Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: August 09, 2024 | 
A scene from The Exorcist
The average film-monger has certainly had their fair share of classic horror films. The horror genre is one that has the potential to both stimulate and terrify, while incorporating other appealing side elements. However, contrary to popular belief, it exhibits an incredibly manifold range of expressions that vary from region to region. In fact, it is a playground for culture and folklore to interdigitate. This article will attempt to draw a comprehensive comparison between Asian and Western horror films.
A scene from The Conjuring
Western horror films, like The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun and The Exorcist, normally follow a narrative of possession and wandering spirits. An evil soul inhabiting a place, a naive family moving in only to be terrorized by the malevolent spirit. Almost every movie pretty much falls into the same category, with little to no variation.
Asian horror, particularly Turkish, Indonesian and Thai films, feature black magic as the central concept. What makes it so scintillating is the fact that black magic essentially encapsulates all the quintessential elements of quality horror; spirits and Jinns, blood and gore, satanism, possession, hauntings and more. It is an all-in-one deal that if executed masterfully, offers unprecedented variety. A few examples of such masterpieces are: The Dabbe series (Turkish), Siccin (Turkish), Qorin (Indonesian), Incantation (Chinese)Korean and The 8th Night (Korean).
Incantation, an award-winning film
Western media is the uncontested champion in this domain. The crisp visuals and life-like audio are, more times than not, the saving grace of most horror films. This can be attributed to better resources and generous budgeting.
On the other hand, most Asian films do not boast an exemplary cinematic experience. However, it often serves as a helping hand when it comes to building the right ambience for the film. Shaky camera angles make for a realistic and documentary-style feel; flawed lighting adds to the eerie atmosphere and patchy audio contributes to the mysterious narrative. This analysis may seem biased, but to anyone who has consumed a substantial amount of horror content from across the globe, it will definitely make sense.
Qorin, A Netflix horror film
Most Western films rely on jaded jump scares and cliche sequences. For example, the rocking chair, the bedsheet being snatched, figures in the dark, haunted dolls, Ouija boards etc. These scenes are recycled in movies of all kinds to the point of redundancy. This greatly compromises the originality of content, and makes every new movie feel like the last one.
While Asian films also reuse the idea of Black Magic, they do so in an intelligent manner. The horrifying events transpire as the result of an equally harrowing and twisted backstory, which makes the audience connect with it. The individual scenes also flaunt their own unique charm, with every horror sequence bringing fresh ways of expression to the table. Instead of sticking to the same old mellow scenes, makers go the extra mile and introduce disturbing visuals involving extreme violence, blood-curdling audio effects, unusually vivid rituals and a combination of all these elements in a single frame. This meticulously elevated intensity keeps the viewers hooked from start to finish, and completely bathes their senses in adrenaline. After having watched dozens of such films, I can confidently state that Asian movie creators are professionals at putting a unique twist on traditional stories.
A scene from The Dabbe
Despite the apparent difference of quality between the media mentioned above, there are outliers. The following Western films are absolutely remarkable, and highly original: Hereditary, The Pope's Exorcist, Sister Death, Old Ways and The Shining. Similarly, not every Asian horror film is a masterclass in writing and direction. I have had the misfortune to suffer through quite a few films that were nothing short of embarrassing.
A scene from the Hereditary
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with Western horror. It is just that the creators keep churning out soulless content with no personality whatsoever. Asian films, on the other hand, come across as highly evolved and rich in culture, novelty, individuality and imagination.
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