Matthew Swinbourne

ANALYSIS OF HORROR

ICONOGRAPHY

• All horror films tend to have the same theme

• They all include props that could potentially used as weapons, this includes blades, hooks

and any thing else that is sharp and dangerous.

• The locations used in horror movies are all similar because they create a feel of being

defenseless.

• They all include blood/guts and other gory scenes

• They all use eerie music to create tension and then they will use a big noise to make the

audience jump.

• A lot of horror films include scary masks which the killer would wear to make it more scary

CHARACTERS

• A lot of horror films have the same type of characters

• For example there is the villain. This could be a ghost, a monster, or anything that could

cause terror to the other characters in the film

• There is always a main character or a main group of characters that are being targeted by

the villain.

• There is always a character among the group who is rather clumsy and most likely to get

caught first and there is also normally a character who is quite smart and will out smart

the killer etc.

SETTING

• Most horror film are set in locations where there could easily be potential violence. For

example, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is set on a farm. This is an environment where there

is lots of potential weapons such as axes which would be used for cutting wood and

shovels etc.

• A lot of horror films are also set in locations where there is limited access to the outside

world, giving it a more dangerous feel. For example, Wrong Turn is set in the middle of

the woods, showing that the characters are isolated and have no one around to help

them.

• Most horror films will usually be set at night time or in a dark place to make it more scary.

NARRATIVE

• The narrative is very similar in horror films, they all usually end with the main character

defeating the villain. Sometimes the film will be left on a cliff hanger so it can lead to a

sequel.

• They will always have a protagonist and an antagonist. The story is usually based around

a main character so that the audience can connect with the emotions of that character

and feel more sympathetic towards them.

• There are often supporting characters in horror films, all of which usually end up dead or

turn possessed etc.

THE END