Psychological horror films employ various conventions to unnerve audiences through unsettling sounds, slow pacing, and an emphasis on psychological harm over graphic violence. Common techniques include contrapuntal sound, close-ups to convey character emotions, flashbacks to reveal a killer's motives, and settings like abandoned buildings that create isolation and tension. Children and ordinary people are sometimes used as killers to disturb audiences by subverting expectations. The goal is to reveal hidden truths about characters and unnerve through mental states rather than gore.

1. Psychological Horror
Conventions

2. SOUND & EDITING
 Often the sounds and music used in psychological horror is ‘contrapuntal’
sound, which is when the sound does not match the action that is onscreen.
This creates an unsettling atmosphere for the audience as it makes them
question what they are seeing on the screen.
 Eerie music and sounds are also used in order to create tension and suspense
for the audience, and to make the plot more effective. Also high pitched
sounds are created through the use of string instruments to build a tense
atmosphere as they signify certain events.
 For psychological horror, the editing is often more slow paced in order to
build the tension and suspense as this sub-genre focuses more on the effect
that the film has on the audience’s minds so a fast pace would not be
appropriate.
 Diegetic sounds that appear in the films of this genre of things like creaking
floorboards and doors, and screaming. The screaming can often be chilling for
the audience as it is an outburst of the character’s emotions.

3. Camerawork
 High angle shots are often used in psychological horror and
the horror genre in general, as they are used to demonstrate
the power that the villainous presence may have over a
certain character. It also helps to highlight the vulnerable
side of a character as high angle shots can make them
appear to be weak and powerless.
 POV shots are also often used in this genre as it can link to
the Uses and Gratifications theory with the element of a
diversion. This is because POV shots allow the audience to
feel completely immersed in the plot line and so they can
use it as a form of escapism from real life.
 Close ups are also often used in order to connote to the
audience how the characters are feeling so that it is easier
for them to understand the urgency of the situation.
This shot from Saw 2 is an example of a
high angle shot and it connotes to the
audience which character is in power
(Jigsaw) and which character appears
powerless, which is Michael who is shown
in this shot.
This shot of Katie from The Ring
is an example of a typical close
up used in a lot of areas of the
horror genre. It allows the
audience to understand how the
character is feeling and this may
make them feel more sympathy
towards them.

4. Narrative
 A flashback is a conventional feature of the narrative for a psychological
horror, and also the horror genre in general. This non-linear narrative allows
the audience to be informed of why the killer/antagonist has reached their
twisted psychological state. For example, in the 2013 film ‘Carrie’, the initial
opening scene is a flashback to when Carrie herself was born, and this allows
the audience to gain an insight into Carrie’s mother’s psychological state and
foreshadows later events.
 The killer or antagonist of the film often remains concealed in psychological
horror films as suspicion of the unknown is a common characteristic of this
sub-genre. If the antagonist is represented visually, they often appear normal
and there are no signs of their danger, as psychological horror focuses on their
mental state rather than physical.

5. Mise-en-scene
 Some common settings for horror and psychological horror films include: big houses
(often abandoned), woodland areas, abandoned warehouses, schools and hospitals.
Settings like these are used widely throughout the horror genre as they can create a
sense of isolation for the characters as they are often abandoned which creates a
tense atmosphere as the audience knows that the character may be vulnerable.
 Some common props for the horror genre in general include things like knives and
chainsaws as a lot of films of this genre include a lot of gore so these props are vital
to demonstrate this. However, the sub-genre of psychological horror does not rely on
gore being present, and instead focuses more on the effect that it can have on the
audience’s mind by exposing their psychological vulnerabilities. Psychological horrors
may not rely on props as much but some common props may be things like technology
and more everyday props, to show that it could happen to anyone in the audience.
The costumes may also be more casual for psychological horror as it may be more of
an everyday situation. Fake blood may be used in some cases although this sub-genre
doesn’t tend to focus on the gory effects.

6. Characters
 Twisted and disturbed individuals are often used as the antagonist or killer,
who may be returning to seek revenge on a certain character who is their
victim. The victims are often females as they are stereotypically represented
as being the more vulnerable sex in films. In some films of the psychological
horror genre, children are often the killers as for them to do this, they have
to be emotionally or psychologically tormented. This may make the film more
disturbing for the audience as they would not expect a child to be committing
these sort of crimes.
In the 2009 film Orphan, a couple adopt a child
called Esther. However, behind Esther’s innocent
exterior, the audience is able to understand
through the revelations of the film that Esther’s
character is actually a killer. This is an example of
having a child as the main antagonist in a
psychological horror, and how this can be
disturbing for the audience to watch.

7. Other conventions
 Psychological horror films can also often be based on true events, and this
makes the film more chilling for the audience as it is more realistic and
effectively could have happened to them.
 This sub-genre tends to rely on the character’s beliefs, fears and other hidden
truths about them to create an effective plot-line, rather than relying on gory
elements and visual effects like a lot of horror films do.
 Often there is less evidence of physical harm to the characters, but rather the
psychological harm that occurs with the characters. Both protagonist and
antagonist are often shown in a twisted mental state and this is sometimes
more disturbing to the audience that showing the character with a lot of
physical harm and gory elements.