Horror films will always be better watched in a cinema, the actress Linda Cardellini has said.
The rise of streaming services such as Netflix has led to fears of an existential threat to theatres, with revered director Steven Spielberg reportedly among those uncomfortable about the potential impact on attendances.
Netflix now boasts about 150 million subscribers around the world while Disney will launch its own streaming service in November.
Cardellini, the star of supernatural horror film The Curse Of La Llorona, believes the horror genre will always work best in a traditional setting.
She told the Press Association: “I think that horror films are one of the few films that still get people to go to the theatre and that’s fun. It’s like riding a rollercoaster – on the ride, everyone is screaming at the same time, they’ve got their hands up at the same time.
“After it, you have this rush of adrenaline. I feel the same way about watching this film or any movie like that.
“You can only really do that at the movie theatre. It’s different when you watch it at home – the sound is different, you’re not sitting in the dark with strangers. I think there’s something magical about watching a horror film, especially in a packed theatre.”
Children are told to behave, or she’ll steal them away. The Curse of #LaLlorona is the #1 Movie in the World, now playing everywhere. https://t.co/A5iYLR4XnL pic.twitter.com/W1e9UrtGhG
— The Curse of La Llorona (@lalloronamovie) April 22, 2019
The Curse Of La Llorona is set in 1970s Los Angeles and sees Cardellini’s single mother character desperately trying to save her two children from a malevolent spirit.
It is based on a Hispanic legend of La Llorona – the weeping woman – who murders her own babies in a jealous rage before being condemned to spend eternity wandering the Earth seeking replacements.
It is the sixth instalment in The Conjuring Universe.
Cardellini, who last year starred in the Oscar-winning Green Book, said La Llorona’s focus on strong female characters attracted her to the project.
She said: “There are three really strong female characters at the core of this movie, and if you count the young girl, there’s four. That to me was appealing, it doesn’t always happen.
“That’s something that horror has that some other genres of film don’t – they have really good roles for a female.”
The Curse Of La Llorona is out now in the UK.