--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the idea was to make a horror…" description: "\"I think the idea was to make a horror film that became a science-fiction film with a lot of melodramatic tropes.\" — Nicolas Winding Refn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_cinema_i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-fi_3006117.jpg" --- # I think the idea was to make a horror film that became a… ![“I think the idea was to make a horror film that became a science-fiction film with a lot of melodramatic tropes.” quote by Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_cinema_i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-fi_3006117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_cinema_i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-fi_3006117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_cinema_i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-fi_3006117.jpg) > “I think the idea was to make a horror film that became a science-fiction film with a lot of melodramatic tropes.” [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes a project that started as horror, shifted to sci‑fi, and added melodramatic elements. **In simple terms:** A horror‑to‑sci‑fi film with melodrama. Key Takeaway Embrace genre blending. Themes film genre creativity Mood confident experimental Type creative industry When to use this quote - script development - directing - production design - marketing strategy Key Concepts genre hybridization melodrama science fiction Questions to Reflect On - How does genre mixing affect audience expectations? - What risks arise from adding melodrama? A Different Perspective Balancing tone can alienate pure‑genre fans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-film/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Lot Melodramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot-melodramatic-4795911/) [Make Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-horror-876868/) [Melodramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melodramatic/) [Melodramatic Tropes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melodramatic-tropes-4795910/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tropes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tropes/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [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 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/) > [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/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/it-s-not-scary-to-make-a-horror-film-because-you-get-to-pull-back-the/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) > [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/) > [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 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/) ## More by Nicolas Winding Refn > [L.A. is, on one hand, very mysterious; it's very modern. It's a mysterious place - it's a haunting place - and everything in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/l-a-is-on-one-hand-very-mysterious-it-s-very-modern-it-s-a-mysterious/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [The digital revolution is forever. They put importance on that option as well. With Amazon, you're getting the best of both worlds, with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-digital-revolution-is-forever-they-put-importance-on-that-option/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [I think the Internet is the greatest invention since women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-the-internet-is-the-greatest-invention-since-women/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [I've always felt that I was from the future because the future is really not about what you make but what you stand for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-ve-always-felt-that-i-was-from-the-future-because-the-future-is/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [Art thrives on obstacles. The bigger the obstacle, the better the drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/art-thrives-on-obstacles-the-bigger-the-obstacle-the-better-the-drama/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [ Elle Fanning was fifteen when we started \[The Neon Demon\]. She turned seventeen during the shoot. Four weeks before Cannes, she turned eighteen. She… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/elle-fanning-was-fifteen-when-we-started-the-neon-demon-she-turned/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [The casting of any film is around 60% of the film, but it's also about the right casting insight. It's a bit like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-casting-of-any-film-is-around-60-of-the-film-but-it-s-also-about/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [How can creativity be bad? You can have, "I liked it" or "I didn't like it," but, in the end, it's an individual experience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/how-can-creativity-be-bad-you-can-have-i-liked-it-or-i-didn-t-like-it/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [I always approach every film I make as if it was going to be the last. So if I'm going to go out, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-always-approach-every-film-i-make-as-if-it-was-going-to-be-the-last/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [I can't make a film that I don't feel comfortable with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-can-t-make-a-film-that-i-don-t-feel-comfortable-with/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [I'm a huge admirer of Keanu. I think he's absolutely extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-m-a-huge-admirer-of-keanu-i-think-he-s-absolutely-extraordinary/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [Sometimes I just play the theme from Arthur. It reminds me of my childhood in New York and I just love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/sometimes-i-just-play-the-theme-from-arthur-it-reminds-me-of-my/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [The greatest artists were in a situation where they had to pay their bills. That's a very convenient way to get very creative very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-greatest-artists-were-in-a-situation-where-they-had-to-pay-their/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [I sometimes play different kinds of music to see where the performers end up. I play one genre. Then something else when I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-sometimes-play-different-kinds-of-music-to-see-where-the-performers/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [The greater the darkness, the better the drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-greater-the-darkness-the-better-the-drama/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) [Explore all 237 Nicolas Winding Refn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "I think the idea was to make a horror film that became a science-fiction film with a lot of melodramatic tropes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicolas Winding Refn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-film-that-became-a-science/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-film-that-became-a-science/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_cinema_i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-fi_3006117.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_cinema_i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-fi_3006117.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_cinema_i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-fi_3006117.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the idea was to make a horror film that became a science-fiction film with a lot of melodramatic…” — Nicolas Winding Refn", "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": "Nicolas Winding Refn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the idea was to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-film-that-became-a-science/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-the-idea-was-to-make-a-horror-film-that-became-a-science/#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 } } ] } ```