Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers of Hollywood. His writing has been made into movies which together have grossed staggering amounts and he is the recipient of dozens of awards. What is it about his writing that keeps us coming back?
It can’t be the plots. Somehow King manages to be both utterly predictable and totally unbelievable. This sounds almost impressive but frankly it’s lazy. King has found a formula that works. Or, if it doesn’t work, one that sells. Create a ludicrously contrived situation in which to isolate some characters and pit them against some type of danger, allow them to interact and then overcome the danger. The Mist, the Happening, The Stand all follow this pattern there are many others.
There are certainly exceptions to this. The Shining and The Green Mile are two of my favourite books and movies. In the former case though, this owes more to the direction and acting than the original material. In fact, the plot of The Shining is by far the weakest aspect of it and fits the King mould rather neatly.
King’s characters are just as pre-packaged. They endlessly prop up stereotypes and are carefully flawed in an unimaginative attempt to challenge our misconceptions. It’s all perfectly crafted to push the emotional buttons we all have.
And the core of all of King’s work, the horror itself, is just the same. It’s not going to push any boundaries. It scares the audience in the most comfortable way and we keep coming back for more.
Somehow, it all works together and makes strangely compelling viewing. The characters flatter you with their inadequacies and petty arguments. The viewer is frustrated by their stupidity and congratulates himself that he wouldn’t act like that in that situation. The plot is just the same. It’s unconvincing but we suspend our disbelief and get carried along with it. When the credits roll, the movie will likely not stand up to much scrutiny but, while it lasts, it’s hard to look away.
Maybe all horror movies have an element of this. Almost all horror movies have a pitiable level of realism. Perhaps that’s a good thing though. A convincing horror movie (and I’m sure there are some) could be genuinely upsetting. King seems to have worked out the balance that sells the best. We go in order to be scared but only in a comfortable and predictable way.
It’s like eating haribo. If our body needs a chemical then our brain makes us crave things that contain it. Something about haribo makes it impossible to tell when you’ve had enough. We keep eating well beyond the point of potential benefit because they tap into something we crave. King seems to have managed to find an equivalent in the story-telling business. It doesn’t nourish or enlighten but we keep going to the movies anyway because, it’s familiar, comforting, it flatters us and satisfies a craving we all seem to have.
It can’t be the plots. Somehow King manages to be both utterly predictable and totally unbelievable. This sounds almost impressive but frankly it’s lazy. King has found a formula that works. Or, if it doesn’t work, one that sells. Create a ludicrously contrived situation in which to isolate some characters and pit them against some type of danger, allow them to interact and then overcome the danger. The Mist, the Happening, The Stand all follow this pattern there are many others.
There are certainly exceptions to this. The Shining and The Green Mile are two of my favourite books and movies. In the former case though, this owes more to the direction and acting than the original material. In fact, the plot of The Shining is by far the weakest aspect of it and fits the King mould rather neatly.
King’s characters are just as pre-packaged. They endlessly prop up stereotypes and are carefully flawed in an unimaginative attempt to challenge our misconceptions. It’s all perfectly crafted to push the emotional buttons we all have.
And the core of all of King’s work, the horror itself, is just the same. It’s not going to push any boundaries. It scares the audience in the most comfortable way and we keep coming back for more.
Somehow, it all works together and makes strangely compelling viewing. The characters flatter you with their inadequacies and petty arguments. The viewer is frustrated by their stupidity and congratulates himself that he wouldn’t act like that in that situation. The plot is just the same. It’s unconvincing but we suspend our disbelief and get carried along with it. When the credits roll, the movie will likely not stand up to much scrutiny but, while it lasts, it’s hard to look away.
Maybe all horror movies have an element of this. Almost all horror movies have a pitiable level of realism. Perhaps that’s a good thing though. A convincing horror movie (and I’m sure there are some) could be genuinely upsetting. King seems to have worked out the balance that sells the best. We go in order to be scared but only in a comfortable and predictable way.
It’s like eating haribo. If our body needs a chemical then our brain makes us crave things that contain it. Something about haribo makes it impossible to tell when you’ve had enough. We keep eating well beyond the point of potential benefit because they tap into something we crave. King seems to have managed to find an equivalent in the story-telling business. It doesn’t nourish or enlighten but we keep going to the movies anyway because, it’s familiar, comforting, it flatters us and satisfies a craving we all seem to have.
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