You’re in a dark movie theater. The screen is pitch black, save for a waif-like cheerleader trembling in fear. Each little noise prompts you to clutch your popcorn for dear life. Your breath hitches in anticipation of The Moment: that fateful split second where the cheerleader will turn around, only to find—oh no! He’s stabbing her with a rake! There’s blood everywhere! And more blood. And… more blood…

Okay, then.

Within the first five minutes of this widely anticipated horror movie, you are immensely bored. There is only so much bodily fluid a person can endure before the popcorn runs out and the thrills become predictable, leaving one feeling hungry and cheated. It’s sad, but today’s horror movie lovers have come to anticipate this pattern: little substance and loads of gore.

Where has the appreciation for the classic horror movie gone? These days, the horrors that gross the most people tend to rely on shock rather than the kind of mental scarring that really lingers. Saw might have been vaguely creepy the first time, but we’re on Saw V now—that’s one sequel every year since 2004. Seriously? I’ve had textbooks give me bigger thrills. People watch the movies almost purely for the gross-out factor, and frankly, that’s demeaning to the entire genre.

While guts and chainsaws are scary in the moment, they don’t make you shake yourself to sleep quite like a good demon child does. That’s right, kids—although horror movies are often dismissed as cheap thrills, a truly classic horror won’t just scare you at the physical “oh my god, ew!” level. By exploring the minds of some seriously messed up people, it will scare you right where it hurts: the brain.

When it comes down to it, there are three pillars of horror—and none of them have anything to do with senseless limb amputation. I’m talking about suspense, characterization and sheer artistry.

These pillars show up mainly in the classics, of course. The bathroom scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho creates suspense impeccably, using nothing but a knife, fake blood and four simple notes to forever leave a mark on pop culture. The Exorcist is a masterpiece thanks to Regan MacNeil’s character: her demonic vulgarity wouldn’t be so spine-chilling if she hadn’t started out as a sweet little girl. Finally, the 1976 film Carrie may be gruesome, but it was made creatively—and that set it apart. Remember the closing scene? If you thought you were simply watching Amy walk toward Carrie’s grave, think again. It’s actually a shot of her walking backwards played in reverse. Subtle, but so very creepy.

Still, horror could stand to learn some tricks from other genres. Silence of the Lambs is more of a thriller than anything, but this slow, haunting study of a cannibal’s mind could easily be combined with action to create a horror masterpiece. Because Dr. Hannibal Lecter is explored as a human rather than as a distant monster, he makes viewers ask themselves some pretty tough questions about humanity as a whole. Is Hannibal insane? Is he just one step ahead of the rest of us? And more importantly, could he live down the street without anyone knowing? By evoking these kinds of questions correctly, a film can stay popular and relevant for generations.

For the record, I did actually have a nightmare after watching Saw. But that doesn’t make my argument any less valid. One, I’m a complete wuss and anything will scare me; two, that nightmare wasn’t fulfilling at all. It was like a one-night stand: I felt cheap, used and kind of silly. To have a meaningful relationship with a horror movie, I need to see some substance, and I know I’m not the only one. Let’s start expecting more out of this oft-misused genre.