Watch: How Horror Cinematography Taps into Our Primal Fears | No Film School

[Editor's Note: No Film School asked Nelson Carvajal to create a video essay featuring some of the best cinematography in horror films.]

"When it comes to horror films, the use of cinematography goes far deeper than just camera tricks and wizardry," says Nelson Carvajal in our latest video essay. In examining the imagery of horror films both iconic and modern, from Psycho to The Phantom Carriage to Silent House, we found that the best cinematography is subjective and harnesses the power of the subconscious.

Check back on Monday, October 31st for an exhaustive list of the most innovative techniques used in the history of horror cinematography.

Movies featured, in order of appearance:

Psycho
1960
DP: John L. Russell

The Shining
1980
DP: John Alcott

The Exorcist
1973
DP: Owen Roizman

Vampyr
1932
DP: Rudolph Maté

Dracula
1992
DP: Michael Ballhaus

Suspiria
1977
DP: Luciano Tovoli

Halloween
1978
DP: Dean Cundey

Silent House
2011
DP: Igor Martinovic

Repulsion
1965
DP: Gilbert Taylor

Alien
1979
DP: Derek Vanlint

Let The Right One In
2008
DP: Hoyte Van Hoytema

The Phantom Carriage
1921
DP: Julius Jaenzon

A Nightmare On Elm Street
1984
DP: Jacques Haitkin

It Follows
2014
DP: Mike Gioulakis

Nosferatu
1922
DP: Fritz Arno Wagner

The Fog
1980
DP: Dean Cundey

Jigoku
1960
DP: Mamoru Morita

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
1974
DP: Daniel Pearl

Featured image: "Repulsion," directed by Roman Polanski (1975)

horror Video Essay psycho

Mark Duplass Has Some Thoughts on Sundance Acceptance

Mark Duplass Shares His Thoughts on Sundance Acceptance

The Calvary King delivers a hopeful message to filmmakers who didn't get into Sundance.

Mark Duplass has always been a filmmaker's filmmaker. He famously delivered his "The Cavalry is Not Coming" speech at SXSW as a call to action for independent filmmakers to stop waiting and start shooting. Duplass also historically creates and works on small-budget indie projects, including being a key member of the lo-fi, bare-bones mumblecore movement. He's also a charismatic actor who brings a relatable ethos to every role he plays—not to mention seems like an overall cool dude.

We love Mark Duplass.

All the above considered, it's no surprise to see Duplass take to social media with an encouraging statement following the recently announced 2025 Sundance lineup this past Wednesday. Duplass, hot off positive reviews for the recently released The Creep Tapes on Shudder, warmly comforted filmmakers that if you happened to apply to Sundance and weren't selected, hey, that's okay. They curate 15,775. It happens.

We all know rejection sucks, but don't sweat it. Be proud of your project no matter what. And watch Mark Duplass's full snippet of encouraging wisdom below.

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