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You have to remember that we, as an audience, have a larger perception of danger by knowing the genre. The mind's ability to think can be altered by all kinds of things, such as adrenaline and panic. Horror movies do often rely on bad decisions, but so many bad decisions happen in reality without consequences because we're not in a horror story.

There's also the sheer number of horror stories out there, which highlights the poor decisions as tropey and the more aware of a trick, the less effective it becomes. That's where subversive movies like Cabin in the Woods get material from.

I don't think directors are doing it on purpose, but rather they're too attached to their story to realize it. They get deep into each character's reasoning and that can make a trope appear original or acceptable. The audience doesn't spend years bringing the story to life, so they just see more stupid choices. It's a blindspot for the creators.

I yes such a broad question but I would say that generally the answer is 'no'.

Personally I think a good majority of 'stupid' things aren't really stupid at all. They're a result of someone trying to be 'smarter than the film' and wilfully ignoring alternative reasons for a characters actions.

But if there's a truly egregiously stupid decision it's often very simply 'because the plot needs this to happen'

Most people do stupid stuff when they're in danger, people don't act calmly and rationally when a psycho is trying to chop them up.

I think it's hard to underestimate just how fucking dumb people can be. How many videos are there of people walking up to bison, bears, lions, etc, only to be horribly mauled because wild animals aren't like donkeys at a petting zoo?

Unless the story takes extra steps to say these characters are smart, I'm willing to have the benefit of the doubt that these people are just morons.

Bad horror movies and schlocky so-bad-they're-good horror movies might follow this trope, but generally good horror movies won't do this.

But also, people in real life are stupid enough to be some of the dumb things characters in movies don't.

This post made me think of that GEICO commercial. "Why can't we just get in the running car?" "No, head for the cemetery!"

my favorite and it’s not just horror is when two people in immediate danger decide this is a perfect opportunity to fuck instead of leave. Or when someone is snooping and they just stare at a photo or document longer than necessary like they’re waiting to get caught.

Yeah, they want us yelling at the screen

Interesting take on it yes, it could be that. If they don’t do it on purpose they may just put stuff in, unknown to themselves, that is infuriating to anyone watching the finished edit. Some, like that scene I mentioned above does seem on purpose though.

People doing things incredibly slowly to build up tension is an old and dumb horror trope.

Who open a door an inch at a time when they're scared? You either don't open it at all or you slam it open.

Here's some more: going to the scary place at night. Thunderstorm for no reason.

Maybe. I’m just still thinking of X and a lot of the girls in that definitely did stupid things, like over the top stupid. It’s like the emotions were exaggerated, the hysterics were magnified, the screaming was louder. I dunno, maybe it’s just that kind of female hysterics just triggers the male brain and wants to tell them to shut up and calm down ie act more like a male would.

True.

Well I don’t know that commercial, maybe only American one, but yes the best horror do not make characters do stupid things to make audience scream at the screen watching them.

Yes this kind of thing happened a lot in this X movie. “Don’t crawl slowly FFS, get up and run!” I could mention more but would ruin the movie for others.

That’s what I think. Nothing better than getting audience Adrenalin going and whip them into frenzy.

Look through the holes in wall slowly multiple times, when there is chance psycho is behind it with pitchfork…

The thing people forget, especially post-Scream, is that these characters aren't the audience-they aren't aware they're in a horror film, and in most cases, aren't aware that they are in any considerable danger.

As far as whether these "dumb decisions" some viewers choose to fixate on are on purpose or not, alot of times it just comes down to nothing more than creating tension in the most economical way. Also, the audience reacting to characters doing "dumb" things is part of the experience-you're supposed to cringe in fear at the character walking down a dark corridor after hearing a strange noise as you know whats likely coming. The way you reacted is the way you're expected to react--("OMG, I wouldn't do that....you're gonna die...oh shit!")

The thing that bothers me most about some horror movies is the fact the main characters will run, and run fast. It cuts back to the stalker, he's meandering with his axe. Then back to them running. Then back to the stalker who's now stopped for a cig and a scroll through Reddit. Then back to them running and then they stop as 2 options unfold before them, turn left into a dead end and barricade themselves into something wooden, or turn right and run towards clear signs of civilization...yep, they turn left! I'm of course exaggerating slightly, but not by much.

