This document discusses several sub-genres of horror films including: action horror, which combines elements of action and horror; body horror, which focuses on the deconstruction of the human body; comedy horror, which blends comedy and horror; gothic horror, featuring castles and the supernatural; psychological horror, relying on mental instability and fear; science fiction horror, dealing with technology and experiments; slasher films, featuring a psychopathic killer; and zombie films, portraying the undead feeding on humans. Examples are provided for each sub-genre.
2. ACTION HORROR
• Action horror is a sub-genre that combines the intrusion of evil, an event or the
supernatural in horror films with the gun fights and frantic chases that are performed
in ACTION-GENRE..
• Themes and elements that are often prevalent in action-horror include most
commonly zombies, along with demons, gore, vicious animals and vampires.
• Examples include, dawn of the dead, from dusk till dawn and blade
• THIS CATERGORY also fuses the fantasy horror genre, for example resident evil,.
Ghost rider and planet terror
3. Body Horror
• Where horror in generated from the degeneration or deconstruction of the human
body. limbs use d to create monsters out of human body parts., or unnatural
movements and dysfunction to create fear.
• David cronenberg is a well known director for this type of genre.
• Some body horror films include, teeth, the invasion and cabin fever.
4. Comedy Horror
• Combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. The horror genre almost always
inevitably crosses over with black comedy.
• The film “The legend of the sleepy hollow” is cited to be the first and greatest
comedy-horror genre..
• Examples include. Scary movie , slither ,Shaun of the Dead and gremlins.
5. Gothic horror
• Gothic horror contains bot elements of gothic and horror. Some of the earliest horror
movies were of this genre..
• Gothic horror films normally includes features such as castles, dungeons ruined
landscapes , extreme landscapes and magic/the supernatural..
• Examples include Dracula, Frankenstein and the mummy
6. Psychological horror
• Relies on a characters fears, guilt and belief , emotional instability and at times the
supernatural to build the tension and further the plot. The horror comes from the
reality of this particular sub genre..
• Examples include, the shining, the ring and the exorcist
7. SCIENCE FICTION HORROR
• Often deals with the paranormal but is not limited to mad scientists and /or
experiments going wrong.
• This genre can also deal with the fear of technology
• Examples include Alien and the mist
8. Slasher film
• This subgenre deals with a lot of violence which usually revolves around a
psychopathic serial killer stalking and killing a numerous amount of victims. The
killer usually uses a specific weapon of choice to kill his victim.
• Slasher films are also built up on a lot of mystery and suspense and may sometimes
overlap with crime.
• Example include, PSYCHO, THE Texas chains saw massacre AND PROM NIGHT
9. Zombie film
• ZOMBIE FILMS PORTRAY VIRAL RELIVING CORPSES/ MINDLESS HUMANS
THAT FEED OFF OF THE LIVING.
• Examples include, night of the living dead , dawn of the dead and I am legend
