2. In horror films, conventional costumes which are used are
very well known. There is usually a female who wears
provocative clothing who ends up being the sacrificial lamb
(the first person to be killed). Along with this there is usually
a nerdy character who wears much more grown up clothing
and tends to be the final female who ends up surviving due to
her intellectual abilities. Aside from these characters there are
the male characters who tend to all wear quite similar clothing
in terms of style, and also don’t have such dramatic or
memorable ends. Despite this, in supernatural films the use
of costumes as an indication of who the victims will be are a
lot less clear cut, making audiences question who is in danger
and also to create a true to life reflection of what it would be
like if the events really were to take place. This is an effective
7. PROTAGONIST COSTUME
• Typical conventions for the costume of the protagonist in a
supernatural horror includes casual, everyday clothing which is
reflective of the time which the film is set in. This makes the
audience feel closer to the characters and gives them a sense of
being part of the action. Along with this makeup is kept very minimal
and natural looking to reflect ordinary, everyday life while the
supernatural events are taking place. Hairstyles of the male
characters are often short/medium length with no signs of any
particular styling, again to reflect everyday life. This is similar to the
women’s hairstyles which are often styled in a loose curl. This style is
probably chosen due to the fact it is natural looking but also links to
the idea of young children having ringlets, giving them a more
vulnerable look. The children appear to wear no makeup, casual
8. ANTAGONIST COSTUME
The antagonists in supernatural horrors are often not seen but heard,
unless they are communicating through one of the characters. It is also
conventional to see old photographs of people from which the
supernatural being has originated from, and from evaluating these two
instances where the antagonist can be seen, it becomes clear which
costumes they tend to have. The antagonists in supernatural horrors
are often shown wearing clothing which is far behind the era which the
film is set in, creating distance between them and the ‘normal’
characters which in turn gives them a far more frightening appearance.
If this is not the case then the character would be dressed just as the
antagonists are to continue the idea of the events happening to a
typical family, making the audience fear the same situation happening
to them. There is also a greater meaning behind wearing such old-
fashioned clothes; the idea of supernatural beings has been around for
thousands of years, so it shows the audience how this fear of the
