents, including popular drag performer Peaches Christ and Fangoria Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr. Best of all, the podcast covers an eclectic mix of titles, including goofy movies like “Death Spa” and “Blood Rage,” along with forgotten gems like the 1979 mutant bear masterpiece “Prophecy.” Even horror-adjacent films like the gory Charles Bronson actioner “10 to Midnight” get their due here.    

The Boo Crew  

This fast-moving series from the Bloody Disgusting Podcast Network occasionally sounds like a professional Morning Zoo radio show, albeit one where the hosts spend time trading quips about slasher movies and Godzilla films rather than dishing on reality TV stars and the local weather. Energetic co-hosts Leone D’Antonio, Trevor Shand and Lauren Shand welcome an impressive array of guests onto the show, including “Midnight Mass” director Mike Flanagan, “Chucky” creator Don Mancini, and “The Devil’s Rejects” star Bill Moseley, and they keep the conversation flowing with ease. Briskly paced and extremely well produced, most episodes clock in at 30 or 40 minutes, making them the perfect length for when you’re on the go around town but still want to hear Kane Hodder discuss life after Jason. 

Development Hell  

The premise of this fascinating show from the Dread Podcast Network is simple yet ingenious. Rather than discuss a familiar horror film that you’ve seen a dozen times or more, Toronto-based host Josh Korngut spends each episode of “Development Hell” highlighting a scary movie that was never actually made. You’ll hear about abandoned “Jaws” sequels, cancelled “Hellraiser” reboots, Quentin Tarantino’s odd brush with the “Halloween” franchise, Wes Craven’s ill-fated attempt to make a creepy “Alice in Wonderland” adaptation, and Guillermo del Toro’s scrapped version of Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion.” It’s an intriguing peek at an alternate history of the horror genre, filled with tantalizing details about how close each film came to being made, what went wrong at the last minute and whether they might still see cameras roll one day.  

The Monsters That Made Us  

You won’t find much talk about Michael Myers or the latest gloom-a-thon from A24 on “The Monsters That Made Us.” That’s because co-hosts Dan Colón and Mike Manzi spend each episode insightfully analyzing Universal Studio’s iconic monster films produced between 1931 and 1956. Naturally, modern horrors do get mentioned now and then, but the show’s emphasis is squarely on the black and white classics that made Lugosi, Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. household names. Approaching the cycle in chronological order, Colón and Manzi don’t just focus on the biggies like “Dracula,” “Frankenstein” and “The Wolf Man.” They cover all the Universal titles, including lesser-known gems like “The Mummy’s Hand,” “The Invisible Woman” and “Werewolf of London.” And in each case, they point out interesting nuances and curious connections that prove there’s much more to these monsters than meets the eye.  

Nightmare on Film Street  

This splendid all-purpose horror movie podcast earns the loyalty of its listeners through sheer positivity and tireless hard work. Co-hosts Jonathan Dehaan and Kimberley Elizabeth clearly adore the genre, and the rate at which they produce new high-quality episodes is borderline scary. Featuring thoughtful interviews with up-and-coming superstars like “Bingo Hell” director Gigi Saul Guerrero, banter-filled discussions about Eurohorror masterworks like “The Beyond” and “Tenebre” and playful debates that pit similarly themed movies like “Zodiac” and “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” against each other, the “Nightmare on Film Street” podcast should be on the radar of every horror fan with a pair of headphones.    

Horror Movie Talk  

One of the things that makes the “Horror Movie Talk” podcast such a great listen is the likable interplay between co-hosts Bryce Hanson and David Day, and the vigor with which they boldly defend their hottest takes. Basically, it’s like eavesdropping on two hilariously over-caffeinated superfans at a Chiller Convention argue about the merits of “Saw 3D.” And who doesn’t want to hear that? The cool thing is, Hanson and Day clearly know their stuff, and even if you disagree with their opinions on whether or not the 1984 Italian gore epic “Rats: Night of Terror” is or isn’t a tour de force (they’re actually split on the matter) you’ll come away with plenty to chew on… so to speak. Perhaps best enjoyed with a beer or three, “Horror Movie Talk” is a lot of fun.  

