they’d be examples of the perpetual
dread brought on by effective monochrome
in movies when I say that I want these
things I mean that I want them and I
don’t want to have to ask again welcome
to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
movies that would be scarier in black
and white I’ve seen this tree before it
was on the tape know I’ve been there for
this list we’re focusing on color films
that would likely become a bit more
agitating if they were viewed in black
and white we’re not saying these films
aren’t scary as they are but rather
we’re exploring how a different visual
approach would heighten the scares
obviously we’re excluding films that
were shot in black and white to begin
with
number ten it follows look somebody
broke the window that really happens no
girl in the kitchen as one of the
surprise indie hits of the decade this
David Robert Mitchell flick scared the
bejesus out of most viewers through
subtext alone but with a black and white
touch visuals of a creepy grandma or a
bloodied half-naked lady carry even more
weight I need water
oh I got any water hey I’ll get you some
no stay here this is not a horror film
that relies on gobs of red blood
splashed against the wall nope
it follows gets in your head it’s a
psychological study and when framed in
monochrome even that brilliant disaster
piece score becomes creepier thus
building the tension as each character
succumbs to the fear
number nine Nightcrawler my motto is if
you want to win the lottery you have to
make the money to buy a ticket meet Leo
bloom he’s motivated he’s business savvy
and he’s also a bit deranged even so
these are some good qualities to have
when you’re a freelance videographer in
Tinseltown what if my problem wasn’t
that I don’t understand people but that
I don’t like them considering that we’ve
seen the usual la landscapes many times
over in cinema and given that nothing
especially stands out thanks to the
ominous color palette Nightcrawler could
have adopted somewhat of a lynchin vibe
with sharp black-and-white visuals you
filmed him dying that’s what I do it’s
my job as the narrative unfolds Lew
becomes increasingly unstable and
nothing says unstable more than a
monochromatic image of a man screaming
at a mirror number eight seven do you
like what you do for a living these
things you see no no I don’t darkly lit
and with location unknown this David
Fincher classic works just fine in its
present form but there’s a certain
wild-card factor that could help make
the case for black and white let’s call
him John Doe you know what we’re talking
about wanting people to listen you can’t
just tap them on the shoulder anymore
you have to hit them with a sledgehammer
how about this seven is a film that
becomes a new kind of war with a
specific shade to represent the
underlying dread I’m not talking
standard black and white but a tone all
its own he had a gun and he made it he
made me do it there’s something to be
said for the way a character like David
Mills is lit whether he’s musing about
life with detective Somerset or coming
to a disturbing realization black and
white perfectly fits the bill across the
board especially for the final reveal
seems that envy is my scene know what’s
in the box take it give me what’s enough
you box lit a gun
you just don’t you number seven the mist
the blood of human sacrifice must come
from them
now here’s a sci-fi horror that will
break your heart directed by Frank
Darabont a man well-versed in the art of
freaking out viewers the Armageddon
narrative of this film works on a
variety of levels those bugs like it has
ever seen but consider the effects of
insect attacks depicted in black and
white in other words the mist becomes
much scarier when the pure horror isn’t
explicitly shown through conventional
genre cliches but through more creative
scare tactics like ominous shading
in that final scene lit just screams out
black and white
interestingly Darabont included a
black-and-white version on blu-ray as
that’s how he originally intended to
shoot the film you don’t have much faith
in humanity do you
none whatsoever number 6 the fly for the
average person insects are usually
equated with four and in the realm of
cinema it only makes sense to highlight
the various color forms of a scientist
turned bug
especially when it’s a David Cronenberg
production saying I’m an insect who
dreamt he was a man I loved it but now
the dream is over but with such a
director who primarily focuses more on
the mindsets of his characters rather
than colorful visuals the fly would
become timeless in black and white as
opposed to it currently being an obvious
product of the 80s sure you’d have to
edit the film differently but a stripped
down palette would elevate the movie
from a modern cult classic to an
enduring horror production be afraid be
very free number five The Omen
like many films of the 70s this iconic
horror possesses a certain beauty in its
color and setting but come on the
Antichrist calls for black and white and
when you factor in the casting of
legends such as Gregory Peck and Lee
Remick well everything becomes a bit
creepier with the absence of tones and
tints the trout is that
he breeds too for a moment then he
please nothing shadowy figures and
photographs scarier in black and white
extended screaming and death sequences
scarier in black and white look at me
Damien it’s all for you in fact it’s
actually surprising the omen wasn’t shot
in black and white number four Jaws
you’re gonna need a bigger boat it’s a
common misconception that beach movies
have to be filmed in color the blue sky
the sandy beaches the summer styles but
in the case of Jaws there’s something
inherently bothersome about witnessing a
shark gobble up humans and not actually
seeing the blood
there’s nothing especially fun about the
