Cello/bass-viol based music, low strings, mean horror to me, or at least deep, sombre menace. Paul Backmaster who orchestrates sometimes for Elton John (especially the first albums) and did the soundtrack for "12 Monkeys" also uses this sound, in the more dark, sombre, very moody songs. I didn't take note of the particular bit of music in that scene, but Cobert low strings say horror to me. If the same passage were to be re-recorded with higher strings, as in regular violins, it might have a very different mood for me.