Horror: A Genre Analysis

Horror

Content 

Horror movies are generally made to play off fear, whether it be personal or societal. They are usually set in a dark area, like a forest or an abandoned building, but can sometimes be set primarily in the daytime, like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1978). The characters of the film usually depend on what kind of fear that the movie is trying to play off of. For example, in a movie about demonic forces haunting a place of comfort, like The Exorcist (1973) or Hereditary (2018), a family is a fitting set of characters. In a slasher film with a murderous antagonist, a cast of disposable teenagers is customary, such as in Friday the 13th (1980). Bar a few exceptions, horror films will typically follow a tumultuous narrative with an "unhappy ending." 

The horror of Hereditary (2018) comes from
its cast of characters, a commonplace
suburban family who become the victims
of a demonic cult.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1978) subverts genre
expectations by setting itself in broad daylight, creating a
shocking and visceral experience.

Production Techniques

In horror films, the mise-en-scene can usually be described as dirty, murky, and uncomfortable. Set design and staging usually aim to make the viewer feel claustrophobic. Take for instance Halloween (1978). The film takes place in a typical suburban town, where the antagonist, Michael Myers, targets his victims in their homes. The confines of the suburban household make the viewer feel small and uncomfortable in comparison to Myers. Low lighting techniques are utilized in horror movies to compliment the typically dark setting and themes of the genre. Notable examples of low lighting in horror movies include The Conjuring (2013) and Hereditary (2018). In tandem with low lighting, the color palette of horror movies is either gothic, such as The Woman in Black (2010) or murky and dirty, like in Saw (2004). In regards to cinematography, high and low angles shots are typically utilized to establish power dynamics between the protagonists and antagonists of the film, such as in Halloween (1978). Sound design is typically used to establish setting and place the viewer in the shoes of the characters. A commonly used sound design technique is the "unseen character," where the audience hears human-like sounds, like breathing or footsteps, but the character making them isn't on screen. This technique is used to create tension and unease in the audience. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) uses the utilizes this technique to establish Freddy Kruger as an ethereal and mysterious antagonist. 

The Woman in Black (2010) uses a gothic color palette to
establish the Victorian-era setting and create a dark and
depressing atmosphere. 

In Halloween (1978), the antagonist Michael Myers is shown
through low angle shots, to establish that he has power over
the film's main character Laurie Strode.

Institutional Conventions

Horror films are usually targeted at a teenage audience, as children are too young to understand and deal with the themes and emotions that come with the genre, and adults tend to like resolution and "happy endings" in their films. In the modern age, social media marketing campaigns are typical for horror movies, with ads playing on TV, before YouTube videos, and on social media feeds. Viral marketing is also popular in the genre, with recent examples being Unfriended (2015) and Countdown (2019). In terms of production and distribution, horror movies are typically very low on production costs, meaning large and small studios can turn sizable profits off of them. This means they are prime for wide releases across the world.

Representation

The social groups typically represented in modern horror films are diverse groups of teenagers or young adults. These people are usually portrayed as initially strong and ego-driven, and sometimes morally nihilistic in order for the audience to view them as disposable. As the film progresses however, the characters' perceptions of themselves are subverted by the antagonist, revealing some weakness that the audience can relate to.