narrative itself so when you remove the
visual flare from the equation there’s
more focus on the characters themselves
that’s it fine I’m not gonna waste my
time arguing with a man who’s lining up
to be a hot lunch I’m gonna see you
later of course you don’t need black and
white to understand the thinking errors
of Martin Brody yet it would bring a
certain depth to the film as a whole I
can do anything I’m the chief of police
number three the Terminator I’ll be back
so there are some types of iconic movie
characters that need color to accentuate
their personality but this isn’t
necessarily so for the t800 model 101
he’s a stone-cold assassin
and monochrome would actually even
heighten his cool factor okay through
that looking back on the Terminator
everything holds up just fine I’ll
accept some of the more obvious 80
styles so that’s where a monochromatic
hue could terminate some of the films
retro vibes
and with a post apocalyptic narrative
front-and-center
black and white would only increase the
drama while producing more crisp visuals
number two alien in space no one can
hear you scream which essentially means
that you’re isolated from everything
even yourself still don’t understand
what’s at the end listing in Ridley
Scott’s 1979 horror classic there’s
actually not a lot to be seen aside from
the obvious physical terror that emerges
that is God so with Ripley and company
obviously dealing with their own
psychological and physical drama the
colour doesn’t necessarily add anything
to heighten the tension this thing bled
acid who knows what its gonna do when
it’s dead sure the bloodbath scenes are
effective but it’s nothing new and of
course the alien itself isn’t the most
aesthetically flamboyant of creatures so
there you go black and white baby
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions
you
I ate his liver with some fava beans and
a nice Chianti number one the thing the
find of the century in the Antarctic
some horror films thrive on props and
explosive colors but for the thing
scored by the brilliant annual Morricone
it’s all about the pacing I don’t know
what the hell’s in there it’s weird and
pissed off whatever it is exteriors and
interiors psychology and physical
medicine this is another film that
channels the horrors of classic
Hollywood and with the reveal of the
monster it’s not the color or lighting
that scares viewers it’s the effect of
just seeing the dang thing as pure
nonsense doesn’t prove a thing
I thought you’d feel that way Gary so
when viewed through a monochromatic lens
everything becomes a bit more potent and
powerful if you don’t believe us just go
watch the 1951 black and white flick
do you agree with our list want me to
agree with you and you want me to say
yeah yeah right which movie do you think
would be scarier in black and white for
more jaw-dropping top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
you
dread brought on by effective monochrome
in movies when I say that I want these
things I mean that I want them and I
don’t want to have to ask again welcome
to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
movies that would be scarier in black
and white I’ve seen this tree before it
was on the tape know I’ve been there for
this list we’re focusing on color films
that would likely become a bit more
agitating if they were viewed in black
and white we’re not saying these films
aren’t scary as they are but rather
we’re exploring how a different visual
approach would heighten the scares
obviously we’re excluding films that
were shot in black and white to begin
with
number ten it follows look somebody
broke the window that really happens no
girl in the kitchen as one of the
surprise indie hits of the decade this
David Robert Mitchell flick scared the
bejesus out of most viewers through
subtext alone but with a black and white
touch visuals of a creepy grandma or a
bloodied half-naked lady carry even more
weight I need water
oh I got any water hey I’ll get you some
no stay here this is not a horror film
that relies on gobs of red blood
splashed against the wall nope
it follows gets in your head it’s a
psychological study and when framed in
monochrome even that brilliant disaster
piece score becomes creepier thus
building the tension as each character
succumbs to the fear
number nine Nightcrawler my motto is if
you want to win the lottery you have to
make the money to buy a ticket meet Leo
bloom he’s motivated he’s business savvy
and he’s also a bit deranged even so
these are some good qualities to have
when you’re a freelance videographer in
Tinseltown what if my problem wasn’t
that I don’t understand people but that
I don’t like them considering that we’ve
seen the usual la landscapes many times
over in cinema and given that nothing
especially stands out thanks to the
ominous color palette Nightcrawler could
have adopted somewhat of a lynchin vibe
with sharp black-and-white visuals you
filmed him dying that’s what I do it’s
my job as the narrative unfolds Lew
becomes increasingly unstable and
nothing says unstable more than a
monochromatic image of a man screaming
at a mirror number eight seven do you
like what you do for a living these
things you see no no I don’t darkly lit
and with location unknown this David
Fincher classic works just fine in its
present form but there’s a certain
wild-card factor that could help make
the case for black and white let’s call
him John Doe you know what we’re talking
about wanting people to listen you can’t
just tap them on the shoulder anymore
you have to hit them with a sledgehammer
how about this seven is a film that
becomes a new kind of war with a
specific shade to represent the
underlying dread I’m not talking
standard black and white but a tone all
its own he had a gun and he made it he
made me do it there’s something to be