You're saying this about a film where the blokes end up as cannon fodder and we're left with a strong female character. Man, I'd like to see your take on the OG Ellen Ripley!

My experience on tense situations is that people rarely think rationally under pressure. Even just playing TTRPGs it is fairly easy to trigger awfully dumb decisions just by putting pressure on the players.

Freeze in place. Run in the wrong direction. Becoming super clumsy. Scream loudly. Those are just normal human things to happen in real dangerous situations.

Also movie characters are not supposed to be aware they are in a horror movie. In real life I don't leave old houses when I hear weird noises, don't care about reading old texts, don't leave the beach when something touches my leg, etc.

Yes, so it —is— done on purpose

Yep. There is a lot of the Monty Python knight attacking the castle guards stuff in most horror movies!

Main character yes was a string Ripley type character. The others were not though. And yes men in this were dumb as hell.

Yes but when you get locking in a cellar with dead guy by shotgun wielding maniac you don’t scream the house down and continue screaming after you have been let out and run out of house straight at maniac. Normal person would stay quiet and sneak out so maniac doesn’t hear them.

Depends on what "dumb" decisions you're pointing out. Character choosing to explore darkened area for noise-on purpose for the sake of building tension and/or possibly killing off a character. We have no way to know what is in every writer's head.

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Normal untrained people would panic the heck out of that situation.

What people think they would do is radically different to what they would actually do.

You have the benefit of knowing the person is in a horror movie, the person doesnt

OP, lemme ask you if you’ve ever worked customer service before. Think about how dumb the average person is and realize that 50% of them are dumber than that.

You need to watch some different horror films.

Yeah, dude. It's the movies.

"Did it on purpose" connotes intentionally doing something wrong or bad. I think a lot of the stuff you're talking about isn't wrong or bad, in the context of horror storytelling.

So I'd put it as "did it for a reason."

No

I have watched hundreds of horror movies over last 30+ years.

There are plenty of terrific horror films with no stupid people doing stupid things. The opening post just sounds like a generalisation of the horror genre using a tired old trope that is only found in poor films

As time goes on, it has become much harder to write convincing horror stories.

In 1930, the creak of Dracula's coffin slowly opening was pure nightmare fuel.

Now, it's a punchline.

Anything set after the 90's you have to get very creative to eliminate cell phones and the internet from your group of victims.

There's always no service, or low battery, because otherwise you could easily call the police or an Uber.

No one can run in a straight line without tripping so the lumbering juggernaut with a chainsaw/machete can catch up.

The key is to make these obstacle feel natural instead of contrived.

Most of these supernatural creatures we see in movies wouldn't actually be a threat in real life, at least not for long.

Which is why all the vampire/werewolf movies where they expend a shit ton of effort to stay hidden are actually well justified.

Maybe

The actual idea in this X movie is pretty interesting - seems to be idea of old age being the horror - or the horror of getting old… this is probably scary to everyone. They certainly made the old people horrific looking. Not sure if this has been done before. To many people and especially to women, losing your looks as you get older is the horror they were highlighting in this.

Acting dumb in life-or-death situations is normal.

The worst to me is the cliche of “OH! I just heard something right behind me! I better freeze first and then do a dramatic slow turn to gradually reveal what’s behind me while building up the tension!”

Bullshit. Every human being jumps and turns around faster than a scared cat when hearing something behind them, especially if they were already scared.

Moreso, I think it’s a lot of horror films would be over in 5 minutes if the characters weren’t stupid.

This is the trick. Make a horror where the characters are not stupid but the monster is not stupid either….

have you not been following the event of the last few years, in the US at least?

Horror movies take realism very seriously

Frequently yes, but maybe just as frequently no and it’s just a bad movie,

Well to put it in the words of George Carlin

Imagine how dumb the average person is….. now realize that half of all people are even dumber than that

So a lot of that stuff in movies checks out

Not always.

Both female protagonists in Drag Me To Hell and It Follows were probably smarter than your average person, trying to escape their fates.

My favorite version of this trope is in Cabin in the Woods. They made it make sense lol

Oh my god, I couldn’t believe people were actually that stupid until I heard the kinds of things customers would complain about or do. It’s incredible how illogical a lot of people can be.