Pros, cons and the code and conventions of psychological horror films
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Psychological horror films are an element of fiction and they aim to create horrific or unsettling effects through the use of psychology.
The typical code and conventions of a psychological horror film:
- Replaces physical threat with psychological ones
- Explores the ind of the involved protagonists
- Creates discomfort by exposing common emotional fears and vulnerabilities
- Reveals the darker parts of human psyche
- Common examples of psychological horror include movies such as "The Grudge" or "Orphan"
- They are based on factual occurrences in real life
- Rely on the audience's mind to create the horror effect
- Expose evils that hide behind normality
- Tend to use the twisted mind rather than be physical
- Jumpy moments rather than weapons
- Big houses, woodland, schools, warehouses, hospitals - this adds a sense of realism in relation to the audience
- Tend to have flash backs to inform the killers state of mind
- Use children as killers - breaking the conventions to shock the audience
- The use of places such as hospitals immediately gives connotations of pain and death, which then may link to the actual plot of the movie.
- Like most horror movies, scenes are typically set in the night to create a sense of fear for the audience.
Pros
- Suggests how the mind can be used to haunt and play tricks on people
- Can be less expensive in terms of the use of costumes and props - psychological horrors often use the mind so therefore you may spend less.
- Can portray a sense of realism, particularly in the setting where places such as hospitals are used.
- Often shows how normal people can also be affected psychologically.
Cons
- It can be difficult to actually tell that the protagonist is possessed, haunted or disturbed through the screen
- Acting may be difficult for those who are not professionals, again this is due to the characters mainly being mentally disturbed rather than physically
- Location must be selected very carefully to create the correct atmosphere and mood of the film
-Most psychological horror movies rely mostly on editing, therefore editing must be of a high standard in order to for the 'horror' effect to show through.
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