Shock Waves  

Unlike every other podcast on this list, “Shock Waves” is no longer producing new episodes, but don’t let that stop you from listening. Abruptly shut down in 2020, the show remains an invaluable audio archive and an entertaining resource for anyone interested in cinematic terror. And with more than 190 episodes still available to download, there’s a wealth of great material to dive into. Co-hosted by Dr. Rebekah McKendry and Elric Kane (who’ve since moved on to “Colors of the Dark,” mentioned previously), the show also features the input of Ryan Turek, a pioneering voice in the online horror community from way back, who today produces hits like the “Happy Death Day” series, David Gordon Green’s “Halloween” reboot trilogy, and the upcoming supernatural thriller “The Black Phone.” Special guests include “Scream” creator Kevin Williamson, “Doctor Strange” director Scott Derrickson and rocker Dee Snider, who shares fantastic stories about working with Tim Burton and makeup wizard Tom Savini.  

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• General English

Horror films

Listen to Mel talking about why she loves horror films and which ones she prefers.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Audio zone: Horror films – preparation

Audio zone: Horror films – 1

Audio zone: Horror films – 2

Do you like horror films?

Language level

I'm not a fan of horror films. I prefer watching black comedy-drama series and films. I've recently watched a lot of British comedy-drama series such as Fleabag, Back to Life, After Life, Am I Being Unreasonable, Extraordinary, etc. Moreover, I highly recommend watching them to everyone who wants to level up their English. They are very efficient and productive.

• Log in or register to post comments

I really appreciate your lesson. But, I have something confused to ask you. It is the number 6 of task 1. The answer showed me that the right answer is ''True''. But, I am not sure why this is true. I think it has not been shown in the audio. Let me get this straight, please.

Hi MgKanKaung,

We are glad that you enjoyed the listening lesson :)

It's true because the speaker describes the monsters as "these unrealistic giant creatures". The word "unrealistic" shows that she thought they were a bit unbelievable, or not very realistic (i.e., she wasn't convinced by them).

I hope that helps to understand it.

LearnEnglish team

No, I don't like horror movies. Thank God.

Well first of all I adore your website a lot beside I have been using the baltform of BBC learning English both of you are marvelous baltforma for learning English I can't thank you Enough the team who worked to build this exotic website I owe you a lot Britich concul, for me horror movies had caused me a lot of me, I think it not fit for me.

Hello esta,

Thanks very much for your kind words! We wish you the best.

Best regards, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

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10 Most Frightening Monologues in Horror Movies, Ranked

These bone chilling speeches leave much to the imagination.

Sometimes the most influential horror comes from powerful words and incredible acting performances. In the pantheon of horror films, nothing tops a brilliantly written and acted monologue as it perfectly illustrates the film's intended tone. These speeches engage audiences and frighten them more efficiently than any jump scare or monster.

These monologues and the actors performing them do not fail to attract attention, and they leave a chill down one's spine. Whether the message was foreshadowing or foreboding, these speeches became integral to each film's atmosphere.

10 Griffin's Power to Rule! - 'The Invisible Man' (1933)

After becoming enraged by the effects of his invisibility potion, Dr. Jack Griffin ( Claude Rains ) develops a lust for power and control. He explains his evil master plan with his concerned love, Flora ( Gloria Stuar t), and she worries a murderous monster has taken over the Jack she knew before.

RELATED: Top 10 Classic Universal Monster Movies as Rated By Rotten Tomatoes

Claude Rains made Griffin his own by using his talented ability to give off authority and malice through his unique speaking voice. He plays Jack with absolute passion as he delivers an excited but menacing speech about his sinister plans to take over the world and rule as a God.

9 Kate's Worst Christmas - 'Gremlins' (1984)

As the mischievous gremlins cause mayhem in Kingston Falls on Christmas Eve night, heroes Billy ( Zach Galligan ) and Kate ( Phoebe Cates ) find themselves in a calm moment after experiencing all the destruction. However, Kate takes the time to reveal to Billy her dismay for Christmas after she witnessed an event that led to the death of her father and the ruining of her childhood.

Cates' monologue supports the film's darkly comedic tone , and made to include over-the-top corniness while still delivering a genuinely scary vibe. The scene uses unsettling music, a dark and dimly lit setting, and an uncomfortable close-up shot of Cates' face as she says her speech to intentionally make the audience feel like their about to be told a scary but entertaining campfire story.

8 Ben's Backstory - 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968)

As the dead rise, Ben ( Duane Jones ) and the other living try to survive the best they can. As Ben begins to secure their shelter, he tells his fellow survivor Barbra ( Judith O'Dea ) an unsettling story about his harrowing escape from a zombie massacre in which he became the only survivor of.

The late Duane Jones should have been nominated for an Oscar for his role as Ben. His speech is drawn out with a few moments of eerie silence that still engages the audience and perfectly encapsulates the film's depressing but terrifying tone.

