# Which of these horror film ideas do you think are the best? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [August 26, 2021, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563 "2021-08-26T13:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/1 "2021-08-26T13:02:39Z")
Which of these horror film ideas do you think are the best or have the most potential? Which of these would you see if they were actual films? I can elaborate on any of them if necessary. 1: A highly advanced sadistic alien forces a group of young people to fight to the death for his amusement in a high tech death maze. 2: A mass breakout occurs at a mental hospital and a motley crew of deranged and violent patients head to a nearby circus on the same night that it’s being visited by a high school field trip. 3: An assortment of monsters and villains summoned by magic attack a grocery store. 4: A group of psychopaths play a game called Devil’s Delight where they compete to see who can get the most points committing increasingly evil and depraved acts. 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. 6: 15% of the world’s population turns into bloodlusted maniacs that retain their intelligence and want to kill everyone not like them. 7: A lonely, angry and miserable young man struggles to keep his psychopathic superhuman alter ego dormant as he begs to be set free in the real world. 8: An amateur serial killer partners up with an legendary killer who mentors him on the ins and outs of serial murder. 9: A twisted circus devoted to depravity and carnage created by beings from another universe appears in a city. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/2 "2021-08-26T13:04:34Z")
Aren’t these more slasher than horror? ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/3 "2021-08-26T13:05:11Z")
Slasher is a genre of horror. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/4 "2021-08-26T14:04:57Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 6: 15% of the world’s population turns into bloodlusted maniacs that retain their intelligence and want to kill everyone not like them. Only 15%? Sounds like a mushy feel-good movie. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/5 "2021-08-26T17:55:08Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. I like that one. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/6 "2021-08-26T18:00:03Z")
IMO the best horror creates a few interesting characters first and then layers on the horror. Rooting for or rooting against the characters makes the horror more visceral. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/7 "2021-08-26T18:02:29Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 9: A twisted circus devoted to depravity and carnage created by beings from another universe appears in a city. > **[Killer Klowns from Outer Space](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_Klowns_from_Outer_Space)** > > Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a 1988 American science fiction horror comedy film written, directed and produced by the Chiodo Brothers, and starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon. It is the only film written and directed by the Chiodo Brothers, who also created the practical effects and makeup. It concerns a clan of evil extraterrestrials who resemble clowns. They arrive on Earth and invade a small town in order to capture, kill and harvest the human inha... ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/8 "2021-08-26T18:08:12Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 8: An amateur serial killer partners up with an legendary killer who mentors him on the ins and outs of serial murder. This has potential although close to the plot of _The Mechanic_. How about a movie in which a brave Texas doctor overcomes ridicule to vanquish a plague of demonic sperm afflicting her patients? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/9 "2021-08-26T18:09:53Z")
The Mechanic was about a professional hitman and his protogee. They were killers but would they be considered serial killers? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/10 "2021-08-26T18:12:15Z")
Hence the phrase “close to”. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/11 "2021-08-26T18:24:09Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 1: A highly advanced sadistic alien forces a group of young people to fight to the death for his amusement in a high tech death maze. > > 2: A mass breakout occurs at a mental hospital and a motley crew of deranged and violent patients head to a nearby circus on the same night that it’s being visited by a high school field trip. I’d watch these, but the idea doesn’t sound all that new or interesting. > [@](#): > > 3: An assortment of monsters and villains summoned by magic attack a grocery store. If this was a comedy like Army of Darkness it could be good. > [@](#): > > 4: A group of psychopaths play a game called Devil’s Delight where they compete to see who can get the most points committing increasingly evil and depraved acts. Out of all of these this one seems to be the most interesting. There was a movie similar to this that I can’t remember the name of where people were given money to do things and they got worse and worse as time went on. I think there might have been a threat of if they didn’t do it something would happen to a loved one. > [@](#): > > 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. Eh, I could take or leave it. > [@](#): > > 6: 15% of the world’s population turns into bloodlusted maniacs that retain their intelligence and want to kill everyone not like them. How would this one work? Would it be a mass type kill thing like zombies, or would it be people hunting others down? I think it would be far more interesting to see where these people ‘hunt’ for people and occasionally go nuts killing lots of people. Something along the lines of Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer would be interesting. > [@](#): > > 7: A lonely, angry and miserable young man struggles to keep his psychopathic superhuman alter ego dormant as he begs to be set free in the real world. Sounds like the back story to Homelander from The Boys, which could be interesting. > [@](#): > > 8: An amateur serial killer partners up with an legendary killer who mentors him on the ins and outs of serial murder. There is one like this called Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon that’s actually quite good. > [@](#): > > 9: A twisted circus devoted to depravity and carnage created by beings from another universe appears in a city. As someone else said there already is a movie like this. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/12 "2021-08-26T18:32:09Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 1: A highly advanced sadistic alien forces a group of young people to fight to the death for his amusement in a high tech death maze. There are a few very similar movies to this already out there, with the only difference being. that. instead of an advanced alien, the sadist is a group of depraved humans. The Saw movies fit this definition. So do the Escape Room movies. