A horror feature film typically runs 90-105 pages and is defined by fear-driven storytelling that exploits vulnerability, isolation, and the unknown. horror features build dread through atmosphere and release it through scares.
Horror scripts must establish rules — what the threat can and cannot do — then exploit those rules for maximum dread. Sound design cues belong in the script (silence, distant sounds, sudden noise). The first kill or scare should come by page 15. Isolation is key: strip away the character's resources and allies progressively. Gore is optional; dread is mandatory. The protagonist should have a personal vulnerability the horror exploits. Avoid explaining the monster too early.
Act one creates a false sense of safety then introduces the threat (20-25 pages). Act two escalates the horror through a series of encounters, each worse than the last, with the midpoint being the first major loss (50-55 pages). Act three is survival or confrontation — the protagonist faces the threat with diminished resources (20-25 pages). The final image should linger.
Establish what your audience should fear, then make them wait for it. Dread is more powerful than shock.
Define your monster's rules — what it can do, what it can't, and what triggers it. Rules create tension.
Start with the ordinary. The more normal the world feels before the horror, the more devastating the horror becomes.
Write one scene that genuinely unsettles you. If it doesn't scare the writer, it won't scare the audience.
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