This document discusses various sub-genres of horror films. It outlines the key conventions and examples of supernatural, slasher, and psychological horror sub-genres. In supernatural films, evil spirits and possessions are common threats. Slasher films feature psychopathic killers targeting teenagers. Psychological horrors aim to undermine the audience's trust through twisted characters and plot twists. Key conventions include isolated settings, signature weapons, final girls, and graphic depictions of violence.

1. HORROR SUB-GENRES
By Salina Daniel

2. INTRODUCTION TO HORROR SUB-GENRE
• The horror film genre was made to elicit a negative emotional reaction from
audiences by playing on the audience's primal fears.
• Horror films often deal with viewers' nightmares, fears, revulsions, moral panics
and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often varies depending on
the sub-genre but they all involve a disturbance in a life of normality that is
recognised by the general audience because we all have an idea of what normality
involves, family, career, children and relationships. The disturbances are also easy to
identify, such as evil entities, fear and anything that doesn’t allow you to carry on
functioning with your normal life.

3. Iconic Horror Films

4. SUPERNATURAL
SUB-GENRE

5. • Supernatural horrors can account for the fear of the supranatural creatures that are
beyond this earth. This usually includes ghosts and spirits that are usually evil.
• This sub-genre is successful at bringing fear to audiences even today because a lot of
people still don’t have answers to big questions especially when being linked to
religion. Is there a God? Are spirits real? Is the Devil real? Some of these
unanswered questions have created a fear in audiences which is why the sub-genre
of supernatural involves religious imagery a lot.
In real life events that are caught on
and go viral creating moral panics
especially with todays technology
using the internet and social media
everyone knows and sees almost
everything which is what leads to
these world wide fears just like how in
the past during world war the world
was at fear of nuclear weapons as
such. Watch these spooky
videos/pictures that have gone
viral……..
Blair Witch
Project real
story…..

6. EXAMPLES
• The devil Inside: This film is a 'Found Footage' style movie about a woman who try's to
find out what happened her mother who in 1989 killed three Christian clergy who were
performing an exorcism on her. They soon find that her mother is still possessed but
when they do the exorcism they realize that the demons can jump from one person to
another, later on jumping from the mother to the priests and finally the camera man.
The demons fully take power over ones body making individuals even kill themselves
which is what the audiences fear the most. Conventions include the use of Christian
exorcisms, possessions, a person who is well knowledgeable about this problem but
even he cant stop it usually the priest and they even sometimes become victims to this
force.
• The possession: A young girl, Em, becomes weirdly obsessed with an antique wooden box
bought from a yard sale. Em soon maintains a very different character to her own showing
instability which makes her parents fear the presence of a malevolent force. Soon, her
parents learn that the box contains a dislocated spirit that ultimately devours a human
host. This films shares the similar fears as the first example only this time is also shows a
child being possessed this adds more fear as the audience knows that children are innocent
and pure and for this to happen must be such an evil force involved. Furthermore, this film
does follow typical horror conventions such as the equilibrium starting with a loving family
who move house to be together and live comfortably. However, an evil force changes and
breaks the family which then goes into the disruption of the equilibrium. When trying to
resolve this matter usually a clergy from the Christian faith comes to carry out the
exorcism however in this case is a rabbi which is of the Jewish faith which goes against
conventions.
The upside down
cross symbolises the
devil
The hand coming out her mouth
looks un human and very deadly
which comes to the point again that
we don’t know what it is and its
capability beyond controlling her.

7. GENERAL CONVENTIONS
• A convention of supernatural is that characters within the film try to make contact with the spirit
through Ouija boards and séances. The characters conventionally ask either psychics, medians or
clergy to help get rid of the spirit, according to Todorov’s prop character theory this person would be
the helper. The fact of the matter is that these conventions always escalates the matter and
heightens the fear of the film. For example, in the Conjuring, the characters call in for help and use
different types of technology and even speak to the spirits out loud. In each film this repeatedly
angers the spirit even more, in the example at in one scene the evil force ended up dragging a girl
by the hair aggressively around the room, making life even worse for the family. Another
convention of supernatural films is to use contrapuntal sounds such as nursery rhymes similarly to
possession and psychological horrors. The use of contrapuntal sound increases the scare factor of
supernatural films as it uses things that the audience would see as innocent, creating an effect that
is very unnatural and, therefore, very terrifying.

8. In terms of setting, it is conventional that a family live in the suburbs. In
almost all supernatural films, the action takes place in a family suburban
home that seems perfect. It is common for the family to move in at the
start of the film into a very grand house that may have been a little
outdated but they always see the potential, also, they always find that the
house is much cheaper than expected. However, the family have no clue
what they have bought themselves into. For example, in the conjuring or
the possession, parents move their family into a large suburban house
that is very isolated. The house is always grand and old fashioned and is
usually sold at a much lower price than expected even questionable, but a
perfect offer not to miss out on for now. Additionally, home furniture such
as kitchen pots and pans, mirrors, windows and baths are commonly used
within jump-scares. This convention of using household elements that
most audiences use everyday makes them relate to their everyday life
this creates fear by transforming innocent, everyday objects into
something sinister and dangerous. This creates the fear that this could
happen to them. Also, a common convention is the use of colours such as
grey, white and black these type of deadly, unnatural ghostly colours only
makes the spirit atmosphere seem more realistic. Usually the use of black
represents the evil entity and its presence of its anger and aggression.
For example, in the conjuring, when the psychic woman was able to see
the dead bodies hanging by the tree the surroundings was full of grey
mist.
Paranormal
activity 3
The
conjuring

