history of horror and introduction to sub genres

1. Horror Sub-Genres
by Tony Mutombo

2. • Horror is a film genre seeking to educe a negative emotional reaction
from the audience by playing on the audience's primal fears. Horror films
often feature scenes that startle the audience. There are many subgenres
within horror films, these include:
• Slasher
• Psychological
• Supernatural
• Possession
• Gothic
• Horror films often deal with the audiences nightmares, hidden fears,
revulsions and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often
involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage, commonly
of supernatural origin, into the everyday world. Common elements
include ghosts, aliens,
vampires, werewolves, demons, gore, torture, vicious animals, evil
witches, monsters, zombies, cannibals, and serial killers. On the contrary,
movies about the supernatural are not necessarily always horrific, but are
still, nonetheless, scary.

3. Slasher
• A slasher film is a subgenre of horror. It normally involves a
mysterious, generally psychopathic killer stalking and killing
a sequence of victims usually in a graphic violent manner,
often with a cutting tool such as a knife/machete (most
common weapon, used in various slasher films such as
Scream, Slumber Party Massacre and Halloween), an axe
(featured in Blood Rage and Hospital Massacre) or a
chainsaw (Texas Chainsaw Massacre and My Bloody
Valentine). Slasher films can be split into two distinct sub-
type: one type in which the killers identity is unknown from
the outset but gradually as the film goes on is shown
clearly, building suspense as the audience find out if he is
to “catch” the lead victim character, and one in which the
killers identity is not known at all and which employ a
“who’s doing it” angle, which often involves a major twist
at the end.

4. Conventions
• The Victims: The victims tend to be young, attractive, attend high school
or are students in further education. This may be because young people
are known for indulging in vices such as pre-marital sex, drinking or illegal
drug use and in slashers characters are ‘punished’ for this. Indulging in
these activities also makes the victims less wary of dangers and unaware
of their surroundings, making them easy prey for the killer. They also tend
to live in isolated environments, alienated from the rest of civilisation.
• The Killer—With notable exceptions, the killer in the slasher film is usually
male. His identity is often, but not always, unknown. He is often quiet and
seemingly unstoppable, able to withstand stabbings, falls and shootings
by his victims. He is usually very tall and masculine, making it almost
impossible for his puny opponent to kill him. His background sometimes
includes a childhood trauma that explains his twisted nature and his
choice of victim, weapon and location. Slasher villains tend to prefer
handheld weapons such as knives, axes, machetes and/or chainsaws as
opposed to firearms, because they result in a more gruesome and
personal kill.

5. • The Hero (usually the Final Girl)—The hero is the
protagonist. The main character is usually a female
(sometimes male in other slasher films) and the quietest,
most introverted one. Whenever one of their friends goes
missing (e.g. killed), they are the first to notice it. The main
character is usually not using any illegal material, they don't
have sex (at least, rarely) and do not exhibit rebellious
behaviour, unlike their friends. The hero is usually aware of
the killer, while their friends are too busy having fun. In the
middle of the movie, when maybe three or four friends are
killed, the hero and the other survivors fight the killer. Their
last two or three remaining friends are usually killed near
the end of the film, while the hero triumphs against the
killer and is saved by the police/help/adults.
• The Violence—One thing that separates slashers from
thrillers and murder mysteries is the level of violence.
Slashers generally de-emphasize plot and character
development in favour of violence and terror. Plots are
constructed around giving the audience the experience of
watching the killer's murders. The deaths are often violent
and graphic.

7. Psychological Horror
• Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror
fiction that relies on characters’ fears, guilt
and beliefs. Its jumpy sound effects, eerie
music and emotional instability help to build
tension and further the narrative.
Psychological horror is different from the
type of horror found in ‘slasher’ films which
develop their effects from gore and
violence, psychological is rather a normal
human being who is conventional in
appearance, but has a twisted mind. Other
psychological films may focus on the pure
fears of the audience as they pick on the
happenings of the modern world. Examples
of this would be karma, cheating of death or
traumatising experiences. The horrific
identity of this antagonist is often not
revealed until well into the film, or even the
very end. Examples of psychological horror
would include The Shining, Silence of The
Lambs, Gothika, The Uninvited, Psycho.

8. Conventions
• Weapons
• When watching a Psychological
horror film, the weapons you
tend to see are not actual
physical weapons, but tend to
be more supernatural and
psychological. For example, the
killer’s twisted minds act a
weapon of fear against the
victims in the film. Also, in
Supernatural horror films things
such as visions, jumpy moments
and so on are used as weapons
of fear, supernaturally, rather
than actually possessing a knife,
or axe for example.

