CODES AND CONVENTION OF A HORROR FILM

Textual Analysis

Horror films are used to play on the vulnerability of the audience. It’s a genre that captivates the audience by drawing on their fears as well as creating suspense through its mysterious elements.

 

WHAT ARE HORROR FILMS?

Certain elements of Horror films are styled and designed in order to set the mood and atmosphere of the production. These can be present not just in the film itself but how it is presented through the following:

STYLE

High angles often used to portray vulnerability and most often are used on the victims to demonstrate their inferior state in comparison to the villain. They are the villains prey.

Low angles are often used to portray dominance and power which is mostly used for the villain as it shows their strength within the film and the audience understand that they are the predator.

For example, in the movie JU-ON (The Grudge) usually displays the ghost glaring at her victims before she executes them. By using a low angle, her stare becomes more intimidating and asserts her authority over the victims.

CAMERA WORK AND EDITING

  Extreme close ups are used to highlight certain aspects of

the film which may build tension and mystery as the audience aren’t seeing the full picture. It also invades their personal space as the close up forces them to take note of every gruesome detail.

The screenshot below, taken from the movie has used an extreme close up on fingertips and razor blade. The shot displays the blade being used to roughly scrape at the skin. This causes fear and tension as the audience are concerned about the person cutting themselves.

Horror movies use background music in order to signify to the audience when there is trouble or a problem arising. The effect of this is that the audience anticipate what is going to happen and despite being fearful, they carry on watching to find out what the trouble is.

There is also the use of foley sound which is exaggerated ambient sound as they want to add emphasis on the realistic elements of the film. For example, the sounds of a door creaking, footsteps and glass breaking.

Ambient sounds – diegetic(realism) Monster sounds non diegetic to scare.

SOUND

A common trend in horror movies is that they all explore the theme of death.

Whether the lead character dies or not, they are usually alive to witness at least one person’s death as a way of anticipating what could be their fate if the villain is not defeated before then. This is a way of creating tension as the audience fear for whether the villain will survive the horror or not.  

The Plot involves death of some kind. Another common trend within horror movies and their plots

is that the characters always get into a predicament that prevents them from escaping the enemy.

NARRATIVE AND PLOT

A signature feature of horror films is the iconography that represents the themes of the movie and the killer’s chosen execution style.

In terms of representing themes, a gore horror would be justified through the use of a prop or gadget the villain may use.

Examples would be Texas chainsaw where the villain uses a chainsaw and Saw which is well known for its torturous chambers that Jigsaw uses to torment and punish his victims.

Props/Significant Objects

Deserted location – hospital, graveyard, church, basements, attics, lifts, house

Isolated communities

Settings

Horror movies tend to play on the idea of binary opposites: Good vs Bad, God vs Satan, Predator vs Pray.

Devil and The Lord of Salem are clear examples of binary opposition in terms of God vs Satan which is demonstrated through their imagery.

Themes

The characters involved in a horror story usually consist of the following:

Protagonist – Story follows either the victim or villain.

Psychopath Teenagers – usually in a group, curious and go out to

explore places that are haunted.Victims – there is usually at least one survivor. Ghosts – Usually restless and seeking revenge.Demons - Serial Killers. – Tend to have a trademark style of

killing. E.g weapons used, type of victim.

Characters