7 The Voice Recordings - 'The Evil Dead' (1981)

When five friends stay at an isolated cabin in the woods , they discover the sinister Book of the Dead and a tape recording that houses a terrifying secret. Once they play the record, a mysterious professor ( Bod Dorian ) documents his studies of the book's terrible powers and how something demonic was unleashed within the dark forest that could spell doom for all who stay at the cabin.

Bod Dorian speaks with a creepy monotone to his voice which gives credibility to his character as a professor and lets the viewers know that what he's saying is severe. His ghostly echoes as he translates parts of the book's incantations give off a feeling of impending danger that never lets up for the rest of the movie.

6 Norman Talks About His Mother - 'Psycho' (1960)

Norman Bates ( Anthony Perkins ) and his Mother have a rather complicated relationship. When a guest named Marion Crane ( Janet Leigh ) spends the night at his motel, Norman vents his frustrations about his sick Mother to her in a speech that slowly chips away at his outward friendly demeanor and reveals a threatening, mysterious side to Norman that tells the audience that he's not who he appears to be.

RELATED: Classic Black & White Horror Films that Aren't Universal Monsters

Anthony Perkins plays Norman in such a way that the viewers can't take their eyes off him every time he appears on-screen. His ability to switch between awkwardness and friendliness to stern and sinister in his speech is a true testament to his acting talents. It also foreshadows Norman's dark side and hints that he's carrying a horrifying secret.

5 Dr. Lecter's First Meeting - 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)

To get to know a serial killer's motives and find him before he kills his next victim, FBI trainee Clarice Starling ( Jodie Foster ) is tasked with meeting and probing the mind of infamous former psychiatrist and murderer Dr. Hannibal Lecter ( Antony Hopkins ) to learn the killer's pathology. However, once she hands the intelligent Doctor a questionnaire, he insults Clarice with a threatening speech that makes her realize she has no real control over the conversation.

Hopkins takes command of Lecter's and Clarice's first meeting with his creepy and sophisticated speaking voice. The way he insults Clarice and mocks her suppressed southern accent tells the audience that he's smarter than her and able to read her like an open book despite only knowing her for a few minutes.

4 The Televangelist's Speech - 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)

In the ending days of civilization and the start of an undead apocalypse, A Televangelist Preacher ( Ken Foree ) broadcasts a chastising message about society's doom. He tells his viewers that the current zombie crisis is the result of humanity's sins in the world and warns them, "When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."

Allowing Ken Foree to cameo and repeat his iconic horror movie quote from the original Dawn of the Dead was an excellent filmmaking choice, as his presence and delivery significantly set up the foreboding atmosphere and bleak tone that the film was representing. Along with an ominous musical background and a slow zoom up to his face, the Preacher's speech fills the audience with fear as they know the film's protagonists are now in a dire situation.

3 Pearl's Confession - 'Pearl' (2022)

After developing murderous tendencies and breaking down in tears after losing her one chance at leaving her boring farm life behind, Pearl ( Mia Goth ) gives a hypothetical confession about all her previous horrible acts and regrets to her sister-in-law Misty ( Emma Jenkins-Purro ), pretending to be her husband, Howard.

RELATED: From 'Barbarian' to 'Smile': Top 10 Horror Movies of 2022 That You Need to Watch ASAP

Mia Goth was criminally snubbed from the best actress nomination for her twist role as Pearl. Her monologue highlights her ability to draw sympathy from the audience and fill them with suspense as they know each passing moment of the speech builds up to her conclusion to kill Misty once the confession is over.

2 Dr. Loomis Talks About Michael - 'Halloween' (1978)

With the dangerous killer Michael Myers ( Nick Castle ) loose on the streets of Haddonfield, Illinois, his psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis ( Donald Pleasence ), follows hot on his trail to bring an end to his terror. He later fearfully warns the town's Sheriff Brackett ( Charles Cyphers ) that Michael is less like a man and more of a force of pure evil.

What makes Pleasence's speech so terrifying and memorable is that it builds Michael's credibility as a truly mysterious and sinister antagonist. Loomis speaks with an ominous tone and leaves an unnerving feeling that hints that this killer may be a true boogeyman that won't stay dead .

1 The USS Indianapolis - 'Jaws' (1975)

During the hunt for the monstrous shark that's been terrorizing the coastal community of Amity Island, the three protagonists find downtime for themselves and cheer on their past scars and drink to their camaraderie. However, once he's questioned about his removed tattoo scar. Captain Quint ( Robert Shaw ) tells the men a harrowing war story about his survival in shark-infested waters after his ship, the USS Indianapolis, sunk during WWII.

