It isn’t often that characters in horror movies exhibit common sense, but when they do, the results are hilarious displays of realism. If you’re an avid horror fan, there’s a strong chance that you’re desensitized to all the spookiness and gore, constantly criticizing the actions of the protagonists who take pages out of Mystery Inc.’s book and decide that splitting up is always the most efficient option — when it really isn’t. Realistically, you’ve probably lost count of how many times you’ve caught yourself screaming at the TV for the main character to not investigate the scary noise in the basement alone. There wouldn’t be much of a plot without some air-headed decisions, but we know better, don’t we?
And we’re not the only ones. Once in a blue moon, there’s a character who breaks the mold of blissful ignorance, deciding that their current predicament is much more risk than reward. It happens only rarely, but it’s a breath of fresh air and a nice deviation from the common theme of idiocy. Reddit calls them the “smartest but least helpful psychic in horror,” but some might say he’s the most accurate representation of a reluctant onlooker on horror history. We’re referring to Mark Fredrichs, who plays Dr. Fredrichs in Paranormal Activity (2007).
Looking for an explanation as to the strange occurrences in their home, Katie and Micah hire a psychic to investigate the grounds and determine a possible cause for the impromptu hauntings. In a rather hilarious turn of events, Dr. Fredrichs agrees to inspect the home, but once he arrives and gauges how severely doomed Katie and Micah truly are, he chooses the only sensible course of action: leave immediately. The whole exchange is downright comical, especially since there’s a guarantee that everyone in the movie theater felt the same way.
There’s no denying that Dr. Fredrichs made the right call, especially as we discover what happens to Katie and Micah by the film’s end. Had he stuck around, there’s a strong chance that Fredrichs would have perished, but at least he was smart enough to know that much from the get-go. Several comments are calling it the “realest” reaction in any horror movie, entirely relatable and actually non-fictional for once.
Some other examples of like-minded characters crept out of the woodwork, including one of the extras in Scream 2 who witnesses the commotion with Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Maureen and decides to do what any reasonable human would do — catch the first cab out of there.
As we know, horror as a genre couldn’t afford to get away with too many instances where characters finally wise-up against the evil. After all, there isn’t much of a narrative if the protagonists aren’t scared out of their wits and choosing bold stupidity over rational thinking. Isn’t that just horror encomed?
Published: May 3, 2023 09:00 am