Psychological Horrors

For my short horror film, the genre I have decided to go with is Psychological.

Psychological horrors according to Wikipedia 'relies on the character's fears and/or abnormal psyche to frighten readers, viewers or players.' The first films that were cited as psychological horrors were 'The Black Cat' (1934) and 'Cat People' (1942). More well known psychological horrors that have defined the genre are 'Rosemary's Baby' and Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' (1980). 

Characteristics
Psychological horrors tend to be rather subtle in comparison to the traditional horror films stereotype in terms of less physical harm. They tend to play on archetypal shadow which is an idea referred to in Jungian psychology and the characteristics are embodied by threat. There is a running theme of something to do with sexual health and relationships between men and women mainly on the factors affecting the audience rather than displays of graphic imagery that is found in the slasher genres. There are often plot twists where the character commonly battles internally with subconscious desires. The audience experiences discomfort as they are exposed to common or universal psychological vulnerabilities and fears. They are notably part of the human psyche which is the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious which most people repress or deny. 

Codes and Conventions
Weapons - the weapons used are not actual physical weapons but are supernatural and psychological. For instance, a killers twisted mind would be a weapon as it's what the victims fear. In a supernatural sense visions, jumpy moments and such are used as weapons of fear instead of an actual physical object such as a knife or axe that would be found in a slasher film.

Settings - some main settings that has become a theme in the sub genre are big houses, forest/woods, warehouses, schools and hospitals. As these settings are places that everyone can access and are part of everyday lives it creates a sense of realism. The audience feels more scared as they can relate and can imagine themselves in the settings.

Characters - the antagonist usually suffers from some form of mental health, has a disturbed past or has been tormented and has returned to seek revenge on their victims. The victims can differ depending on film and genre but a high percentage of victims are female which could have something to do with the fact mothers are maternal and the female audience watching can identify with them. Psychological horror films often use children as the killer and they are often female too.

Technical Codes
Mirrors - used to show the reflection of a characters inner self. It can also be used to represent 'the dark side' of characters intentions or personality.
Shadows and Low Key Lighting - they create tension and an eerie atmosphere, they usually show that something is about to happen. Similarly to mirrors they represent characters inner darkness.
Quick Cuts, Obtrusive and Montage Editing - these are used to highlight in important scenes the feeling of suspense and tension.
Flashbacks - typically used to show the past of the antagonist and gives an insight into what has previously happened in their life which links to why they have the intentions they do.

Stages of Genre Development - Christian Metz

Christian Metz was a french film theorist who believed that genres go through a cycle of stages during their lifetime and these were:

- Experimental stage
- Classic Stage
- Parody Stage
- Deconstruction Stage

Experimental stage: is said to be the foundations of the genre where the basis is built. This is where the generic codes and typical conventions begin to stem from and the genre is established. In terms of the horror as it's the genre i'm focusing on an example of a film from the experimental stage is 'Psycho' which has become an infamous classic. Its plot is centered around the horror movie genre and it experiments with the sub-genre of psychological horror. 

Classic Stage: this is where the codes and conventions that have been set become iconic and idealized as the guidelines for the genre. There is more interaction between the subject and the camera which therefore leads to fixed camera angles and editing, creating narratives. 'Halloween' is a good example of a film from the classic stage as this is one of the films that made the codes and conventions of horror iconic and was one of the first slasher films. There is a step up in the use of camera angles and editing from older horror films creating a narrative. 

Parody Stage: is said to be the next stage. In order for this stage to be successful, the codes and conventions that have been formed in the experimental stage must be established, accepted and widely recognised. This must be done in order for the codes and conventions to be mocked and for the audience to understand what is parodied. the 'Scary Movie' films are one of the best films known for the parody stage as they show clear examples of mocking other films such as 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', 'The Exorcist', 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'American Pie'. 

Deconstruction Stage: this is where the genre begins to evolve and merge with others so the codes and conventions from the 'Classic' stage are less clear cut so then some of the rules may be broken creating hybrid genres. Results of this are a wider variety of films, short films and program's can be made. An example would be 'Alien' which is a science - fiction horror film which involves a extraterrestrial creature that kills a spaceship crew. It fits into the stage as it is a mix between the two genres of science fiction and horror

Sub-genre's of Horror

The horror genre has produced hundreds of films over the years creating several different types of films therefore creating different genre within itself - sub-genres. 

Apocalyptic/Zombie - there is often a threat to the world such a epidemic or disease that then leads to feature creatures who tend to represented as mindless human beings or reanimated corpses. Examples: 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'I Am Legend'.

Action - merges the invasion of evil, an event or personage of horror films with gunfights and frantic chases of the action genre. Occurring themes that have been lifted from the action genre include gore, demons and vicious animals. Examples: 'Dawn of the Dead' and 'Blade'


Body - the horror is mainly generated from the graphic destruction and degeneration of the human body. Monsters are created using parts of the human body or unnatural movements and dysfunction to create fear. Examples: 'The Thing' and 'Cabin Fever'

Comedy - combines the elements of horror and the comedy genre. The comedy usually always crosses over with black comedy. 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irvin is said to be the first great comedy-horror story. Parody films also come under the comedy genre as they mock the typical conventions creating comedy. Examples: 'Jennifer's Body' and 'Scream'

Holiday - tends to take place in the Christmas season and usually has a violent psychopathic killer stalking a number of victims. The killers tend to be dressed as a Christmas character such as Santa Claus, a snowman, an elf or other festive costumes. Examples: 'Jack Frost' and 'Silent Night'. 

Gothic - is a type of story that contains elements of goth and horror. They are usually suspenseful and sometimes have a romance that unfolds in the setting of a horror. Some of the first horror movies emerged from this sub-genre such as 'Nosferatu' and 'The Phantom of the Opera.'


Psychological  - builds on characters' fears, guilt, beliefs, emotional instability and sometimes crosses with the sub-genre of supernatural horror and ghosts to create tension and further the plot. Many infamous horror films have been from this genre such as 'The Shining' and 'Rosemary's Baby'. 

Science Fiction - revolves around subjects that include but are not limited to mad scientist and/or experiments gone wrong or killer aliens. Examples: 'Alien' and 'The Thing'.

Slasher - typically involves a violent psychopath stalking and murdering people using bladed tools. Examples: 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'.

Supernatural/ Paranormal - usually has ghosts, demons, or other depictions of supernatural occurrences. There is often a combination of religion in the plot which has created a common theme of the devil and demonic possession. This is apparent in films such as 'Paranormal Activity' and 'The Blair Witch Project'.