Conventions of the horror genre- James Emmerson

Characteristics of the horror genre

The number one goal of the horror genre is produce fear in the audience.Whether the antagonist is a monster, a ghost or a feral animal, the basic concept is the same: the hero must fight against horrific forces for his life-and often his soul.

There are a number of techniques used to create fear these are:

Gloomy weather, shadowy places, strange noises in the background are all are ways to make the atmosphere of a film more creepy and to build tension and suspense.

Many horror films often use graphic violence or bad language to evoke fear, anger and tension.

Most horror films feature a a supernatural antagonist however human like antagonists are more common in modern times.

The ending of horror films is sometimes unsolved this makes the audience think that the threat is just around the corner or much simpler could mean that there is a sequal!

Unexpected events also known as pop-outs are used in a lot of horror films. these are used to keep the audience guessing and keep the level of tension high. Falling objects, darting animals and sudden loud noises are examples of this technique.

Antagonists of the horror genre are often unreasonably cruel, unreasoning, and unthinkably evil. Their characters are very often extremely exaggerated and usually have something about them that is original and unlike any other character from another horror film.