How to make a modern horror film, but not particularly tense? you need to act on a template, as do 90% of authors.
The main characters must be teenagers, because the younger generation does not understand many things and does not want to understand, so their death will be more justified.
The main condition is that teenagers must be of different sexes and alternate. How do you start a story? Easy. We need to send these kids somewhere. The main thing is that this “somewhere” is in the wilderness, and there must be a forest nearby.
Oh, that sounds good. Now the hardest thing is to come up with a smooth transition between travel and horror. So the first time we'll scare the idle. Either a friend will tease another to the creepy music, or a strange type (a trucker, a grandmother, a gas station owner) will warn the guys about the death that awaits them where they are going. That's great now. Add a couple of shots from the rest of the main characters and you can release another maniac. Of course, do not forget about the naked breasts of women and moments like “I held my breath because the maniac is a meter away from me.”
All of the above can not be considered a spoiler, because it is the layout that is used in most modern horror films. “Madison County” is filmed strictly according to this pattern, without any liberties. The only thing that pleases is the mask of another psychopath. Looks pretty good. After 10 minutes of viewing, it becomes clear who will die, what will happen next and what footage will be shown. Even the ending, which was kind of unexpected, was clear to me earlier than in the middle. Because it's still the same layout. So many similar films have already been shot that another similar film does not cause any emotions at all.
Madison County is neither good nor bad. He's just like a million others, and he doesn't even try to stand out.
5 out of 10