For a movie to hold my attention, it needs compelling vibes and atmosphere. The plot can be paper-thin as long as the vibes are right. I actually prefer paper-thin plots, since I’m honestly quite dumb, so if the plot is too complicated I get lost and lose interest (for example, I’ve tried watching The Lord of the Rings many times but haven’t been able to get through it for this reason), lmao. That’s why my favorite kind of horror is folk, atmospheric horror: Suspiria, The Witch, Midsommar, Hereditary, The Wicker Man, Blink Twice, Hagazussa, Lamb, The Blair Witch Project, Rosemary’s Baby…
I’m not massively into horror, because I don’t generally like feeling uncomfortable. But the horror flicks I do enjoy tend to be incredibly empathetic, and actually about something other than the horror.
For example, my favourite horror movie is Dark Water, a Japanese flick from 2002. It’s creepy as hell and genuinely unsettling, but at its heart it’s about heartbreak and trying to learn how to move on. It speaks to the human condition without having to rely on simple jumpscares.
In fact, I think the most successful horror movies (from an artistic perspective, rather than box office take) tend to be the ones that talk about what it is to be human.