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There are plenty of examples of horror movies where the characters are trapped before they know it, or where escape is impossible. That, however, isn’t the case for every single film, since there are plenty of times where the main characters could’ve left.
That doesn’t make for the most entertaining piece of cinema, but it would’ve been the sensible thing to do. Of course, for the sake of the plot, characters stick around haunted houses, creepy towns, suspicious hosts, and increasingly dangerous situations long after common sense would suggest leaving. These films are packed with moments where walking away remained a very real option.
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Speak No Evil
The visiting family encounters increasingly bizarre and uncomfortable behavior throughout their stay. They have multiple chances to pack their bags and leave long before the situation escalates into outright horror.
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The Invitation
As the dinner party becomes stranger and more unsettling, several guests express concerns. Walking out early would have spared them from discovering exactly what their hosts had planned for the evening.
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The Sacrament
The journalists travel voluntarily to an isolated religious commune modeled after Jonestown. Once they begin noticing disturbing levels of control and paranoia, leaving immediately would have been the most sensible course of action.
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Midsommar
The American visitors repeatedly witness alarming rituals and disturbing behavior. Several characters even discuss leaving, but curiosity and personal motivations keep them in Sweden far longer than seems wise.
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Barbarian
After discovering increasingly unsettling secrets inside the rental property, multiple opportunities arise to leave. Unfortunately, curiosity and attempts to help others repeatedly pull characters back into danger.
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Fresh
Noa ignores several red flags after meeting Steve and agrees to a secluded weekend getaway with someone she barely knows. The decision turns a promising romance into a nightmare that could have been avoided.
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House of Wax
The travelers encounter a suspiciously empty town and increasingly unsettling residents. Before the danger becomes unavoidable, they have several chances to get back on the road and leave.
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The Rental
The vacation rental becomes progressively more uncomfortable as tensions rise and strange discoveries emerge. Leaving early would have prevented nearly every problem that follows.
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The Ruins
The entire disaster begins because a group of tourists chooses to visit a remote archaeological site they know little about. Had they stuck to their vacation plans, the horror never would have started.
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The Visit
The children quickly notice their grandparents behaving in increasingly alarming ways. Calling their mother and leaving the farm earlier would have avoided many of the film’s horrors.
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Cuckoo
Gretchen’s father willingly relocates his family to a bizarre resort community in the Alps despite increasingly suspicious behavior from its owner. Several opportunities to leave present themselves before the truth becomes impossible to ignore.
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X
The aspiring filmmakers arrive at an isolated property owned by hosts who immediately make several people uncomfortable. Packing up and relocating the production would have been the safest option.
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Pearl
Several characters continue engaging with Pearl despite obvious signs that something is deeply wrong. Maintaining distance from her increasingly unstable behavior would have dramatically improved their odds of survival.
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The Wicker Man
Sergeant Howie grows increasingly suspicious of Summerisle and its residents. Despite recognizing that the community is hiding something, he continues investigating long after a cautious retreat becomes appealing.
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Hell House LLC
The documentary crew repeatedly encounters terrifying and unexplained incidents while preparing their haunted attraction. Nearly every member has a moment where abandoning the project would have been entirely reasonable.
The post 15 Horror Movies Where Just Leaving Was Always On the Table appeared first on Den of Geek.
