Scary movies harness tension in the gap between perception and recognition. Your brain attempts to interpret what you are witnessing on the screen.
In a theater showing the 2018 film Hereditary, there is a particularly unsettling scene. The main character, Peter, wakes up in confusion. As he rises from bed, other audience members react with audible gasps. The camera remains fixed on Peter as he navigates his home, eventually reaching a dimly lit living room.
These moments highlight the film’s ability to create suspense by exploiting the uncertainty of our perceptions. As viewers, we are compelled to engage with the on-screen events, balancing what we perceive with what we understand.
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