Screenwriting : Doing Horror Right by Sammy Warshaw

I'M DIRECTING MY FIRST FEATURE FILM"

The Invite is a story about the dangers we carry with us — the secrets we bury, the guilt we deny, and the pasts that refuse to stay silent. At its core, this film explores how a single moment, a single choice, can ripple through generations, shaping lives long after the original sin has been forgotten.

From the very first pages of the script, I wanted to create a horror experience that feels intimate and personal. The characters in The Invite aren’t just victims of a supernatural force; they are victims of themselves. Their fears, insecurities, and hidden histories become the true engines of terror. The supernatural elements — the book, the curse, the witch’s legacy — are mirrors reflecting the darkness they already carry.

Visually, the film blends grounded realism with creeping, atmospheric dread. The world begins bright and familiar — school hallways, living rooms, road trips with friends — but slowly shifts into something colder, more claustrophobic, and spiritually corrupted. As the characters descend deeper into the mystery, the environment itself becomes a psychological trap. The cabin, the forest, the shadows, and even the silence are designed to feel alive, watching, waiting.

What draws me to this story is the emotional truth beneath the horror. Samuel’s journey — from isolation to connection, from confusion to revelation — anchors the film. His relationship to the book, hinted at through family history and the haunting imagery in the attic and basement , gives the narrative a generational weight. The curse isn’t random; it’s inherited. And that makes the horror feel inevitable.

My goal as a director is to craft a film that scares the audience not just with what jumps out of the dark, but with what lingers after the lights come up. I want viewers to feel the tension of unspoken truths, the discomfort of unresolved guilt, and the dread of realizing that some invitations — once accepted — can never be escaped.

The Invite is a story about being chosen, being watched, and being judged. But more than anything, it’s a story about facing the parts of ourselves we hope no one ever sees.

And that, to me, is the most terrifying thing of all.

Sammy Warshaw That’s a really interesting point. I think the strongest horror comes from something personal that’s presented in a universal way.

What scares me might be specific, but if it taps into a deeper emotion like fear of loss, isolation, or losing control it becomes relatable to others.

So I feel it does matter, but more in terms of finding the underlying universal fear beneath the personal one.

Curious to hear how you approach that balance in your lab.

Check your DMC

Most horror doesn’t fail because the idea isn’t strong — it fails because the fear never translates beyond the person who created it.

What scares you is specific.

What scares an audience needs to feel inevitable.

The shift, for me, isn’t about choosing between universal and personal fear, but about how the structure carries it.

A fear becomes shareable when it stops being an isolated moment and starts functioning as a system of pressure — something that shapes behavior, decisions, and perception over time.

That’s where horror begins to move beyond atmosphere or shock.

Not when something is frightening,

but when it becomes unavoidable.

Because the audience isn’t just reacting to what’s happening —

they’re recognizing the pattern behind it.

And once they see it,

they know it’s not going to let the character go.

That’s when it stops being “your fear”

and becomes something they can’t escape either.

Sammy Warshaw what are some examples of the most universal fears out there?

As someone who's ironically good at horror... I can say that there is overlap between what scares me personally versus what scares other people at least sometimes. I think things that could actually happen to anyone are a good place to start (like loss; it's usually sad, yes, but for example losing your memories can be incredibly frightening).

Sammy Warshaw I am having this debate internally right now with how I frame and support the dread in my newest project - My Cousin From Kentucky. I have diametrically opposite ideas and can't decide exactly which way I want to proceed.

A great topic. My threshold for horror is lower than most peoples, so scaring me in a film doesn't take a lot of heavy lifting, and when I'm writing horror, I try to push beyond what I would think is scary or unsettling to "normal" levels for other people.

When the boundaries between quantum mechanics and arcane spells dissolve, one woman becomes the bridge to save her dying galaxy.

That’s a really good question. I think the main difference comes down to how personal fear connects with shared human experience. Something might genuinely scare you, but if it is too specific to your own life or background, it can be harder for other people to fully relate to it.

At the same time, when fear is rooted in more universal feelings like losing control, being alone, guilt, or the unknown, it usually lands more strongly with a wider audience.

That said, I still think personal fear is important. It often becomes the starting point. The real strength comes from taking what unsettles you personally and shaping it in a way that others can see themselves in it too.

I’d be interested to hear how you balance both in your lab.

Good answer