Can a horror movie emulate the sense of dread from this game?

[Natural]

One of the things I like about Amnesia (and other similar horror games) is the genuine sense of dread and fear you get from immersing yourself in it. However from as far back as I can remember I can't recall a horror movie coming close to scaring me as much as even an average survival-horror game. A lot of horror movies take the cheap way out and rely on "boo" scares or excessive gore to fit into the horror genre. Even the sensation of being chased, while an effective scare tool in a survival-horror game, doesn't translate as well into cinema. While slasher films are fun, I don't feel they come close to inducing that same sense of panic you get when you've got an Amnesia monster chasing you.

What movies have you seen (if any) which do a decent job of creating that sensation of dread, either through atmosphere or otherwise? I don't think any movie can re-create the same sensation as controlling your own character, but even if we got a list of solid, genuinely scary horror movies together I'd be satisfied (and have something to watch )

I'll get the ball rolling and throw out Event Horizon as a movie worth seeing if you can tolerate some Sci-Fi with your horror. Granted it has its share of gore and jump scares, but I remember feeling very uneasy when I watched it for the first time alone and at night.

Any others?

[Lenny]

I think that depends on the person watching the movie and that person's willingness to try to immerse himself in the movie.

Event Horizon certainly made me feel uncomfortable the first time I watched it too, its actally one of my favorite movies.

I think Alien, Aliens, The Thing and the original Omen are pretty good examples of movies that can be very creepy if you immerse yourself.

Also I used to find the movie Sphere pretty creepy when watched alone.

As for lesser known movies I could suggest Phantoms, Below and The Broken. All of those build on atmosphere although they do get more graphic in the end.

The also found the recent Pandorum to be a great space-horror movie. Not the worlds best combat scenes, granted, but the tragedy of the story and psychological aspects did it for me. The movie also has some very obvious simularities with Amnesia - The Dark Decent.

[Natural]

Hmm, had no idea Phantoms was made into a movie. I loved that book. I'm going to check it out along with Broken and Below.

I forgot to mention Session Nine. Watching it right now and the mental hospital chase scene in the pitch black reminds me a lot of Amnesia. In fact the music is even similar.

[Zanderat]

A sleeper, "The Midnight Meat Train". Really scary and foreboding, some gore, but hey it is Clive Barker.

http://blog.moviefone.com/2008/07/26/sdc...eat-train/

[Adventurer4Life]

I know many people that were scared out of there minds in the night goggle sequence in silience of teh lambs

[dyssynchrony]

The original "The Haunting". Not the worthless remake. The Ring (and Ringu). I know there's more...

[anzki]

Can a horror movie emulate the sense of dread from this game?

Nope.

[Blackhand]

No horror movie I have seen came even close to getting the same intensity of emotional response from me as Amnesia. Its one thing feeling tense watching someone else experience horror in a movie, but becoming immersed and experiencing it "first hand" in a game like Amnesia is just far more effective.

[mattwestwick]

Film and games are starkly different mediums. They will converge gradually as gaming becomes continually more mainstream.

If you want the same effect and atmosphere you get from horror games in a film, you have to look outside the cinema most times. Occasionaly movies like the original Saw film will slip through. But usually they are always toned down to get lower ratings so more people can see them. Or just made into ridiculous cliches. Frankly I avoid the cinema as its just overpriced garbage that caters to the masses. Plus with video games you don't have to sit through an hour of trailers and product placement.

Theres plenty of classic films, from a time when integrity and depth was valued, that have wonderful atmosphere. Try 2001 a space odyssey, Alien-as was mentioned, or the texas chainsaw massacre. Deliverance has a great mood of despair throughout.

As for modern films you will most likely have to look abroad. Try the Japanese film"The Audition" or Belgian "The Ordeal" aka "Calvaire" for some truly engrossing atmosphere and tension.


There's good stuff out there but you won't see it in adverts or the TV guide. If you have an independant film theater near you then definitely frequent that. I have one near my and it is a million times better than the monster cineplex nearby.

[Mina Darsh]

The main difference that plays a role in how scared you can get in film vs. game, is that in a game YOU are the one doing the action, and in a movie, you're simply the watcher. So I say it cannot be done. Movies seem to rely a lot on shockers in order to scare people.

Just look at some of the YouTube videos of people playing Amnesia and getting chased by a monster. They panic and curse while they desperately try to stay away from the monster's claws, for they have to bring the main character to safety themselves.

In a movie one would simply watch and perhaps think: "Oh dear, that guy is in some big trouble." At least, I don't feel any tension when I see a hero struggle to get away from a monster against all odds. (Infact, I find such scenes, most of them, annoying.)

So that's my conclusion. Unless a movie becomes interactive, i.e. you could make choices for the main character, one may feel the same excitement, but then it simply becomes sort of a game again.