Sub-Genres of Horror

SUB-GENRES

Haunting and Demonic Possessions - These types of films play on the audience’s fear of the unknown, superstition and the idea that evil forces such as ghosts exist in the world. These forces are usually portrayed in spiritual presences such as witches, spirits, ghosts or demons. Often in this kind of plots there is a fight between good and evil by referencing religion. For example in the film 'The Exorcist, the catholic priest fight the devil for the soul of the victim.

Apocalypse - in this sub genre, mankind is threatened with extinction of the human race by inhuman creatures or monsters. The antagonists in this sub genre may consist of creatures out of space or a threat of a plague or virus that threatens to spread and wipe out mankind e.g. 'Resident Evil.' usually the ending to this type of sub-genre ends with mankind dying out and the disturbing noises of the creatures dominating.

The Human Monster – This deals with horror or abnormality of the personality such as psychopathology and murder or psychosis and insanity. This sub-genre explores and takes the audience inside the mind of the killer who appears to be insane e.g. ‘Jekyll and Hyde.’ The characteristics of this sub-genre portrays the idea that some people are born with no sense of morality therefore leading them to become a killer.

ICONOGRAPHY

General symbolic images and use of mise-en-scene which recur throughout horror films include:

• Haunted house or setting e.g. forbidden chamber or small town
  
• Symbols of Death
  
• Disfigured and disturbing face or masks
  
• Screaming victim e.g. 'final girl'
  
• Phallic murder weapon e.g. knife, chainsaw etc
  
• Binary oppositions of good and evil
  
• Blood

Final Girl Theory - The final girl theory in a horror film refers to the last female alive to confront the antagonist/killer. Usually she would be the last left out of the victims to tell the story. The final girl theory has been included in many horror films such as Scream, Halloween, A nightmare on Elm Street and many more. The term was pioneered by Carol J. Cover in her book 'Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. The viewer begins by sharing the perspectives of the killer and also experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film.