Narrative Enigmas in Trailers

By: Annamaria Noto

Psychological horror narrative conventions?

• A psychological horror contains no gore, no weapons and doesn’t aim for jump scares. A psychological horror plays games on your mind as it plays on society’s fears, making the audience feel like they are vulnerable.

• Psychological horrors use music and musical effects as a big part of creating an eerie atmosphere. They rely purely on the guilt and the fears of the characters. You are constantly on an emotional rollercoaster with this subgenre and you never know what to expect next, whereas with a Slasher film for example you can guess who the next victim is going to be.

• E.g. In ‘Final Destination’ you can guess who the next victim is going to be as hints are made.

What are narrative conventions?• The narrative starts in a chronological order (with a sense of

equilibrium) until a climactic point occurs, in which the equilibrium is disrupted and cross cutting between scenes starts to happen in the trailer.

• When the equilibrium is disrupted, fast pace editing occurs (as there is cross cutting between different scenes). Therefore, the narrative is no longer chronological.

• The trailer is often left off at a climactic point with unresolved questions which is an essential enigma.

E.g. The Shining (1980)

Example: ‘The Shining’Man goes to a hotel with his family, becomes snowed-in during the winter, man becomes mental (from developing cabin fever) and attempts to kill his family.• A mother and her child are usually the victims that are tormented (the

trailer conforms with this).• Score music intensifies during fast pace editing, to make the audience feel

uneasy and intrigued.

• The first event shown:Introduced to the main characters - usually someone (typically a woman and/ her child) living an normal life, then something strange or unusual happens, the mood changes as the character/s become suspicious. The issue can be linked to the past/ their past. The problem needs o be solved.The audience is briefly introduced to the plot of the film.

• The last event shown: Usually the climactic point, where the characters are about to be confronting the problem or their fear. The audience is left with an enigma as they question what will happen next, whether the character/s will survive, etc.

E.g. Silent Hill

What is the narrative structure?

Example: ‘Silent Hill’

What unrestricted narrative is there?• In psychological horrors the narrative is almost always a restricted

narrative in order to enhance the enigma, as the audience only know, see, or hear as much as the character does, leaving them ignorant to extra background information needed to assemble all of the story line together.

• This makes the narrative intriguing as the audience is somewhat lead through a journey, discovering things on the way.

E.g. The Uninvited

What restricted narrative is there?

• Psychological horrors tend to have a restricted narrative in order to enhance the enigma.

• Enigmas are sometimes left unsolved.

• By leaving the ignorant to extra background information needed to assemble all of the story line together, it makes the narrative intriguing as the audience is somewhat lead through a journey, discovering things on the way.

What are the enigmas the audience is left with?

• Who is tormenting them and why?

• Will they survive?

• The history of the place/ character?

The Others

Hide and Seek

Silent Hill

How do they create these enigmas?

• Fast pace editing – scenes become increasingly faster and cut off quickly, leaving the audience not enough time take in what is happening on screen. This builds tension and the limitation of time results in creating enigmas.

• Flashbacks – this leaves the audience to put all the bits of information together so they have to figure out what’s happening. (Although it is a guided interpretation). This often leaves the audience asking questions, intriguing them and so creates enigmas.