This iconic monologue is easily one of the best and most terrifying examples of storytelling in a horror film. Shaw captivates the audience with his nuanced performance and illustrates Quint's story in such detail and intrigue that it allows the viewer to paint a clear picture of the tragic event that haunted the character's life forever.

NEXT: 10 of the Most Iconic Horror Movie Scenes of All Time, Ranked from Scary to Scariest

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Why Do We Enjoy Horror Movies?

Cynthia Vinney, PhD is an expert in media psychology and a published scholar whose work has been published in peer-reviewed psychology journals.

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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• Explanations
• Personal Differences
• Therapeutic Effects

Horror is one of the most enduringly popular film genres in many areas around the world. While many people willingly buy tickets to the latest release, in our daily lives we often try to avoid anything that frightens us. So why would we pay to watch a movie that induces fear and terror ?

Here we explore several of the theories behind why people like horror movies. We also dive into who tends to gravitate toward movies designed to provoke feelings of fright, along with the ways in which these types of films can actually be therapeutic.

Reasons People Like Horror Movies

No single explanation provided by scholars accounts for every reason people enjoy watching horror movies. Below are among the most well-established explanations offered to explain this phenomenon.

Vicarious Experiences and Threat Mastery

Horror scholar Mathias Clasen suggests that a tendency to love horror can be traced back to the constant danger our ancient ancestors experienced in the environments where they lived. Constant vigilance was required to avoid becoming the prey of a larger or more deadly animal.

These long-ago experiences have granted people a highly responsive, albeit mostly unconscious, threat detection system. Because horror movies do such a good job of simulating threatening situations, this means our emotional responses to them are similar to those we'd experience if we encountered a real-life threat.

Because we don't encounter real-life threats as often as ancient humans, going to horror films can be a novel experience that lets us put our innate threat detection system to use. This not only makes horror movies more attention-grabbing for audiences, but it also allows them to experience things like post-apocalypse, alien invasions, and the threat of an attacker in a safe environment.

In short, horror movies are a risk-free way to vicariously experience threats and rehearse one's responses to those threats. Plus, after people get through a horror movie unscathed, they may feel a sense of accomplishment and mastery over the threat they've experienced, which then leads them to feel more confident in their ability to handle other anxiety-provoking situations .

In our everyday lives, we don't encounter scary situations all that often. But if we do encounter something threatening or dangerous, it attracts our attention.

Excitation Transfer Theory

One of the earliest psychological theories to explain people's enjoyment of horror movies is Dolf Zillmann's excitation transfer theory, which was developed in the 1970s. This theory proposes that our enjoyment is created by the negative affect created by the film followed by a positive affect or response when the threat is resolved, leading to a euphoric high.

More recent studies suggest that excitation transfer theory is still alive. One was published in 2017 and looked at permadeath (the idea that once a character dies in a video game, the game starts over from the beginning) in the survival-horror game DayZ. It concluded that permadeath was appealing to players due to excitation transfer.

Exploring the Dark Side of Humanity

Other studies theorize that our enjoyment of horror movies comes from a morbid curiosity about subjects like death and terror, also referred to as the dark side of humanity. One piece of research found that people with higher levels of morbid curiosity are more likely to watch horror films, less likely to be scared after watching them, and generally watch these flicks alone.

According to this theory, horror movies let us vicariously explore the nature of evil , both in others and in ourselves. They also allow us to grapple with the darkest parts of humanity in a safe environment.

Who Likes Horror Movies?

Not everyone enjoys horror movies. In fact, there are many who stay away from the genre as much as possible. Psychology has provided some insight into the individual differences that make someone more likely to enjoy horror films.

People Who Seek Sensations

Numerous studies have demonstrated that those high in the trait of sensation seeking tend to enjoy horror. Sensation seeking is the tendency to look for novel, risky, or intense experiences . People high in this trait tend to experience positive emotions when they have intensely stimulating experiences, even if those experiences are negative.

High sensation seekers are wired to enjoy the stimulating experience of horror films in a way people low in this trait are not.

People With Lower Empathy Levels

Research indicates that people lower in the trait of empathy tend to enjoy horror movies because they are less impacted by the suffering depicted onscreen. Not everyone agrees with this, however.

Some researchers contend that our empathy toward a real person is not necessarily the same as the empathy we feel for a fictional character. The problem is that this is difficult to determine in studies, making it hard to know if and when true empathy occurs.

People Belonging to the Male Sex

More than any other individual difference, sex is most predictive of enjoyment of horror films, with males tending to enjoy scary and violent movies far more than females. This difference can be at least partially explained by the fact that females tend to experience greater fear and anxiety than males.

