Horror Genre

Sam Qureshi and Idrees Choudhary

What is it and what is its purpose? • Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from

viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears.• Horror films often deal with the viewer's 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.

Subgenres of Horror

A subgenre is a category within another genre, e.g. horror is a genre and gothic horror is a subgenre of horror. Here are 5 examples of Horror:

1. Slasher Horror2. Body Horror3. Psychological Horror4. Science fiction Horror5. Comedy Horror

Slasher Horror

• This subgenre deals with a lot of violence which usually revolves around a psychopathic serial killer stalking and killing a numerous amount of victims.

• For example, A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) – Directed by Wes Craven. Starring Johnny Depp and Robert Englund.

Body Horror

• Where horror in generated from the degeneration or deconstruction of the human body. Limbs are used to create monsters out of human body parts, or unnatural movements and dysfunction is used to create fear.

• For example, The Blob (1988) – Directed by Chuck Russell. Starring Shawnee Smith and Kevin Dillon.

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.

• For example, Black Swan (2010) – Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel

Science Fiction Horror

• It’s horror with the element of science fiction added to it to make it fearful. For example, it might include space travel to dangerous planets, or evil aliens, etc.

• For example, Alien (1979) – Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Sigourney Weaver and John Hurt.

Comedy Horror

• Horror comedy combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. They are usually not serious, parodies or comedies with a horror element to it e.g a comedy about witches.

• For example, Hocus Pocus (1993) – Directed by Kenny Ortega. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler.

Why is Alien an effective horror film and why is it effective to its audience?

• Alien (1979) is an effective horror film because its set in an isolated place (a spaceship), has scenes when characters are nervous (to build up suspense for the audience), and has a very scary and threatening antagonist (the alien). It’s effective because it’s a scary film.

• Excellent usage of camera angles, shots, frames and movements makes scenarios look scary. Added in with the brilliant slow paced, low key non-diegetic music to increase the tension and scare the audience. This effect is also aided by the usage of Foley sound to build up suspense.

• Amazing special effects and sound effects of certain situations and the alien add in to make the supernatural and science fiction element frightening towards the audience.