9. Settings
• Some of the main settings
you will see time and time
again when watching a
Psychological horror film are
big houses, forest/ woodland
areas, ware houses, schools,
and hospitals and so on.
• These types of settings create realism for the target
audience as they are able to relate to the film on some
level, having seen/ been or currently live in these settings.
This increases the fear for the audiences are they begin to
picture themselves in these positions.

10. Sights & Sounds
• Quite often, when
watching a
psychological horror
film, there are
flashbacks that take
the audience back to
see why the killer is
disturbed and to
explain what
happened to them in
their lives that has
lead them to
become mentally
challenged.
• We also may see
shadows or
silhouettes which
unnerve and terrify
the audiences.
• Common sounds or
music that we hear
when watching a
Psychological Horror
film are normally
contrapuntal sounds.
This is sound that
doesn’t match the
action that is on
screen

11. Characters
• A disturbed, or tormented individual is the
main antagonist, usually comes back to
get revenge on their victims. The victims
can differ but like any horror film, a high
percentage of the victims are female. The
uses of children as the killers are also very
popular. There are a few films hat use
children as villains, such as the Orphan,
the Omen...
• When psychological horror films use
children as the killer, again, the victims
tend to be female. This could have
something to do with the fact that
mothers are maternal and the female
audiences watching will be able to relate
to the character in some way.

13. Gothic
• Gothic horror comes from the popularity of
gothic fiction and novels from the 1800s onwards.
Two of the most famous gothic novels are Mary
Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
They were tales of mystery and horror intended
to chill the spine and make the blood go sour.
Gothic horror also contains strong elements of
the supernatural. The genre tends to create an
emotional even primeval response for the
audience and stirs up the fears, anxieties and
desires that are attractive to the audience.

14. Conventions
• Gothic fiction uses these typical elements:
• Wild and desolated landscapes normally set in 18-19th century.
• Dark looks and style – low key lighting and shadows
• Graveyards, crucifixes, great use of religion and foggy forests
• Ruined abbeys or buildings, gothic architecture
• Medieval castles with dungeons, secret passages with winding
stair cases, sliding panels and torture chambers
• Monstrous apparitions and curses
• An atmosphere of doom and gloom
• Heroes and heroines in danger
• Demonic power, sometime the use of possession and mirrors
• Wicked tyrants malevolent witches/gypsies
• Spooky effects with ghosts and spectres
• All flesh creeping and spine chilling stories
• Unknown creatures and mutations.

16. • Supernatural is a sub-genre
that centres around
supernatural elements,
such as ghosts, demons,
curses and miracles.
Supernatural films deal
with the unknown.
Therefore, they tend to
incorporate paranormal
and religious elements into
the plot. Since they
emphasize the unknown,
Supernatural films are
considered quite
suspenseful and terrifying,
engaging strongly with
audience fears.

17. Supernatural/Possession-Horror
• This is a sub-genre that includes
ghosts, demons, or other
depictions of supernatural
occurrences. Often, Supernatural-
Horror films combine elements of
religion into the narrative.
Common themes in Supernatural-
Horror films include the afterlife,
the devil, and demonic
possession. Unlike Religious
Thrillers, Supernatural-Horror
films are not limited to specific
religious elements and can
contain more vivid and gruesome
violence.
• Examples: The Exorcist, The Ring,
The Omen.

18. • Religious
• These films deal strictly with religion and the unknown in
connection to God. These films are very similar to Religious
Thrillers. Exorcisms, demonic possession, and church cover-
ups are typical themes of Religious and Supernatural
Thrillers. This sub-genre often questions the validity of
current church practices and beliefs.
• Examples: The Devil’s Advocate, The Ninth Gate, The Da
Vinci Code.

19. • Thriller
• Supernatural-Thriller films
incorporate supernatural
themes that are considered
mysterious. Unlike other sub-
genres, Supernatural-Thrillers
thrive on the “edge of the
seat” feeling. The audience is
in an almost constant state of
anticipation. The plot usually
revolves around a mysterious
event or person and the
quest to find out the truth.
• Examples: The Sixth Sense,
Frequency, The Dead Zone

20. • Supernatural films and
Possession films are similar
to an extent. The main
reason for either of these
films are to scare the
audience with their deepest
fears. Just like Supernatural
films, Possession films tend
to have religious traits within
them, an example to this
would be The Devil Inside,
The Possession or The
Conjuring. Each subgenre
feature the same
conventions. To the left is
Baphomet, a satanic symbol
of a half man half goat
usually portrayed in
possession and dark
supernatural horrors.

21. research & planning choice of sub-genre
• My partner and I have decided that we are to
focus on the slasher subgenre. We’ve decided
that this will our movie will belong to this sub
genre due to the facts that they are:
• Achievable – a sub-genre you could work with
well in order to produce something effective
and professional.
• Popular – its still current and effective. The film
is likely to appeal to the wider horror audience
and the current teen generation.
• Conventions – we know and understand the
conventions well.