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Horror is one of the most enduring popular film genres. The consistently do well at the box office, and the most iconic characters, like Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger, often live on in our cultural zeitgeist. One horror scholar, Mathias Clasen, suggests the reason why people love horror movies so much is because they are "a risk-free way to vicariously experience threats and rehearse one's responses to those threats."
Perhaps that's why horror movies set close to home are even more...well, horrifying. It makes us feel even closer to the action, and thus, when we make it out of a horror movie unscathed, we feel an even bigger sense of accomplishment.
So, what's the best horror movie based in Nebraska? Children of the Corn. Here's what Stephen King's website says about the film:
"A twelve year-old preacher named Isaac (John Franklin) in the town of Gaitlin, Nebraska, commands the children of the town to kill everyone over the age of 18. When one child tries to escape 3 years later, his throat is cut by Isaac's disciple, Malachai (Courtney Gains). As the dying child staggers into the main highway, he is hit by Dr. Burt Stanton (Peter Horton) who is traveling with his girlfriend, Vicky Baxter (Linda Hamilton), on their way to Seattle. They put the corpse of the child in their trunk and attempt to head toward Gaitlin. They encounter Chester Diehl (R.G. Armstrong), the proprietor of a roadside gas station, who attempts to detour them around the town. Upon arriving in Gatlin, Vicky is captured by the children while Stanton is exploring the town, and it is their plan to sacrifice her to feed the cornfields."
You can watch Children of the Corn on Amazon Prime and YouTube.