In the 31 realms, there IS a realm of unconscious beings, but it’s not inanimate “elements of the universe”. It’s the asañña brahma realm where there is no citta vithi flowing (thus no consciousness). Somewhere on this site, this realm is likened to being under anesthesia, and your analogy of the “pause suffering” button of a cosmic horror story is quite apt in my opinion.
Also on this site, perhaps under the meditation section, Lal cautioned against a type of practice to STOP thoughts. And I have seen people attempting this, as if thoughts are the obstacles to real peace of mind. Perhaps this type of practice can lead to rebirth in the asañña realm.
To build on your analogy of samsara as a horror movie, I’d like to think of the deva realms and brahma realms (other than asañña which is the “pause”) as the “happy” parts of the movie. The movie can have neutral or happy sections, yet we know that the horror part (apāyā) will happen sooner or later, and that it is the dominant feature of the movie.
Best,
Lang
