I never really watched much horror growing up, or until I hit about 30. I had seen some of the classic horror films, but never sought out things that were coming out in the 90s and early aughts.

I dig thriller and suspense, and if  horror hews close to that I can really get behind it (provided it is well put together, but then that goes for any genre). I never, and still don’t, went in for gore. Buckets of blood and severed limbs don’t appeal to me for their own sake, since they rarely have much impact on the story. Something like Ash’s hand and it’s chainsaw replacement (while silly) influence the progress of the film and so are worth it. Also I very much dislike the torture porn offshoot genre. If the story isn’t there no amount of shock value is going to provide much in the way of entertainment (a similar argument can be made for action movies). If, as a viewer, I don’t care about the characters I’m probably not going to be all that shocked when they get ripped limb from limb.

A good jump scare will do it for me sometimes. Story can influence these heavily also, but a well placed and timed jump can help me along to getting into a film. Though you really only get 2 per movie. And I’ll allow 2 fake out jump scares, if done well.

I seek out good horror nowadays almost as much as I do other genres I’ve always watched. But like good comedy or good action the hallmarks for the genre come out of and enhance the story rather than the story being there to serve as connective tissue between a random bloodbath and the next creepy jump scare.

For me specifically here, I set out to make a horror film. The thing I wound up writing might lean thriller, with significant horror elements. Which for me is a good thing. The story wound up dictating what category the thing falls into.