2. Psychological horror narrative conventions?
• A psychological horror contains no gore, no weapons and doesn’t aim for jump
scares. A psychological horror plays games on your mind as it plays on society’s
fears, making the audience feel like they are vulnerable.
• Psychological horrors use music and musical effects as a big part of creating an
eerie atmosphere. They rely purely on the guilt and the fears of the characters.
You are constantly on an emotional rollercoaster with this subgenre and you
never know what to expect next, whereas with a Slasher film for example you can
guess who the next victim is going to be.
• E.g. In ‘Final Destination’ you can guess who the next victim is going to be as hints
are made.
3. What are narrative conventions?
• The narrative starts in a chronological order (with a sense of
equilibrium) until a climactic point occurs, in which the
equilibrium is disrupted and cross cutting between scenes
starts to happen in the trailer.
• When the equilibrium is disrupted, fast pace editing occurs (as
there is cross cutting between different scenes). Therefore, the
narrative is no longer chronological.
• The trailer is often left off at a climactic point with unresolved
questions which is an essential enigma.
E.g. The Shining (1980)
4. Example: ‘The Shining’
Man goes to a hotel with his family, becomes snowed-in during the winter,
man becomes mental (from developing cabin fever) and attempts to kill his
family.
• A mother and her child are usually the victims that are tormented (the
trailer conforms with this).
• Score music intensifies during fast pace editing, to make the audience feel
uneasy and intrigued.
5. • The first event shown:
Introduced to the main characters - usually someone (typically a woman and/ her
child) living an normal life, then something strange or unusual happens, the mood
changes as the character/s become suspicious. The issue can be linked to the past/
their past. The problem needs o be solved.
The audience is briefly introduced to the plot of the film.
• The last event shown:
Usually the climactic point, where the characters are about to be confronting the
problem or their fear.
The audience is left with an enigma as they question what will happen next,
whether the character/s will survive, etc.
E.g. Silent Hill
What is the narrative structure?
7. What unrestricted narrative is there?
• In psychological horrors the narrative is almost always a restricted
narrative in order to enhance the enigma, as the audience only
know, see, or hear as much as the character does, leaving them
ignorant to extra background information needed to assemble all of
the story line together.
• This makes the narrative intriguing as the audience is somewhat
lead through a journey, discovering things on the way.
E.g. The Uninvited
8. What restricted narrative is there?
• Psychological horrors tend to have a restricted narrative
in order to enhance the enigma.
• Enigmas are sometimes left unsolved.
• By leaving the ignorant to extra background information
needed to assemble all of the story line together, it makes
the narrative intriguing as the audience is somewhat lead
through a journey, discovering things on the way.
9. What are the enigmas the audience is
left with?
• Who is tormenting them and why?
• Will they survive?
• The history of the place/ character?
The Others
Hide and Seek
Silent Hill
10. How do they create these enigmas?
• Fast pace editing – scenes become increasingly faster and cut off quickly,
leaving the audience not enough time take in what is happening on
screen. This builds tension and the limitation of time results in creating
enigmas.
• Flashbacks – this leaves the audience to put all the bits of information
together so they have to figure out what’s happening. (Although it is a
guided interpretation). This often leaves the audience asking questions,
intriguing them and so creates enigmas.