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/13 "2021-08-26T18:39:20Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 1: A highly advanced sadistic alien forces a group of young people to fight to the death for his amusement in a high tech death maze. I don’t watch shows like that. Battle Royale being the exception. > [@](#): > > 2: A mass breakout occurs at a mental hospital and a motley crew of deranged and violent patients head to a nearby circus on the same night that it’s being visited by a high school field trip. I’m not comfortable with mental hospitals or those with mental illnesses being equated with “deranged and violent.” > [@](#): > > 3: An assortment of monsters and villains summoned by magic attack a grocery store. Sounds like fun. > [@](#): > > 4: A group of psychopaths play a game called Devil’s Delight where they compete to see who can get the most points committing increasingly evil and depraved acts. Reminds me of The Crow, which I loved. > [@](#): > > 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. That’s probably your best bet. Who hasn’t been bullied and wished they had a superhuman buddy? > [@](#): > > 6: 15% of the world’s population turns into bloodlusted maniacs that retain their intelligence and want to kill everyone not like them. I think the zombie craze is mostly done. Those are just smart, fast zombies. > [@](#): > > 7: A lonely, angry and miserable young man struggles to keep his psychopathic superhuman alter ego dormant as he begs to be set free in the real world. Similar to #5, it’s something everyone can relate to on some level. > [@](#): > > 8: An amateur serial killer partners up with an legendary killer who mentors him on the ins and outs of serial murder. My girlfriend might like it. She’s into murder-porn. I wouldn’t. > [@](#): > > 9: A twisted circus devoted to depravity and carnage created by beings from another universe appears in a city. Sounds a little like one of my WIPs. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/14 "2021-08-26T19:07:41Z")
#9 sounds like Killer Klowns from Outer Space. I like #2 because it sounds like it combines the most horror movie cliches together. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/15 "2021-08-26T19:51:36Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > 4: A group of psychopaths play a game called Devil’s Delight where they compete to see who can get the most points committing increasingly evil and depraved acts. > > Out of all of these this one seems to be the most interesting. There was a movie similar to this that I can’t remember the name of where people were given money to do things and they got worse and worse as time went on. I think there might have been a threat of if they didn’t do it something would happen to a loved one. Maybe you’re thinking of _[Nerve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve_(2016_film))_? ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/16 "2021-08-26T19:58:44Z")
#2 might be fun if even more cliches were added, a sort of battle royale of horror villains battling it out amongst themselves (so not like Cabin in the Woods). #4 could indeed be very effective, depending on the kind of acts, how they are chosen, the framework of the story. Now I think of it, there was a 90s horror where a kid played a video game where the murders turned out to happen in real life, and he had to continue killing. #5 this may work as well. #8 could work also as a comedic horror (imagine a training montage for serial killing, noob mistakes…). The others seem too close to what is already available. ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/17 "2021-08-26T19:59:15Z")
Except in my idea the beings from another universe are humans from an evil civilization and actually invite people to attend their macabre circus unlike the aliens in Killer Klowns. They use kidnapped people in their depraved performances with the violence being passed off by the ignorant audience as simply good special effects before mayhem ensues and the villains begin killing the crowd en masse. I’m sure if you search through the ocean of popular and obscure media created you could find similarities but the same goes for basically every show, film, comic book etc. As an avid horror and pop culture fan I recognize some of the connections that could be tangentially made (the circus villains are similar to the Cenobites in Hellraiser for example) and I did take inspiration from elsewhere but overall they’re unique ideas or at least unique spins of old premises. I wouldn’t bother to post ideas that I know for sure have already been done before with no room for improvement or variation. It’s exactly why in the OP I added that I could elaborate on any of the ideas if needed. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/18 "2021-08-26T20:01:50Z")
Many of these reminded me of other films. > [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 1: A highly advanced sadistic alien forces a group of young people to fight to the death for his amusement in a high tech death maze. [Cube (1997 film) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_(1997_film)) The people aren’t pitted against each other, but it’s a death maze. > [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 3: An assortment of monsters and villains summoned by magic attack a grocery store. [The Mist (film) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mist_(film)) Monsters attack a grocery store. > [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. [The Shadow Man - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow_Man) Bullied kid gets respect when he meets The Shadow Man. > [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 9: A twisted circus devoted to depravity and carnage created by beings from another universe appears in a city. Killer Klowns From Outer Space has already been mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/19 "2021-08-26T20:02:21Z")
True, a new spin on an old idea may lead to a great movie. I like the ideas you outlined and think they may turn out well. I do believe some have more potential than others. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/20 "2021-08-26T20:21:20Z")
@Cmyers1980, have you read Joe Hill’s short story, Twittering From the Circus of the Dead? You might like it. > **[Twittering from the Circus of the Dead - Nightmare Magazine](https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/twittering-circus-dead/)** > > What is Twitter? “Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? . . . Answers must be under 140 characters in... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563.md?page=2)