In addition, females tend to be higher than males in the trait of disgust sensitivity. This could lead them to dislike horror movies that depict blood and gore.

Horror Movies as Therapy

There's a growing body of research that suggests horror movies could be used in clinical settings to help people with anxiety or trauma. For instance, one study found that people who watched horror movies were less psychologically distressed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who were fans of the apocalyptic subgenre of horror felt more prepared for additional waves of the pandemic.

This suggests that people who consume horror develop the ability to cope with stressful and anxiety-provoking situations.

If this is the case, watching horror movies and other media could be used by mental health professionals to help people with anxiety develop emotional and behavioral strategies to cope with their fears, which could ultimately make them more resilient in general.

While people who don't enjoy horror may not find this beneficial, for those who like the genre, watching horror movies could be akin to exposure therapy . More research needs to be conducted to determine if this approach is effective and, if so, in what instances.

American Film Market. The relative popularity of genres around the world .

Clasen M. Why horror seduces .

Clasen M, Kjeldgaard-Christiansen J, Johnson JA. Horror, personality, and threat simulation: A survey on the psychology of scary media .  Evol Behav Sci . 2020;14(3):213-230. doi:10.1037/ebs0000152

Scrivner C, Johnson JA, Kjeldgaard-Christiansen J, Clasen M. Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic .  Pers Individ Dif . 2021;168:110397. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.110397

Martin GN. (Why) do you like scary movies? A review of the empirical research on psychological responses to horror films .  Front Psychol . 2019;10:2298. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02298

Carter M, Allison F. Fear, loss and meaningful play: Permadeath in DayZ . J Gaming Virtual Worlds . 2017;9(2):143-158. doi:10.1386/jgvw.9.2.143_1

Sanders A. Exploring the dark side of humanity: Motivations of morbidly curious individuals . Murray State University.

Yang H, Zhang K. The psychology behind why we love (or hate) horror . Harvard Business Review.

Petraschka T. How empathy with fictional characters differs from empathy with real persons . J Aesthet Art Criticism . 2021;79(2):227-232. doi:10.1093/jaac/kpab017

Al-Shawaf L, Lewis D, Buss D. Sex differences in disgust: Why are women more easily disgusted than men? Emotion Rev . 2017;10(2):149-160. doi:10.1177/1754073917709940

Scrivner C, Christensen K. Scaring away anxiety: Therapeutic avenues for horror fiction to enhance treatment for anxiety symptoms .  PsyArXiv . 2021. doi:10.31234/osf.io/7uh6f

By Cynthia Vinney, PhD Cynthia Vinney, PhD is an expert in media psychology and a published scholar whose work has been published in peer-reviewed psychology journals.

8 Haunting Horror Movie Gimmicks

By jason serafino | oct 18, 2018.

In the 1950s and 1960s, horror movies were making studios huge profits on shoestring budgets. But after the market hit horror overload, directors and studios had to be extra creative to get people to flock to theaters. That's when a flood of different gimmicks were introduced at movie theaters across the country to make a film stand out from the crowd. From hypnotists to life insurance policies and free vomit bags, here's a brief history of some of the most memorable horror movie gimmicks.

1. PSYCHO-RAMA // MY WORLD DIES SCREAMING (1958)

In order to truly become a classic, a horror movie can't just work on the surface; it has to get deep inside of your head. That's what Psycho-Rama tried to achieve when it was first conceived for My World Dies Screaming , later renamed Terror in the Haunted House . Psycho-Rama introduced audiences to subliminal imagery in order to let the scares sink in more than any traditional film could.

Skulls, snakes, ghoulish faces, and the word "Death" would all appear onscreen for a fraction of a second—not long enough for an audience member to consciously notice it, but it was enough to get them uneasy. Obviously Psycho-Rama didn't really catch on with the public or the film industry, but horror directors, like William Friedkin in The Exorcist , have since gone on to use this quick imagery technique to enhance their own movies.

2. FRIGHT INSURANCE // MACABRE (1958)

Director William Castle didn't make a name for himself in the film industry by directing cinematic classics; instead, he relied on shock and schlock to help fill movie theater seats. His movies were full of what audiences craved at the time: horror, gore, terror, suspense, and a heaping helping of camp. But his true genius came from marketing—and the gimmicks he brought to every movie, which have since become legendary among horrorphiles.

