A fantastic horror film is composed of many very distinct elements. A movie needs to have a murderer or cursed object that the audience can believe in, a target who is innocent or a bunch of folks people can care about, and a story that is gripping from start to finish. However, there must be a context in which it can feel credible. Small communities are the perfect setting for sheer terror and sci-fi tales to flourish—the more remote, the better, as their charming streets and lovely views constantly conceal ominous secrets.
But, several of the deadliest horror films show how difficult it can be to survive in these idyllic settings where nothing ever occurs and battle maniacal serial killers, terrifying clowns, and other otherworldly foes who relish killing people while performing mind games. Let’s explore and rank the most famous towns that have been featured in horror films.
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8 Woodsboro, California
Paramount Pictures
Woodsboro is the heart of the Scream franchise. Scream 5 was released in January 2022, and Scream 6 will be out the next year. People cannot help but recall the posh Woodsboro, where the real estate prices did not drop even with the existence of a brutal killer, the town where the entire horror-thriller phenomenon started. In Scream, director Wes Craven and the ensemble masterfully combine the neighborhood murderer’s intrinsic terror with the familiarity of several of the town’s citizens to create a compelling narrative. While the plots and settings have slightly changed since the original Scream, Woodsboro has maintained its stature.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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7 Bangor, Maine
Followers of Stephen King must visit Bangor, where the renowned author currently dwells. A big list of places to see appears in his writings or movie adaptations. It is, in every way, like entering the imaginary hamlet of Derry, where several of his works take place. The Thomas Hill Hose bib inspired the water station in the scary clown movie It. Pet Sematary has been shot around the town, especially in Mount Hope Cemetery. Also, the town’s airport appeared in the book and its cinematic version of The Langoliers. King’s residence is obviously another important sight in the town.
6 Derry, Maine
Warner Bros. Pictures
The mythical Maine hamlet of Derry has appeared in numerous Stephen King books, but it’s never felt more unsettling than it did in IT. While Pennywise, arguably one of the spookiest film clowns of all, made the area appear far more menacing at moments, it was nevertheless occasionally unsettling. In this classic horror film, a bunch of young children must fight to escape the gruesome onslaught of a child-eating monster who poses as a clown to the kids. They resolve to come together again and defeat the evil clown years later.
5 Newt, Texas
Bryanston Distributing Company
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is so iconic and features one among the oldest and scariest horror film towns ever, the made-up village of Newt in Texas. It all began in the tiny community inhabited by one of the terrifying movie households, the Sawyers, who dwell in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. For many years, the man-eating and deranged Sawyer family escaped punishment for killing and human consumption. The plot focuses on five buddies who, after seeing their grandfather’s burial, discover a mansion that appears to have been deserted; shortly, are forced to battle for their survival.
4 Springwood, Ohio
The imaginary Ohio township of Springwood from the iconic horror flick A Nightmare on Elm Street ranks among the most well-known and terrifying ones in the history of horror movies. Understandably, Elm Street, where the bizarre and gruesome fatalities occurred, serves as the most high-risk area in the county. People would absolutely not want to be sleeping close to Springwood if it were an actual area. Freddy Krueger, one among the most infamous murderers, appears in this classic horror film.
3 Hobbs End, New England
New Line Cinema
Among the most bizarre and unnerving H.P. Lovecraft-inspired horror films is In The Mouth of Madness. The tale’s main action occurs in the imaginary little community of Hobb’s End, where thriller author Sutter Cane vanishes while attempting to write his most recent book. Given that Hobb’s End is a sort of Easter Egg and alludes to a transit stop from the Pit and Quatermass, it is in a minimum of two films. When John, an insurance broker, eventually gets to the ominous supernatural hamlet of Hobb’s End, things immediately get worse for him due to Sutter’s earlier work.
2 Twin Peaks, Washington
CBS Television DistributionShowtime Networks (2017)
Twin Peaks, the program, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, the movie, feature one of the spookiest small towns ever. Twin Peaks has some amazing episodes, and hundreds of people worldwide were captivated by this psychological thriller story’s twists, turns and distinctive images. The movie is among the most intriguing supernatural films, with a mood that lingers in viewers’ minds even after it’s over. Many directors have sought to imitate Lynch’s thrilling picture and its town oddity since then, but have remained unsuccessful.
1 Haddonfield, Illinois
Compass International Pictures
Of course, probably one of the best-known horror film series also features one of the spookiest quaint towns. Although Michael Myers’ preferred killing location is relatively safe 364 days throughout the year, people should stay away from its broad walkways and neat hedges on October 31st. The horrific killings of Halloween happened in the ordinary village of Haddonfield, Illinois, on Halloween. Folks can’t seem to survive in this creepy town, whether they choose to camp out in the woods, by the lakeside, or within their own houses.
