---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not scary to make a horror film…"
description: "\"It's not scary to make a horror film because you get to pull back the curtain and see that none of it's real. When you're watching one, the terror bomb..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/josh-hartnett-8485_cinema_it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-bec_1714870.jpg"
---

#  It's not scary to make a horror film because you get to…

![“It's not scary to make a horror film because you get to pull back the curtain and see that none of it's real. When you're watching one, the terror bombards you.” quote by Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/josh-hartnett-8485_cinema_it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-bec_1714870.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/josh-hartnett-8485_cinema_it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-bec_1714870.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/josh-hartnett-8485_cinema_it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-bec_1714870.jpg)

> “It's not scary to make a horror film because you get to pull back the curtain and see that none of it's real. When you're watching one, the terror bombards you.”

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Horror movies are safe because the fear is simulated, not real.

**In simple terms:** Scary scenes are fictional.

Key Takeaway

Remember it's pretend.

Themes

fear fiction psychology entertainment

Mood

excited analytical

Type

observational entertainment

When to use this quote

- Watching horror
- making a film
- discussing scares
- marketing horror

Key Concepts

Suspense catharsis

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we enjoy simulated terror?
- How does knowing it's fake change the experience?

A Different Perspective

Audience may still experience genuine anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-film/) [Scar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scar/)

## Related quotes

> [I make unpopular versions of popular things. I make a horror film and it's not a horror film. None of my genre movies function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/i-make-unpopular-versions-of-popular-things-i-make-a-horror-film-and/)

[Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/)

> [I think the idea was to make a horror film that became a science-fiction film with a lot of melodramatic tropes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-film-that-became-a-science/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [If one horror film hits, everyone says, 'Let's go make a horror film.' It's the genre that never dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/if-one-horror-film-hits-everyone-says-let-s-go-make-a-horror-film-it/)

[George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/)

> [Horror films have been with us forever, so you can't say I originated that in any way, but it sort of brought back a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/horror-films-have-been-with-us-forever-so-you-can-t-say-i-originated/)

[Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/)

> [I like torture. Torture is photogenic. If you make horror movies, you always have to think what's photogenic and what's not. If you stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-like-torture-torture-is-photogenic-if-you-make-horror-movies-you/)

[Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/)

> [You make a horror film that's not very good. You'd be joining a long line, in a long video aisle, of stuff that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-fabian/you-make-a-horror-film-that-s-not-very-good-you-d-be-joining-a-long/)

[Patrick Fabian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-fabian/)

> [Although we're all in this to make a living, why not make something to make an impact? One day, I'll make a horror film.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-todd/although-we-re-all-in-this-to-make-a-living-why-not-make-something-to/)

[Tony Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-todd/)

> [I woke up one day and I realized I wasn't born beautiful, but my wife was, so I decided to make a horror film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-woke-up-one-day-and-i-realized-i-wasn-t-born-beautiful-but-my-wife/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I did so many comedies that we've had numerous discussions about horror of film and I've always been really hesitant to do so because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-christian-olsen/i-did-so-many-comedies-that-we-ve-had-numerous-discussions-about/)

[Eric Christian Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-christian-olsen/)

> [I had the nightmare when I was like nine or ten or something, I always remembered pieces of that nightmare, the feeling from it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robert-mitchell/i-had-the-nightmare-when-i-was-like-nine-or-ten-or-something-i-always/)

[David Robert Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robert-mitchell/)

> [My initial idea was I wanted to make it a horror film, very much. At times I do enter that world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/my-initial-idea-was-i-wanted-to-make-it-a-horror-film-very-much-at/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I hope one day that I'll get to make another horror film; I'd love to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/i-hope-one-day-that-i-ll-get-to-make-another-horror-film-i-d-love-to/)

[Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/)

> [One day, I would love to make a horror film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-goldstein/one-day-i-would-love-to-make-a-horror-film/)

[Brett Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-goldstein/)

