Horror films are unsettling movies that strive to elicit emotions of fear, disgust and horror from viewers. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural. Horror films deal with the viewers nightmares, hidden worst fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown.
History of Horror
Slasher Sub-Genre
A slas
her film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or an axe. Although the term slasher may be used as a generic term for any horror movie involving graphic acts of murder, the slasher as a genre has its own set of characteristics which set it apart from related genres.
Generic Conventions
Common characteristics found in slasher films are:
The Killer - the killer in slasher films are usually male. His identity is often, but not always, unknown and/or concealed by a mask. He is often mute and seemingly unstoppable, able to
withstand stabbings, falls and shootings by his victims. He is usually very strong and sometimes very big, making it almost impossible to kill him. His background sometimes includes childhood trauma that explains his choice of victim, weapon and location.
The moodboard below is a selection of just some of the killers from well-known horror slasher films.
The Victims - the victims tend to be young, attractive, high school or college aged adolescents. Much has been made about the choice of victims, some theorists claim that they are punished for indulging in vices such as pre-marital sex or illegal
drugs.
The moodboard below is a selection of just some of the victims from well-known slasher horror films.
The Location - many slasher films are set in isolated locations such as on islands, forests, small towns, abandoned buildings and farms. The locations are generally low in population, sometimes with very few to no inhabitants and are far away from civilization which can be a problem for the police and other emergency services to arrive quickly. Mobile phone reception may be too weak to make a phone call, and the killer can isolate his victims further by cutting the phone or electrical lines. This can allow the killer to freely kill his victims without the need to worry about the interference from the outside world.
Final Girl - slasher films frequently only have a single survivor. She is frequently a female peer of the victims. She usually does not indulge in the illicit activities of her friends.
The Violence - one thing that separates slashers from thrillers and murder mysteries is the level of violence. Slashers de-emphasize plot and character development in favour of violence and terror. Plots are constructed around giving the audience the experience of watching the killer murders. The deaths are often violent and graphic, with originality being valued in the later films to hold audience interest.
