The horror of overcomplicated plots

Horror movies have long followed a simple rule to ensure survival: never have sex, never drink or do drugs, and never say 'I'll be right back'. But nowadays, across Netflix thrillers and A24 art house films, even this basic guidance has been replaced by labyrinthine plots that leave viewers bewildered.

From stranger things to pennywise, the curse of overcomplication

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, the latest Netflix series, exemplifies this trend. In it, the main character faces a curse that claims her life if she doesn't marry her soulmate by sundown on her wedding day. But identifying the soulmate is left as an enigma, leaving the audience with more questions than answers.

Similarly, HBO Max's adaptation of IT: Welcome to Derry delved into Pennywise's origin story, introducing the twist that the killer clown experiences past, present, and future simultaneously. However, the showrunners have yet to provide clarity on this new nonlinear time element.

Other series like From, which follows the residents of a mysterious town, also suffer from overcomplication. As the characters attempt to unravel the mystery, the show creates a dozen more questions for every answer given.

Indie horror's lesson: sometimes less is more

Recent indie horror films, such as Barbarian, Weapons, and Nope, have found success by focusing on simple, effective scares rather than convoluted plots. These films understand that viewers don't need intricate explanations to be frightened.

Perhaps it's time for the horror genre, both on screen and in streaming, to reevaluate its approach to storytelling. By prioritizing scares over complexity, horror can once again captivate audiences without overwhelming them with too much information.