9. SLASHER

10. GENERAL CONVENTIONS
• The slasher sub-genre involves a psychopathic person committing mass murders and slaughtering
innocent people.
• The villain/antagonist is conventionally a tall white male who wields bladed tools. Usually the
villain suffers from some sort of psycho disorder due to his past childhood. His identity is always
covered and never revealed. This creates a disconnection between him and the audience which is
what creates more fear.
• An example is Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a group on teenagers are attacked one by one by the
antagonist chainsaw-wielding Leatherface, who wears a mask of human skin.
• Another convention is that the antagonist barely talks in the film because he is meant to be
inhumane and heartless. When it comes to the antagonist different character has their own
signature weapon which represents how ruthless and crazy they are e.g. ‘Leather Face’ uses his
chainsaw all throughout the film and ‘Freddy Crougar’ has blades coming out his hands which is
also his signature weapon used consistently in the film.

11. The protagonist of the film in the slasher sub-genre is the final
girl, she always survives the end even when being targeted and
chased by the killer. This is because she is known to be the more
intelligent, resourceful and less promiscuous than the other girls.
For example, in the film ‘Scream’ Sidney Prescott seemingly the
target of endless murderers and psychopaths, but survived and
killed every single ghost face killer. Other conventions include
irresponsible teenagers are always the victim, this is meant to
show that these behaviours are punishable. These behaviours can
be shown by the film in ‘Friday the 13th’ where teenagers run
away, drink, smoke, take drugs and have sex. This deviant
behaviour is soon to see the consequences.
Scream ending
video….
Friday the 13th
teenagers
video…...

12. Slasher films would not be slasher films
without the convention of gory,
gruesome and unspeakable deaths.
Usually the purpose of this is that the
fear of us being drowned, stabbed or any
sort of pro longed suffering through
physical pain is what heightens the
audiences fear, unlike maybe in action
or drama films where they would use a
gun, poison or any quick methods. An
example, in the Texas Chainsaw
Massacre, Leather face brutally kills his
victims using a chainsaw which leads to
slow and painful deaths for his victims.

13. PSYCHOLOGICAL

14. GENERAL CONVENTIONS
The theme within this sub-genre is mind tricks. The audience doesn’t really know who to trust because
firstly, the antagonist always seems normal at the beginning but then becomes completely twisted in the
mind and that their intentions are the opposite to what the audience thought. For example, Esther from
‘The Orphan’ comes across to us as a very kind, sweet and innocent which appears to be a child however, we
soon come to find that she is an actual adult psychopath, the audience would have never thought this
because the appearance of a child is perceived as innocent and vulnerable. The narrative usually feature
‘Red Herrings’ that lead the audience in the wrong direction, making them believe that the cause of the
trouble is someone else for example, in the film the mother was seen as the person in the wrong. It is a
shocking twist that will surprise and scare the audience and usually used to explain the psychotic
behaviour of the antagonist. It is also common for the twist to be that the innocent character is, in fact, the
antagonist. For example, Esther is revealed in Orphan to be a 30 year old woman rather than the child she
claims to be.

15. How far a twisted mind cam go is what fears the
audience and which is a conventions of this sub-
genre the unpredictability of someone's actions is
what excites the audience. It is also a much more
sophisticated style of horror and offers
intellectual stimulation because the audience has
to concentrate much more than say a slasher film
as you have to think much harder in
psychological horrors. For example, the film
‘Gone Girl’ features a woman come up missing,
however when the camera shows the perspective
of the woman we find out that she has framed
her husband making the world think he killed
her. Even though there I gory scenes and deaths
it isn’t however as persistent as a slasher film.
Finally a very common convention is the use of
flashbacks. Flashbacks are used to explain the
antagonists past to the audience especially in
revealing things the audience has missed or
didn’t know that solve the pieces to the puzzle.
Video on Amy Dunne from ‘Gone
Girl’ explanation of her actions….

16. GOTHIC

17. GENERAL CONVENTIONS
In terms of location gothic films are traditionally set far
away in a mystical land somewhere, usually it is set in a
castle, mansion, forest or graveyard. For example, in
‘The Woman in Black’ the man is situated at a high tide,
which is completely cut off from mainland surrounded
only by marshes and sea frets, where right in the middle
of the island is placed an abandoned mansion. Back
when gothic horror was at its prime in the 1930s people
found this frightening because they didn’t travel as
much so seeing what appears as an ocean that never
ends frightens them as well as a new country. A popular
convention within gothic horror, mise-en-scene is always
dark, gloomy and foggy. This sub-genre is mainly set in
the middle ages.

18. Conventionally gothic horror feature mythical monsters who are antagonists,
however unlike most sub-genres of horror tis antagonist is usually defeated.
Also, their has been antagonists such as Vampires in Dracula, Werewolves in
the Wolf Man and Frankenstein. Females play the role of the damsel in
distress. This may be due to the difference in the roles of men and women in
the time period gothic films are set in.

19. COMEDY

20. GENERAL CONVENTIONS
• Comedy horror usually follows the same conventions as the sub-genre they are using
however exaggerate or change the narrative to be more funny rather than scary.
• The three famous types of comedy horror, include spoof, parody and black comedy.
• More recently the parody horror comedy has been a success. For example, the scary
movie franchise which shows many different iconic horror films and making it more
comedic.
• There is no set of conventions for this sub-genre as it still uses the basic elements of
horror conventions such as an antagonist, a final girl and so on however the comedic
aspect is the only thing that sets apart this sub-genre from the rest.