This document lists common horror movie tropes and elements including: supernatural creatures, ominous music, confusing mazelike settings, knives, possessed or evil characters like vampires and zombies, themes of torture and gore, visual styles like low lighting and misty environments, and isolated settings like graveyards, large empty houses, and forests. It touches on common character archetypes, editing techniques, and forms of graphic violence viewers have come to expect from the genre.

1. Horror

2. Iconography Ironic Deaths High pitched Orchestral music Shadows Nightmares building on fear Supernatural Creatures Low-key lighting Smoke/Mist/Fog Blood The door no one should go through but someone always does... Confusing set design, maze like layout Knives

3. Some strange man who tells the story of what's going to get them Monster fighting on side of good Stereotypical ditsy girly girl Characters Vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. Possessed people The Stalker Crazy Priest Evil children Strong silent type The bullying Jock. Demons

4. Dementia Demolition of Innocence Torture Themes Massacre Nightmarish Demonic Haunting Gore Possession Darker side of humanity Vengeance

5. Dismemberment Deformity Torn flesh showing Supernatural Creatures via Editing or costume Visual Styles Hidden in shadows Misty Environments usually in graveyards Low-key lighting Bloody environments Editing of eyes to show evil (Turning them black) Figures in mirrors Panning of an area and whip pan back where a figure was

6. Night time Graveyard Labyrinth Large derelict houses Setting Hellish Environment Prison Shower scenes (Psycho, Halloween, etc.) Forest/Jungle Middle of nowhere so no one can help Mental Asylum Wasteland