His most famous stunt was the life insurance policy he purchased for every member of an audience that paid to see Macabre . This was a real policy backed by Lloyd's of London , so if you died of fright in your seat, your family would receive $1000. Now who wouldn't want to roll the dice on that type of deal? Of course, the policy didn't cover anyone with a preexisting medical condition or an audience member who committed suicide during the screening. Lloyd's had to draw the line somewhere, right?

3. HYPNO-VISTA // HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM (1959)

How do you make your routine horror movie stand out from the crowd? Hypnotize your audience, of course. Thus Hypno-Vista was born. For this gimmick, James Nicholson, president of American International Pictures, suggested that a lecture by a hypnotist, Dr. Emile Franchel, should precede Horrors of the Black Museum , which had a plot focusing on a hypnotizing killer.

For 13 minutes, Dr. Franchel talked to the audience about the science behind hypnotism, before attempting to hypnotize them himself in order to feel more immersed in the story. Nowadays it comes off as overlong and dry, but it was a gimmick that got people into theaters back in 1959. Plus, writer Herman Cohen said that eventually the lecture had to be removed whenever the movie re-aired on TV because it did, in fact, hypnotize some people.

4. NO LATE ADMISSION // PSYCHO (1960)

Though this isn't the most gimmickiest of gimmicks, Alfred Hitchcock 's insistence that no audience member be admitted into Psycho once the movie started got a lot of publicity at the time. The Master of Suspense's reasoning is less about drumming up publicity and more about audience satisfaction, though. Because Janet Leigh gets killed so early into the movie, he didn't want people to miss her part and feel misled by the movie's marketing.

This publicity tactic wasn't completely novel, though, as the groundbreaking French horror movie Les Diaboliques (1955) had a similar policy in place. This was at a time when people would simply stroll into movie screenings whenever they wanted, so to see a director—especially one so masterful at the art of publicity—who was adamant about showing up on time was a great way to pique some interest.

5. FRIGHT BREAK // HOMICIDAL (1961)

Another classic William Castle gimmick was the "fright break" he offered to audience members during his 1961 movie, Homicidal . Here, a timer would appear on the screen just as the film was hurtling toward its gruesome climax. Frightened audience members had 45 seconds to leave the theater and still get a full refund on their ticket. There was a catch, though.

Frightened audience members who decided to take the easy way out were shamed into the "coward's corner," which was a yellow cardboard booth supervised by some poor sap theater employee. Then, they were forced to sign a paper reading "I'm a bona-fide coward," before getting their money back. Obviously, at the risk of such humiliation, most people decided to just grit their teeth and experience the horror on the screen instead.

6. THE PUNISHMENT POLL // MR. SARDONICUS (1961)

The most interactive of William Castle's schlocky horror gimmicks put the fate of the film itself into the hands of the audience. Dubbed the "punishment poll," Castle devised a way to let viewers vote on the fate of the characters in the movie Mr. Sardonicus . Upon entering the theater, people were given a card with a picture of a thumb on it that would glow when a special light was placed on it. "Thumbs up" meant that Mr. Sardonicus would be given mercy, and "thumbs down" meant … well, you get the idea.

Apparently audiences never gave ol' Sardonicus the thumbs up, despite Castle's claims that the happier ending was filmed and ready to go. However, no alternative ending has ever surfaced, leaving many to doubt his claims. Chances are, there was only one way out for Mr. Sardonicus.

7. FREE VOMIT BAGS // MARK OF THE DEVIL (1970)

Horror fans are mostly masochists at heart. They don't want to be entertained—they want to be terrified. So when the folks behind 1970's Mark of the Devil gave out free vomit bags to the audience due to the film's grotesque nature, how could any self-respecting horror fan not be intrigued? It wasn't just the bags that the studio was advertising; it also claimed the film was rated V, for violence—and maybe some vomit?

8. DUO-VISION // WICKED, WICKED (1973)

Duo-Vision was hyped as the new storytelling technique in cinema—offering two times the terror for the price of one ticket. Of course Duo-Vision is just fancy marketing lingo for split-screen, meaning audiences see a film from two completely different perspectives side-by-side. In the 1973 horror film Wicked, Wicked , that meant watching the movie from the points of view of both the killer and his victims.

Seems like a perfect concept for the horror genre, right? Well, Duo-Vision wasn't just employed during the movie's most horrific moments; it was used for the movie's entire 95-minute runtime. The technique had been used sparingly in other films—most notably in Brian De Palma's much better film Sisters (1973)—but it had never been implemented to this extent. A little bit of Duo-Vision apparently goes a long way, because it fell out of favor soon after.

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Most powerful monologues from horror films.

