Sometimes it’s not the scares or the death scenes that stick with you once the end credits start to roll. A well-performed and well-written speech, or monologue, can go far in elevating a horror movie to special status. Monologues pre-date cinema, as far back as ancient Greece, and serve a purpose in storytelling. They provide exposition about the plot or give vital details about a character or cast events from the narrative in a new light or serve the central themes. The best monologues should highlight the tone of the film and leave you spellbound.
There’s an art form to them. Sitting through a long-winded speech can feel tedious, mainly if the sole purpose is to deliver exposition. Timing and writing are of equal performance to the delivery; the performance selling the monologue clinches it. Tone plays a significant factor in horror’s most memorable movie monsters. They say a lot about the character’s mindset and often create unease. Some even build anticipation. A horror movie monologue furthers the story or character development while contributing to the overall mood or atmosphere.
Here are just some of the absolute best in horror history.
Psycho – “She wouldn’t even harm a fly.”
All seems tidy and well at the closing moments of Psycho. Norman Bates’ intended victims have evaded him, and he sits alone in a jail cell, wrapped in a blanket and his thoughts. Norman’s inner voice is gone, edged out entirely by his “mother.” Mother’s inner speech talks about Norman taking the fall for her crimes, and expresses zero remorse while ominously promising to kill again. This monologue starts as an insight into how far gone Norman’s mind is but builds toward directly addressing the audience in a final zinger. All the while, actor Anthony Perkins nonverbally expresses the evolution of emotions, culminating in that chilling, knowing smile.
Jaws – The U.S.S. Indianapolis
One of the most effectively frightening scenes in this classic doesn’t feature the shark at all, but a quiet moment among the three men hunting it. After comparing battle scars and laughs, Quint sucks all the joy from the cabin with a sobering account of tiger sharks circling the crew of a sunk U.S.S. Indianapolis. With his serious, quiet tone, Quint relays specific details as if he’s just lived through it. The trauma is still vivid in his mind, and thanks to this monologue, it’s forever fresh in our minds, too.
The Silence of the Lambs – Meeting Hannibal Lecter
Scenes of Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter only made up sixteen minutes of screentime here, yet ran away with the entire film. This forceful introduction to his character set the tone. From his heavily secured cell, Lecter quickly sizes up the timid Starling. He launches into a speech that profiles her with specificity. Lecter’s cold blue eyes drill holes into her all the while. At first glance, Lecter may seem unassuming. The moment he opens his mouth to speak, the chilling intelligence with a bravado to match ensures this is one killer you want to avoid at all costs. All villains love a good monologue, and Hopkins’ portrayal keeps it believable.
The Exorcist III – the Gemini Killer
Suppose there’s a monologue that involves delivering an insane amount of exposition within the span of a few minutes. In that case, you need an engaging performer capable of selling it while leaving viewers wholly in their grip. Brad Dourif is indeed that actor. In a cell with Lt. Kinderman, Dourif’s Gemini Killer gives a rousing speech that details his journey to Hell and back. It answers significant questions to the plot. In other words, it’s a lot of information to digest at once. Dourif somehow makes it easy by way of intensity. His quiet seething crescendos into an eruption of fiery wrath. It’s impressive, as we’ve come to expect Dourif to be.
Deep Blue Sea – A Hero’s Rally
A misdirection is a vital tool in scare-crafting. It’s like a magic trick; get the audience to look another way, so their guard is down when the scare happens. Here, the misdirection brilliantly comes in the form of a hero’s monologue. When the entire oceanic laboratory is falling apart, and everything is going wrong, enter Samuel L. Jackson’s Russell to calm the bickering and motivate the survivors. It works. His commanding presence and rousing speech get everyone’s attention. It’s a rallying cry that gives hope and direction. As Russell takes charge, the music swells, and this hero takes control; no one notices until far too late how close to the water’s edge he stands. Cue his shocking demise.
Hereditary – “I’m your mother!”
Toni Collette dominated this movie for several reasons. As Annie Graham, Collette sustained high levels of emotion throughout, from abject terror to crippling devastation. Of all Annie’s scenes, though, it’s her explosive outburst over a quiet family dinner that packs a brutal punch. Here she unloads a bottomless well of anger toward her son over the accidental death of her daughter. Annie goes through grief stages, but it’s exacerbated to an insane degree by the horror. Collette’s performance here is extraordinary, and it furthers the growing divide in this family while building upon the unsettling mood within the house.
source https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3658481/art-monologue-6-horrors-memorable-speeches/
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