From beloved children’s classics to intense thrillers, some movies would be absolutely horrifying if they came off the screen.
Movies are meant to draw us away from our present reality and place us within a world of the director’s creation. There is an element of disbelief and disconnection when we enjoy films; they are on the screen while we are in front of it.
Whether I am watching a terrifying horror flick or a heartfelt adventure film, I am often grateful that the movie I am watching exists in a realm of disbelief. But what if that movie became reality? In this list, I will provide a few movies that should never come to life.
“The Hunger Games”
Based upon the popular young adult fiction series, this film tells the story of a 16-year-old named Katniss Everdeen. We witness Katniss’ distressing effort to stay alive in a government-mandated event where she and 23 other children must fight to the death. One of the worst aspects about this story is that the entire “game” is displayed on public television for the nation to see.
If the U.S. government ever establishes laws requiring children to murder each other on national television, you can catch me fleeing to Canada.
“Toy Story”
Even though this beloved Pixar film is not as intense as other movies on this list, the concept is quite unsettling if you ponder it. Toys are not supposed to act like sentient beings. Any rational parent would faint if they stepped into their child’s bedroom and saw cute stuffed animals and toys walking around like humans.
“Jurassic Park”
Although having a park where clones of dinosaurs roam sounds fun, this idea would inevitably take a turn for the worse.
In the film, a simple power failure causes the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park to run loose and terrify our protagonists. If this were to occur in our cities, I cannot imagine the sundry upheaval and destruction that would ensue.
“Monsters Inc.”
Another beloved Pixar classic, Monsters Inc. takes place in a world where monsters and humans appear to live in respective, developed societies. In order for the monsters to maintain energy in their cities, they must teleport into the rooms of human children to collect the children’s screams of horror.
Even though I have grown to love this movie, the concept begins to bother me if I ruminate about it too long. Placing myself in the shoes of a child who is being terrified for material gain is not a fun train of thought.
To add an extra dimension to the eeriness, the Pixar theory suggests that the governing monsters of Monstropolis have brainwashed the citizenry to believe that humans exist in the same world as them, although the entire human race was wiped out millennia before monsters came to exist.
Personally, unless Mike Wazowski is coming into my room to tell me jokes, all other monsters are going to have to catch these hands.
“San Andreas”
As a lifelong resident of southern California, the thought of the “big one” hitting my region has always been in the back of my head. According to a report released in 2014, scientists have predicted that a giant earthquake of at least a 7.5 is due to hit California within the next 30 years.
That coming earthquake is depicted in “San Andreas.” All throughout the film we watch our protagonists attempt to survive the aftershocks while dodging falling debris, boating over massive waves, swimming in a tsunami and driving over broken roads.
It is a bit frightening to think that this movie may come true for many of us, without Dwayne Johnson and the Hollywood theatrics, of course.
“The Ring”
Picture this: you are six-years-old and on your way to the local Blockbuster with your parents. After picking out a few movies from the rack, you and your parents walk over to the angsty teenager behind the counter. Your dad presents the clerk with his Blockbuster card, and you are now set to go.
Your family sits on the couch with a bucket of popcorn, ready to enjoy the kids movies you selected. You all quickly learn the movie that was just placed in the DVD player’s tray is a mysterious, grainy film. The film begins with a wide shot of a creepy brick well. Ominous white noise fills the room as you all watch. Before any jump scare can occur, your mom ejects the DVD in hopes of not leaving your young eyes scarred from whatever was in that film.
You and your family enjoy the nights of having snacks and watching family friendly flicks. After the two day rental period, your parents return the DVDs to the store. The clerk tidily places all of the movies back on their respective shelves, even the copy of this mysterious movie.
Little does your family know that by merely watching the opening seconds of the DVD, you will all die within the next week. The Ring’s cycle of destruction will perpetually continue as more and more families rent this very DVD.
“The Purge”
This movie is set within a peaceful and virtually crime-free United States; however, once a year, there is a 12 hour period in which all crime is legal. Criminals run wild on the streets while innocent families hunker down inside their homes.
If this film were to ever come true, you best believe I’ll be boobytrapping my house harder than Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone.”
“Avengers: Infinity War”
A giant purple man descends upon our planet and destroys the entire universe. Do I need to expand upon this? Pretty much the worst on this list.
All of these films are great examples of how cinema can be used to evoke various emotions within an audience. Whether it be the deep sadness felt while watching “The Hunger Games,” or the intense dread experienced while watching “The Ring,” I am glad I can shut off my screen and embrace my current reality.