said for the way a character like David
Mills is lit whether he’s musing about
life with detective Somerset or coming
to a disturbing realization black and
white perfectly fits the bill across the
board especially for the final reveal
seems that envy is my scene know what’s
in the box take it give me what’s enough
you box lit a gun
you just don’t you number seven the mist
the blood of human sacrifice must come
from them
now here’s a sci-fi horror that will
break your heart directed by Frank
Darabont a man well-versed in the art of
freaking out viewers the Armageddon
narrative of this film works on a
variety of levels those bugs like it has
ever seen but consider the effects of
insect attacks depicted in black and
white in other words the mist becomes
much scarier when the pure horror isn’t
explicitly shown through conventional
genre cliches but through more creative
scare tactics like ominous shading
in that final scene lit just screams out
black and white
interestingly Darabont included a
black-and-white version on blu-ray as
that’s how he originally intended to
shoot the film you don’t have much faith
in humanity do you
none whatsoever number 6 the fly for the
average person insects are usually
equated with four and in the realm of
cinema it only makes sense to highlight
the various color forms of a scientist
turned bug
especially when it’s a David Cronenberg
production saying I’m an insect who
dreamt he was a man I loved it but now
the dream is over but with such a
director who primarily focuses more on
the mindsets of his characters rather
than colorful visuals the fly would
become timeless in black and white as
opposed to it currently being an obvious
product of the 80s sure you’d have to
edit the film differently but a stripped
down palette would elevate the movie
from a modern cult classic to an
enduring horror production be afraid be
very free number five The Omen
like many films of the 70s this iconic
horror possesses a certain beauty in its
color and setting but come on the
Antichrist calls for black and white and
when you factor in the casting of
legends such as Gregory Peck and Lee
Remick well everything becomes a bit
creepier with the absence of tones and
tints the trout is that
he breeds too for a moment then he
please nothing shadowy figures and
photographs scarier in black and white
extended screaming and death sequences
scarier in black and white look at me
Damien it’s all for you in fact it’s
actually surprising the omen wasn’t shot
in black and white number four Jaws
you’re gonna need a bigger boat it’s a
common misconception that beach movies
have to be filmed in color the blue sky
the sandy beaches the summer styles but
in the case of Jaws there’s something
inherently bothersome about witnessing a
shark gobble up humans and not actually
seeing the blood
there’s nothing especially fun about the
narrative itself so when you remove the
visual flare from the equation there’s
more focus on the characters themselves
that’s it fine I’m not gonna waste my
time arguing with a man who’s lining up
to be a hot lunch I’m gonna see you
later of course you don’t need black and
white to understand the thinking errors
of Martin Brody yet it would bring a
certain depth to the film as a whole I
can do anything I’m the chief of police
number three the Terminator I’ll be back
so there are some types of iconic movie
characters that need color to accentuate
their personality but this isn’t
necessarily so for the t800 model 101
he’s a stone-cold assassin
and monochrome would actually even
heighten his cool factor okay through
that looking back on the Terminator
everything holds up just fine I’ll
accept some of the more obvious 80
styles so that’s where a monochromatic
hue could terminate some of the films
retro vibes
and with a post apocalyptic narrative
front-and-center
black and white would only increase the
drama while producing more crisp visuals
number two alien in space no one can
hear you scream which essentially means
that you’re isolated from everything
even yourself still don’t understand
what’s at the end listing in Ridley
Scott’s 1979 horror classic there’s
actually not a lot to be seen aside from
the obvious physical terror that emerges
that is God so with Ripley and company
obviously dealing with their own
psychological and physical drama the
colour doesn’t necessarily add anything
to heighten the tension this thing bled
acid who knows what its gonna do when
it’s dead sure the bloodbath scenes are
effective but it’s nothing new and of
course the alien itself isn’t the most
aesthetically flamboyant of creatures so
there you go black and white baby
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions
you
I ate his liver with some fava beans and
a nice Chianti number one the thing the
find of the century in the Antarctic
some horror films thrive on props and
explosive colors but for the thing
scored by the brilliant annual Morricone
it’s all about the pacing I don’t know
what the hell’s in there it’s weird and
pissed off whatever it is exteriors and
interiors psychology and physical
medicine this is another film that
channels the horrors of classic
Hollywood and with the reveal of the
monster it’s not the color or lighting
that scares viewers it’s the effect of
just seeing the dang thing as pure
nonsense doesn’t prove a thing
I thought you’d feel that way Gary so
when viewed through a monochromatic lens
everything becomes a bit more potent and
powerful if you don’t believe us just go
watch the 1951 black and white flick
do you agree with our list want me to
agree with you and you want me to say
yeah yeah right which movie do you think
would be scarier in black and white for
more jaw-dropping top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
you
Please follow and like us: