# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/21 "2021-08-26T20:29:13Z")
This story is excellent. ---
**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 27, 2021, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/22 "2021-08-27T10:30:23Z")
That’s not it, there was no onlilne part to the movie. Though it was similar to it from reading about it. I thought the one I’m thinking about started out with a guy eating a fly. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/23 "2021-08-27T11:06:41Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > That’s not it, there was no onlilne part to the movie. Though it was similar to it from reading about it. I thought the one I’m thinking about started out with a guy eating a fly. 13 Sins? ---
**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 27, 2021, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/24 "2021-08-27T13:47:05Z")
If that’s not it then it’s damn close to what I watched. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/25 "2021-08-27T14:08:09Z")
#3 has interesting possibilities in terms of people fighting back, depending on the monsters. There’s garlic to use against vampires, for one thing. If the monsters are invisible, you could squirt ketchup on them, etc. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/26 "2021-08-27T14:30:05Z")
OK, from a perspective from somebody who is not a horror/slasher film watcher (but likes good stories and characters. I have seen maybe a couple dozen horror films or so.): > 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. Trite. You can probably make it interesting, but the premise is obvious and boring. > 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 somewhat intrigued by this premise. I’d probably do it as a cheeky send-up of by-the-numbers slasher films. > 3: An assortment of monsters and villains summoned by magic attack a grocery store. As mentioned above, if done in a campy _Army of Darkness_ style, this could be 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. Sounds familiar. The idea is straightforward and easily franchisable. Nothing exciting for me there, but probably good for Hollywood. > 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. Superhero-driven revenge fantasy? This one’s got some color and interest and potential, and I’m sure can be relatable to many. Points for this one. > 6: 15% of the world’s population turns into bloodlusted maniacs that retain their intelligence and want to kill everyone not like them. Kind of an obvious and trite allegory. Which means it’ll sell, as much as I don’t like it based on the premise. > 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. This one I don’t understand. Sounds like it could be interesting, though. > 8: An amateur serial killer partners up with an legendary killer who mentors him on the ins and outs of serial murder. I like this one a lot. There’s a lot of potential for great characters, dialog, and relationships here. (Yes, I know all these ideas can have those qualities, but this strikes me as the idea with the most promising storyline and character arc – this along with the wounded superhero-bully plot.) > 9: A twisted circus devoted to depravity and carnage created by beings from another universe appears in a city. Like some of the others, this one sounds like it was made by some “create a horror movie plot” generator. Could be fun if _Killer Klowns from Outerspace_ hadn’t done something like it. So I’ll vote #8 and #5 as the promising ones. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/27 "2021-08-27T15:09:39Z")
It’s hard to find a premise that doesn’t already have a close equivalent, so the key will be the execution. > [@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. That’s more manga territory but apart from the ones already mentioned there’s also **Danganronpa** and possibly the upcoming **Squid Game**. > [@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%? That’d be an improvement over reality (he says cynically). > [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 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. Not quite the same, but: [Brightburn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightburn). > [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 8: An amateur serial killer partners up with an legendary killer who mentors him on the ins and outs of serial murder. I’m sure I’ve seen this on various police procedurals. And also, of course, [Manhunter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhunter_(film)). I’ll vote for #5 as the most promising option. . ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/28 "2021-08-27T16:11:31Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. [Leon, the Professional](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on:_The_Professional), a somewhat bullied girl has an assassin living next door, he is mentally a bit slow the way he is portrayed in this movie. Her parents and siblings are brutally murdered over a drug deal gone bad, she shows up and bluffs her way past into Leon’s apartment. She convinces him to help train her and she gets revenge. ---
**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 27, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/29 "2021-08-27T16:41:22Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 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 think hijinks at the circus was becoming a trite concept as far back as the Marx Brothers _At The Circus_. You either want a high-contrast venue for the deranged patients, or a comical juxtaposition where it’s hard to tell them from supposedly functioning members of society. For example, the escaped asylum occupants could crash a snake-handling Baptist service, voice their opinions on mask-wearing at a city council meeting or wreak havoc in the stands at the Little League World Series. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/30 "2021-08-27T17:05:23Z")
> 3: An assortment of monsters and villains summoned by magic attack a grocery store. > > 5: An injured supervillain on the run befriends a bullied child and gets revenge on his tormentors. > > 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. These could all be the basis for good movies. Especially if some humor is is thrown in. The others sound a bit like torture porn. (Hostel 1- how many now???) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/31 "2021-08-27T17:14:24Z")
Number 5 sounds like it has the most potential, but I don’t see it as a horror movie - more of an animated children’s movie. Maybe a sequel to _[Megamind](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/Megamind2010Poster.jpg)_. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563/32 "2021-08-27T17:54:09Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > 15% of the world’s population turns into bloodlusted maniacs that retain their intelligence and want to kill everyone not like them. I think that sounds like the scariest premise on the list. Suddenly a little more than 1 out of every 10 people are highly motivated to kill the rest of us? That sounds like some serious problems for the rest of us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-horror-film-ideas-do-you-think-are-the-best/949563.md?page=1)