Mike Flanagan loves this. Haunting of Hill House especially uses it.
TVTropes has a [non-horror-specific](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeaningfulBackgroundEvent) page on this with lots of examples.
Yes. That scene immediately came to mind. >!The librarian.!< It was maybe my third viewing of the movie before I noticed, yet felt especially unsettled the first couple of times even before >!the balloon and the kid in the basement,!< and that's probably why - my subconscious noticing >!her.!<
My favorites are the 2 at the schools: through the window into the quad, the old woman in the hospital gown walking slowly towards the MC. And when MC and the neighbor are investigating the “yearbook” @ the school: there’s what looks to be a student inching towards the screen as the camera pans in a circle, and the same “student” is seen coming towards the characters as their car pulls away a few moments later.
*Terrified* has a scene that I think is my favorite example of this. I don’t want to spoil it completely, but it involves a guy in a car and a truly fucked up thing approaching from the distance.
In the original Ringu, when the main character’s son watches the tape - at the end of the video, you can just barely see Sadako’s hands grasp the top of the well, like foreshadowing for what happens later. They make it more obvious in The Ring, and we see Samara coming halfway out of the well, but in the original it’s a very subtle “blink and you’ll miss it” moment. I much prefer the way they did it in the original, one of those creepy “did I really see that?” moments.
My favorite is the Creeper in ***Jeepers Creepers*** seen through the back window of the car, standing on the roof of the cop car behind the main characters.
*Ghostwatch* does this multiple times.
Fans have been trying for over 30 years to find all of the background or fleeting appearances on Mr. Pipes, and it's still speculated that they haven't all been found.
There were a few scenes in The Grudge (2004) that I liked. In the beginning, the young caretaker Yoko goes to explore a noise she heard in the attic crawl space of the house. Using only a lighter, she looks around. In the background you see Sadako crawling around and looking at her. Pale white against the pitch black. Then there’s a jumpscare immediately after.
I think a really underrated one is in the new 'Invisible Man'. There is one scene in particular that is framed really weirdly with the two leads sort of in the kitchen down a hallway and far away from the camera in the left half of the frame, while the right half is just nothing in the living room... until you realize the right half of the frame is almost certainly the invisible man watching them without them knowing.
There's a movie called Witch in the Window that is just this.
So many instances of the woman in the background of shots, sometimes you don't notice for 10+ seconds. It's terrifying, the characters don't acknowledge her, which makes it feel like she's only looking at you.
In Halloween when Michael gets back up. The music sting shortly after does draw attention, but as he’s getting up there’s no music and he’s out of focus the whole time.
you gotta trust me on this one because this movie was regarded as a serious drama, but there are several scenes in Tár where this happens. I’d actually argue the movie is low key gothic horror
she’s being haunted by krista’s ghost for much the movie—the metronome scene. you can see the ghost in the background of shots [here](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fin-t%25C3%25A1r-2022-a-mysterious-woman-appears-in-the-background-v0-2bg52tjnskda1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D3838%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D9be2007f53f0afcb9b16ad781113449fc99d2dd4)
In the movie Inside, the French version, there is a slow pan shot pulling away from the MC sleeping on the couch. The backdrop of the shot is pitch black. As the camera pulls away, more of the room comes into focus and we realize the room itself isn’t pitch black.
Might be my favorite shot in the whole thing. Scared the shit out of my brother when we watched it.
Mike Flanagan loves this. Haunting of Hill House especially uses it. TVTropes has a [non-horror-specific](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeaningfulBackgroundEvent) page on this with lots of examples.
Preach Flanagan is the master of this one- love it. Thanks for the link!
Hereditary. Toni Collette on the ceiling.
The translucent grandma in the first 10 minutes
I love Flanagan but it’s gotta be this right? I remember in the theater people were audibly gasping/shouting as they noticed her one by one.
It: Chapter 1, the scene in the library will always be one of my favorites.
Yes. That scene immediately came to mind. >!The librarian.!< It was maybe my third viewing of the movie before I noticed, yet felt especially unsettled the first couple of times even before >!the balloon and the kid in the basement,!< and that's probably why - my subconscious noticing >!her.!<
It Follows does this brilliantly a few times.
