Does hiding the monster from the audience make a movie scarier?

Does hiding the monster from the audience make a movie scarier?
Does showing the monster weaken it's effect?

well, it's a good thing to hide it during the movie, and slowly reveal it

It's frustrating to not see the thing the movie build our fear from

Cloverfield is a good exemple: we don't know how the monster looks like until the end, like the characters

Usually the monster isn't that scary when you see it. Usually the shitty CGI ruins the mystique of what it could be.

Small flashes. A blur here and there. Letting the audience imagine is more terrifying than showing it fully.

Your imagination is scarier than any thing in this world. When the creature is vague, your mind can run wild with fear. But when limitations are revealed, your imagination gets reigned in as well.

Unless the pacing is well-directed, hiding it feels like a cheap tease drudging up RL frustration in the audience, and negativity towards the fillum.
Showing only works against it, if it's shitty looking monster, doing stupid things.

I watched the Conjouring recently and it got less scary after the scene on top of the wardrobe. Everything is always scarier when it's a vague shape and weird noises.

On the other hand, seeing something scary in a flash (not jump scare) worked for years but can't really anymore cause the Internet will immediately freezeframe/slow it and you can see it in all its glory and see it isn't really that scary.

The CG era killed the slow build-up monster reveal

But who the hell does that? I'd punch any jackass who pauses the movie to stare at the monster while I try to watch.

Cloverfield was fucking god tier at this, pretty underrated movie honestly unfortunately it only really is good for one viewing.

Definitely, once you know full well what you're up against it ruins it.

The spookiest movie of the 21st century (and the only spook kino as well) showed the monster early

If taking a good look at a monster makes it not scary, then it was never really scary.

No, I mean it's scary during the film but if you want to relive the scariest moment after there are tons of youtube videos and freezeframes and shit. You can just avoid that but horror breeds that curiosity of wanting to know what is was. I've seen loads of slowed down footage of the Cloverfield monster cause it fascinated me, but if that film came out in the 80s I'd have no idea what it really looked like.

Most humans have a more fucked up imagination than what the movie would ever be able to deliver while still being possible to sell it as a product.
So yeah, hiding the monster is more effective.
Of course you show parts of him, gives noises, characters give descriptions and etc.
Only show the monster if the idea is so disturbing in itself that showing it wouldn't ruin the movie, and even then don't show it completely, just it's face and a part of it's body.

what's that?

It is way scarier to not know where the danger comes from because that builds suspense. Also the added mystery is better imo.

Movies like Insidious and the Conjuring fucked this up by going all out memes at the end and showing e v e r y t h i n g

Sometimes, but creatures that move fast and erratically can freak me the fuck out.

what is this?

What is this from? That alien interview tape?

i'm pretty sure nobody is actually scared during horror movies so like i see no reason to hide the monster

i mostly watch them for their aesthetic (pic related for example) like i've considered buying a body bag and converting it into a sleeping bag and stuff so like if you have a cool monster like why hide it

this

Movie called The Tunnel, monster is called Stalker

I might be wrong, but it looks like Kairo

It depends on exactly what kind of film it is, but in general it's better to let the viewer's brain fill in the blanks.
Whatever the viewer imagines will be based on their own fears, which will deliver a far more effective scare than a CG monster.