H³ (Horror Hating Husband) asked me the other day why it mattered if in a slasher movie the kills happened mostly off screen.  He was genuinely interested, and it got me thinking about all the different reasons why we want to see killers kill.  Like everything with entertainment why we love what we love is complex.  

Impact for Horror

The number one reason why it’s important to see slashers kill is it makes them scary. This is especially important with the killers who are grounded in reality.  We all have some idea of what damage a large hulking man with a machete could do. Or how we could fight back and escape them. Seeing smart and strong victims fail miserably at this reinforces that we, the audience would not survive either. 

 As sadistic as it sounds its why we need to see he moment before the kill as the victim recognizes their fate. Or in some cases the audience realizes the fate of the victim before they have a chance to.  Movies can still be horrifying without these moments. Having them does place the viewer more firmly in the shoes of the lead characters. The more we connect to them the better the experience will be, for better or worse, seeing death adds to that. 

Importance for Storytelling 

In 1995 FBI Profiler John Douglas wrote a book called Mindhunter that detailed what horror fans already know. How killers pick their victims and the methods they use tell us a lot about who they are, their motivations and mental state. Some grisly kills even reveal background information about the traumas they may have endured. 

The most memorable slashers play by these same rules in one form or another. They build personas out of murder. Michael Myers’s slow deliberate movements. His ruthless efficient and economy of movement are hallmarks of the character. Just as much as Ghostface’s erratic lunging and wild swinging are part of who he is, no matter who’s behind the mask. 

How they movie and kill becomes more important when you have killers that don’t speak, dressed in concealing clothing and masks. That strength of visual identity that comes from masked killers also limits what the actor can portray. These movements that show little glimpses of character become so important. Would Michael’s early murders be quite the same without his iconic head tilt?

Weapon choice is also a key element in characterization for our killers. While some of our favorites have iconic tools of the trade they are known for, like Freddy and his glove or Ghostface and his knife. This identification is so strong that changing the weapon is used to signify a shift in the danger level. Even through different killers have been behind the mask, switching the weapon from a knife to include a shotgun elevated the stakes and informed the audiences that the rules had changed.  

Escalation In Kills

As time has gone on the audience appetite for gore has grown. Movies that were labeled too extreme seem comparatively tame.  Much of that is thanks to extreme killers who keep pushing the boundaries. Art the Clown proved that the general public as well as die hard fans can embrace some of the most gleefully stomach-churning violence. While the first Terrifier served to showcase the brilliant technical effects. The filmmakers worked to craft a compelling narrative around the kills.  Art’s specific brand of murder reveals little about his past, but a lot about his personality. Specifically, that he has a clear sense of humor and creative streak that he demonstrates in demented and depraved ways.  While lore develops around him, all we really need to know is he likes killing people and he hates doing it the same way twice. 

Art smashed open the door for killers to try harder to fill his shoes even as they are constrained by an R rating.  I don’t consider myself a gore enthusiast although I love well done practical effects. I do have a soft spot for the Miles County Clown and the fresh perspective he brought to the industry. Here’s hoping more killers get to express themselves at visually as Art has been able to. Even if they can’t hit his extremes. 

Appreciation for SFX

Horror has to look real. Otherwise, it crosses over into silly and immersion breaking. A lot of technical skill, art and engineering goes into making great effects. Also, for low-budget and micro- budget movies, improvisation and creativity, necessity is the mother of invention. Appreciating what sfx teams can pull off on in terms of technical realism is part of the appeal for some viewers. Good looking kills keep us immersed in the world and invested in the story the filmmakers are telling. 

Then of course there are the gorehounds. Some people do genuinely enjoy the more violent aspects of the movies, rooting for the killer to dispatch a cast full of unlikeable characters has a certain appeal. The worse the character the more satisfying the kill

Living Vicariously Through Killers

The 80’s was great for this. Jason in particular had a fondness for killing of badly written teen stereotypes that seemed designed to irritate.  There is an entire subgenre of slasher where a bullied kid comes back for revenge.  Prom Night is one of the early examples of this. While not everyone in Thanksgiving is a terrible person, there are a few I didn’t mind seeing meet John Carver. 

 Of course, none of us civilized people really want to harm others. But is watching a slasher enact vengeance on those who murdered his loved ones really that different from watching Jason Statham’s latest action hero do the same? Yeah, probably a little. Last time I checked Statham didn’t bisect innocent bystanders.  I might be so bold to suggest that movies are not reality. If watching horror helps get you through a bad day, week, or years, as long as you can separate fact and fiction, go nuts. 

Final Thoughts

So, to answer H³’s question, yes it matters whether the kills are onscreen versus off. Whether you’re looking to blow off some steam by watching annoying people get killed off in creative ways, checking out increasingly complex effects, or just loving the adrenaline jolt from being scared, it’s just better this way.   It’s cathartic and comforting to jump at the scares and relax when it’s all over. I have a huge amount of respect for the artistry that goes into making these killers look and feel real, even if it’s only for 90 minutes at a time.