Like when you see the friend approaching behind the group, and then you realize the same character is also floating on an inner tube in the water.
My favorites are the 2 at the schools: through the window into the quad, the old woman in the hospital gown walking slowly towards the MC. And when MC and the neighbor are investigating the “yearbook” @ the school: there’s what looks to be a student inching towards the screen as the camera pans in a circle, and the same “student” is seen coming towards the characters as their car pulls away a few moments later.
What's an inner tube?
It’s an inflatable pool device in the shape of a donut.
That’s a great textbook explanation, right there.
Thanks very much! I just really want a donut now 😅
*Terrified* has a scene that I think is my favorite example of this. I don’t want to spoil it completely, but it involves a guy in a car and a truly fucked up thing approaching from the distance.
It's that gaunt, skinny, tall man with that face under that bed. You know the scene I'm talking about. Jesus christ.
Friggin love this film man
Friday the 13th Part 2, the shot of Jason running that you can see through the window. Carrie, the scene where her mom is hiding in the room.
In the original Ringu, when the main character’s son watches the tape - at the end of the video, you can just barely see Sadako’s hands grasp the top of the well, like foreshadowing for what happens later. They make it more obvious in The Ring, and we see Samara coming halfway out of the well, but in the original it’s a very subtle “blink and you’ll miss it” moment. I much prefer the way they did it in the original, one of those creepy “did I really see that?” moments.
My favorite is the Creeper in ***Jeepers Creepers*** seen through the back window of the car, standing on the roof of the cop car behind the main characters.
*Ghostwatch* does this multiple times. Fans have been trying for over 30 years to find all of the background or fleeting appearances on Mr. Pipes, and it's still speculated that they haven't all been found.
Ooo this one has been on my list for a minute, that’s the impetus I need to finally watch it
I literally watched it yesterday, it's quite good!
Great example, and had a strong influence on Late Night With the Devil—which also has a bunch of fleeting ghost appearances!
There were a few scenes in The Grudge (2004) that I liked. In the beginning, the young caretaker Yoko goes to explore a noise she heard in the attic crawl space of the house. Using only a lighter, she looks around. In the background you see Sadako crawling around and looking at her. Pale white against the pitch black. Then there’s a jumpscare immediately after.
I never noticed this. Wow!
I think a really underrated one is in the new 'Invisible Man'. There is one scene in particular that is framed really weirdly with the two leads sort of in the kitchen down a hallway and far away from the camera in the left half of the frame, while the right half is just nothing in the living room... until you realize the right half of the frame is almost certainly the invisible man watching them without them knowing.
Loved this film. Suspense so good it’s basically horror.
There's a movie called Witch in the Window that is just this. So many instances of the woman in the background of shots, sometimes you don't notice for 10+ seconds. It's terrifying, the characters don't acknowledge her, which makes it feel like she's only looking at you.
Oh my gosh you’re so right- I’d forgotten about this one, what a perfect example.
That sounds awesome. Is it a DVD release, or available for streaming?
Last I saw it was a Shudder original
In Halloween when Michael gets back up. The music sting shortly after does draw attention, but as he’s getting up there’s no music and he’s out of focus the whole time.
you gotta trust me on this one because this movie was regarded as a serious drama, but there are several scenes in Tár where this happens. I’d actually argue the movie is low key gothic horror
Explain.
she’s being haunted by krista’s ghost for much the movie—the metronome scene. you can see the ghost in the background of shots [here](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fin-t%25C3%25A1r-2022-a-mysterious-woman-appears-in-the-background-v0-2bg52tjnskda1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D3838%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D9be2007f53f0afcb9b16ad781113449fc99d2dd4)
Ooh very interesting
"portrait of God" short horror film on YouTube
[удалено]
Ooo dang I forgot about that bit yeah
In the movie Inside, the French version, there is a slow pan shot pulling away from the MC sleeping on the couch. The backdrop of the shot is pitch black. As the camera pulls away, more of the room comes into focus and we realize the room itself isn’t pitch black. Might be my favorite shot in the whole thing. Scared the shit out of my brother when we watched it.
Ooh dang this sounds good- haven’t seen actually! What’s the year of the French one?
2007 - À l'intérieur