Adrian Halen 05/14/2023 Articles special , Exclusive Articles

Horror films are often known for their suspense, jump scares, and outright gore – but there is more than violence and anticipation to fear. Words can create fear alone, and it takes a great actor to instill fear in viewers with just a speech. Below, we’ve picked two of our favorite monologues from superstar actors, Al Pacino and Christian Bale in different horror films, which are both poetic and chilling.

Source: Unsplash

Al Pacino – The Devil’s Advocate

This legendary actor cemented his place in the acting hall of fame with his epic portrayal of Corleone in The Godfather (1972) before furthering his legacy with an awe-inspiring performance as a gangster in the cultural classic Scarface (1983). In what may come as a surprise,  PIA reported that the actor was close to landing the role of Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise between these two masterpieces (1977) but eventually passed on the opportunity.

After struggling with illness during the filming of Revolution (1985), the actor would co-star with Keanu Reeves some years later in The Devil’s Advocate and deliver a gripping speech that had to be included in this short article. Teeming with anger at the state of the world and the unfair treatment of God, Al Pacino passionately delves into his monologue, criticizing the futility of serving a merciless God. Exploring the dichotomies of man that lead to a constant cycle of suffering, Al Pacino declares that a “sick” God was laughing at his struggle. Instead of submitting to God, he swears to rule by the devil’s laws. As Keanu puts it: “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven, is that it?”.

Christian Bale – American Psycho

Typically known as either Batman or Bateman, Christian Bale is one of the greatest actors to grace the 21st century, delivering hit film after hit film. His commitment to his roles has seen his body weight fluctuate to abnormal levels – Screenrant estimates that Bale has lost and gained over 610 pounds during his career. It is no surprise that an actor so committed to his art could produce one of the most iconic, chilling monologues in modern media. In one of the film’s earliest scenes, we have Patrick Bateman (Bale) talking viewers through his morning skincare routine.

While this seems trivial and normal at first, the production of the scene gives viewers a slightly unsettling feeling. Bateman is, in fact, an incredibly played psychopath – who refuses to believe that he is a real person. The scene ends with a chilling description of how Patrick Bateman is nothing but a figment of people’s imagination: a tangible shell of a man that contains no humanity. This justifies his senseless killing throughout the film. The monologue is the perfect introduction to Bateman in this movie, which CBR deem “one of the creepiest psychological horrors of all time.”

Horror is a growing genre and has come a long way from poor special effects and basic jump scares. Creating a lasting feeling of fear in viewers with just one’s words is a talent in both the scriptwriter and the actor delivering it. These are just some of the most iconic monologues out there, guaranteed to get the hairs on your neck standing. If you haven’t seen them, what are you waiting for? Maybe don’t watch these films alone at night, though.

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Screen Rant

10 best killer's monologues in horror movies (including pearl).

The horror movie Pearl ends with a chilling monologue of all time and there are a couple of other movie killers who have made similar remarks.

There have been a couple of incredible performances in horror movies in 2022, but Mia Goth is the one that has everyone calling on the Academy to give her an Oscar nod. That’s because of her incredible performance in Pearl , which ends with her character delivering one of the best-ever movie monologues.

Throughout Hollywood's existence, there have been a couple of other horror characters that enjoyed talking as much as they did killing. And in the same way as Goth's character, they delivered some extremely chilling monologues in their respective movies.

Jack Torrance Prepares To Kill His Wife Wendy

The shining (1980).

Before attempting to kill his wife, Torrence makes an effort to reassure her first. With an imperious voice, he tries to get her to be calm, dishing out chilling statements such as, “I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just going to bash your brains in.”

The monologue remains etched in the minds of audiences because of Jack's weird line of thought. To him, bashing someone’s head in doesn’t count as hurting. Even when his wife asks for more time, he gives a counter-argument as to how people often ask for more time, yet they don’t need it. It’s perceptions like this that make him one of the best ‘80s horror villains , and even though he is possessed, it’s hard not to detest him for having such a cavalier attitude toward murder.

Patrick Bateman Acknowledges His Inner Demons

American psycho (2000).

It doesn’t take long for the investment banker, Patrick Bateman, to realize something is wrong with him. Taking his time, he diagnoses himself, throwing out lines such as, “My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.”

It’s a monologue that prepares audiences for what’s to come and none of it is pretty. From stamping dogs to chasing victims with a chainsaw, Bateman sure does top many other horror killers when it comes to brutality. But the ending, where it's suggested that none of the murders happened, is what makes this one of Christian Bale’s best movies .

Hannibal Profiles Clarice

Silence of the lambs (1991).

