Horror

I prefer high-minded horror. Cosmic, cult, psychological, etc. Actually, the less of a personal physical threat there is, the better. The idea of being added to a human centipede and surviving for days, weeks, or even months, is so much more terrifying than being stabbed by some guy in a mask and dying quickly, and the idea of becoming a Cassandra, forced to watch things happen but unable to stop them, is worse still. The idea of otherworldly beings that don't hate you but can and would wipe you out as casually as we kill a beetle crossing the road beneath our wheels is so much more compelling than 'Get some holy water on the way home, please, honey. There's a demon in the kids again.' I also hate stupid characters. I'm not interested in watching people who are not, at least, vaguely intelligent. If their first, last, and best attempt to defend themselves is guns, knives, and explosives, why are we even watching?

The rest of my preferences are more about quality. Effortful writing, minimal jumpscares or orchestra stings, balance between unflinching realism and gratuitous visuals, minimizing things that 'just happen' for narrative convenience, etc.