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Showing posts with label scary movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scary movies. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

5 characters and one location create suspense: Hush

On Netflix, there is movie called Hush. It only features 5 characters but executes suspense extremely well, considering it's shot in one location and never leaves this scene at any point during filming.

A female lead character plays the protagonist, who happens to be deaf/mute. She had a bout with meningitis at age 13, which caused her to go deaf and also damaged her voice box.

Interestingly, this protagonist plays a best-selling author. She lives alone in the woods. Her home is constructed with plenty of glass windows, empowering the natural lighting to enhance her mood.  

This disability sets up the conflict. We see a murder take place. A serial killer is on the loose, standing right outside of the protagonist's patio while he is killing his victim. Our protagonist can't help this victim because she is unable to hear her scream. Plus, this protagonist is a female with a disability. It is obvious she lacks in strength, unable to go toe-to-toe with this psychotic antagonist.

Hush is clever in execution, as a normal person experiencing this terror would be at a major disadvantage. Out in the middle of the woods, there is nobody capable of helping this deaf/mute woman in time. We know of her neighbor, a couple who befriended this protagonist.

The female neighbor is a friend who visits regularly to check on the well-being of this protagonist. On the opposing side, the plot thickens and we watch through the eyes of the protagonist how terror feels when a person is faced with many obstacles to stay alive. It's during this time, the protagonist is confronted with many challenges to keep ahead of the game.

Although this storyline has limitations, possibly due to budget constraints, the screenwriters keep the suspense high. Only 5 characters are featured in this movie, one of which is seen on computer Facetime for less than a few minutes. We have a protagonist, an antagonist, a sister, and a nearby couple. It doesn't require multiple settings and several characters to inject thrills into a movie plot.  

Definitely watch Hush, a clever home invasion movie that will put you on the edge of your chair. It creates that Strangers and No Good Deed movie feel.




Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Write What you know

***Spoiler Alert***

***The Duplex***


I watched The Duplex movie last week. This is a good movie for aspiring authors and screenwriters to watch. Because Ben Stiller's character is an author, we see his conflicted life draw out on the silver screen. These events are especially valuable to writers, the type of authors and screenwriters who sought after writing books and movies about real stories.

"Write what you know" is what the antagonist shares in the movie ending. The old antagonist made the protagonists suffer beyond belief, which she has done to many couples to drive them crazy. Once the couples had enough, they sold their homes for cheap and left. It was a recurring theme to make money off these poor couples. 

As passionate writers, we realize the best material is made out of true events. Nonetheless, true events are always in high demand. Moviegoers crave watching movies based on true stories because they feel a connection with these characters. 

Horror movies based on true stories such as The Conjuring, The Rite, and The Possession involve evil themes which depict reality. Devil and demon themes are the epitome of evil. These unsettling topics make their way to our minds, provoking our subconscious to fear any notion of their influence. 

Write what you know. Inject your stories with real life. While you may experience unfortunate situations, these events become memorable stories that people want to watch at the movies and read in books. 

Write away!