When the FBI Academy student, Clarice Starling, is sent to interview the serial killer Hannibal Lecter at a Baltimore mental institution, he comes up with a summary about her. “You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes?” The killer answers himself by mixing shady remarks and accurate assessments.

When it comes to profiling, few villains are in Hannibal's class, Here, the person that was sent to study ends up being the one getting studied, and it's fun to watch. Throughout the monologue, he confuses Clarice by mocking her and singing praises at the same time. His bile toward law enforcement seems a bit excessive but having been captured with no chance of ever getting released, it all makes sense.

“Mother” Submerges Norman’s Personality

Psycho (1960).

At the end of the movie, Norman Bates is finally arrested for all the murders he has committed and while sitting inside a cell, “Mother” (one of his split personalities) takes over for one last monologue. “Let them see what kind of person I am. I'm not even going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching,” she says as part of her speech.

Bates stands out as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s scariest characters because, apart from the murders, there is a major duel going on his inside his head. His overbearing mother, who he killed many years ago, is still a part of his mental composition, influencing him to commit murders. In the final scene, she claims innocence, arguing that the murders were all Norman’s doing, and while at it, the character's expression never twitches, not even marginally.

Jigsaw Explains His Motivations

It doesn’t take long for Jigsaw to explain why he has resorted to killing. “I’m sick of people who don't appreciate their blessings,” he says. “Sick of those who scoff at the suffering of others. I'm sick of it all,” he goes on and on.

Many horror movie killers are unnecessarily bloodthirsty but Jigsaw proves to be different by giving a rather simple explanation as to why murder is the most appealing to him. The killer notes that many people don’t appreciate their lives hence they would simply be better off if they didn’t exist.

Mrs. Voorhees Recalls The Drowning Incident

Friday the 13th (1980).

Friday The 13th has one of the best horror movie twists , and it all involves the revelation that Mrs. Voorhees was the killer all along. “They were making love while that young boy drowned,” she blusters, before giving more reasons why she chose to avenge her son’s death.

The monologue is perfect because it not only comes with a twist but also because it triggers sympathy for the villain. More importantly, Mrs. Voorhes makes yet another murder attempt as soon as she finishes lamenting. She isn’t successful, but the chills remain long after her would-be final victim manages to get the better of her.

The Gemini Killer Explains Himself To A Luitenant

The exorcist 3 (1990).

Shortly after turning into the Gemini Killer, a possessed Father Karras speaks to Lieutenant William F. Kinderman. He claims the spirit now possesses him and forces him to commit murders because it's angry about the preacher's decision to remove it from one of its previous victims. And the conclusion of his speech is even more iconic. "Oh, gracious me. Was I raving? Please forgive me," he says.

It's arguably the scariest of the numerous killer monologues because it's delivered in a fiendish voice. Like the Norman Bates scene, it's not really Father Karras speaking but something deep inside him, something that has passed on the baton of murder to him, and something the lawman struggles to relate to. As with most great monologues, the words are escorted by a powerful gaze, one directed at the cop, but one that makes the viewer feel like they are being examined.

Candyman Talks To Hellen

Candyman (1992).

“Why do you want to live?” The serial killer starts his monologue in a rather petrifying manner before concluding by stating that it’s better to be ghost-like instead of human,

A horror villain that sees no point in living is guaranteed to kill many people and that’s precisely what Candyman does. A part of him believes he is sparing his victims from the complexities of life. Another part of him simply enjoys doing what he does

Chucky’s Excitement

Child’s play (1988).

Chucky tries to get the spell reversed in the third act of the movie. After being told by the voodoo instructor that he’ll have to transfer his soul to the first human he revealed his true identity to, he becomes excited, stating that he has “a date with a six-year-old boy.” He then mortally wounds the instructor.

Watching a doll terrorize everyone is as shocking as it is fun. Hearing it talk is beguiling and in this instance, the dialogue sucks in the audience because it’s a combination of excitement and threats. Chucky is not only glad that he is going to be 6-years old again after possessing the boy but also happy that he’s about to kill yet another person

Pearl Keeps Talking For 9 Minutes

Pearl (2022).

The X prequel concludes with a monologue where Pearl attempts to explain why she committed the murders. Despite all that has happened, she convinces herself that she should “make the best of what’s left.”

It’s arguably the best-ever horror movie monologue not only because of the words but because of Pearl’s facial expressions and how the camera remains trained on her the entire time. What happens later is even scarier, with Pearl carefully placing the bodies of her parents at the dinner table and smiling as the credits roll.

NEXT: 10 Horror Villains More Likable Than The Heroes

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