> [When I was in Indonesia I had made a short horror film called 'Safe Haven' for the 'V/H/S/2' anthology with Timo, a friend of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-evans/when-i-was-in-indonesia-i-had-made-a-short-horror-film-called-safe/)

[Gareth Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-evans/)

> [I wanted to make a horror film about beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-wanted-to-make-a-horror-film-about-beauty/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

## More by Josh Hartnett

> [I don't really comment on my personal life because I feel like any comment at all is opening up a whole can of worms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-don-t-really-comment-on-my-personal-life-because-i-feel-like-any/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [You know what? I'm really attracted to British women, there's something innately proper about them. However badly they behave their accent is so cute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/you-know-what-i-m-really-attracted-to-british-women-there-s-something/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I don't like to act in my personal life. I like to be straightforward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-don-t-like-to-act-in-my-personal-life-i-like-to-be-straightforward/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I guess I will probably produce a little bit more. For me it's a career, you create as you go along and you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-guess-i-will-probably-produce-a-little-bit-more-for-me-it-s-a/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I just think of interesting roles to play. I guess that I have matured, I guess growing up and becoming a man, your taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-just-think-of-interesting-roles-to-play-i-guess-that-i-have-matured/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [You don't stay the hottest guy forever unless you're, um, Dionysus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/you-don-t-stay-the-hottest-guy-forever-unless-you-re-um-dionysus/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I don't love L.A. I love New York and Minneapolis, so if I have a choice I'll stay in those places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-don-t-love-l-a-i-love-new-york-and-minneapolis-so-if-i-have-a/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I'm always trying to find something unique or a project that I can do something unique in. When the director has a vision for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-m-always-trying-to-find-something-unique-or-a-project-that-i-can-do/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I want to experiment; I want to keep growing. I didn't want to just sit back and rest on my haunches and do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-want-to-experiment-i-want-to-keep-growing-i-didn-t-want-to-just-sit/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [Be honest with yourself and lie to everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/be-honest-with-yourself-and-lie-to-everyone-else/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I figured out the only way to get women in high school was not to care that much. Now I realize that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-figured-out-the-only-way-to-get-women-in-high-school-was-not-to/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [Everybody was trying to put me in action movies and heroic roles, and I wanted to find more complex things. They just didn't suit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/everybody-was-trying-to-put-me-in-action-movies-and-heroic-roles-and/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [When I turned 18, I skipped my party to take my girlfriend on a road trip. It turned out to be an amazing birthday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/when-i-turned-18-i-skipped-my-party-to-take-my-girlfriend-on-a-road/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I'm proud of 'Black Hawk Down' because I think it told a provocative story and it was honest. It could have had more opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-m-proud-of-black-hawk-down-because-i-think-it-told-a-provocative/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [What's more vulnerable than being naked, especially when you're out in the cold on the street? I agreed to it as long as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/what-s-more-vulnerable-than-being-naked-especially-when-you-re-out-in/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

[Explore all 80 Josh Hartnett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

## More Cinema quotes

> [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/)

[Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/)

> [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/)

[Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/)

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

> [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/)

[Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/)

> [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/)

[Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/)

[Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/)

> [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/)

[Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/)

> [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/)

[Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/)

> [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/)

[Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/)

> [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/)

[Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/)

> ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/)

[Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/)

> [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/)

Jessica Yu

> [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/)

[Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/)

[Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's not scary to make a horror film because you get to pull back the curtain and see that none of it's real. When you're watching one, the terror bombards you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Josh Hartnett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-because-you-get-to-pull-back-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cinema"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-because-you-get-to-pull-back-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/josh-hartnett-8485_cinema_it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-bec_1714870.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/josh-hartnett-8485_cinema_it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-bec_1714870.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/josh-hartnett-8485_cinema_it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-bec_1714870.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's not scary to make a horror film because you get to pull back the curtain and see that none of it's…” — Josh Hartnett",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Josh Hartnett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's not scary to make a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-because-you-get-to-pull-back-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-because-you-get-to-pull-back-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
