Genre Options...

     Ok, so the idea for our project that we brainstormed was that the opening scene would be a therapy session with a mentally unstable person. It would highlight the instability of our character, and tell us all about their mindset as well as how they interact with others. We will also probably learn of some of their dubious crimes within it, too. With this context, the genre for this opening could be one of two things: horror or psychological thriller.

Horror:

    Horror is an iconic genre in media as a whole. There are many adaptations of it through different mediums, such as film, literature, and video games. Each medium depicts horror differently. While films may be loaded with jump scares, books will create an overly uncomfortable feeling long after you have read them. For this project, we will primarily research horror in film as a medium.

Conventions in Horror:    

    Horror films typically scare the audience through graphical elements. This includes highly intense scenes with gore, paranormal activity, or some sort of monster-like figure. The scares often rely on your senses, like hearing and seeing. A perfect example of this would be the iconic staple of horror movies: the jump scare. This happens when suspense is built up in a scene, and it is usually very quiet while you are trying to listen and look for where the monster is. Then, out of nowhere, BAM! You are hit with a terrifying image of the monster and a loud sound effect plays to scare you so bad that you jump, hence the name. Modern horror movies are honestly way too oversaturated with this technique. Some jump scares are not even of the monster, more like some dog that barked at the main character out of nowhere.

An example of a fake-out jump scare in The Amityville Horror (1979)

    Horror movies also rely on straight-up visual horror. Films like The Exorcist (1973) rely on terrifying imagery to scare you. The way that the little girl in this movie looks is just so incredibly unnerving. This type of convention is pivotal to a good horror movie. Without a scary monster or some sort of threat, why would you feel suspense when it is lurking around in a scene?

You can't tell me you see this thing and not get at the very least creeped out.

Possessed child in The Exorcist (1973)

    Blood and gore is also very common with the horror genre. I mean, there is a whole side genre of horror movies called slashers. These are where there is some sort of killer that is hunting down a victim or group of victims. These victims are usually teenagers, and usually are killed with non-firearm weaponry. This type of horror movie peaked in popularity in the 70s-90s with popular films like Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and Scream (1996). The real horror from these genres are the killing scenes, which depict high amounts of blood and gore. 

A bloody victim in Scream (1996)

    To conclude this brief genre summary, horror typically relies on direct methods to scare the audience. Whether that be jump scares, terrifying imagery, or just good old blood and gore, this convention is extremely common in the genre.

Psychological Thriller:

    The thriller and horror genres often get confused with each other. They both scare the audience, just in different ways. The thriller genre more often focuses on slow-burning tension and themes of isolation/claustrophobia, rather than more graphical horror. It makes the audience more uncomfortable and nervous, messing with their mind as the film goes on.

    

    Although Hereditary (2018) is technically a horror movie, its slow burn made it feel more like a psychological thriller occasionally broken up with horror movie moments. In the first half of the film, the family drama has an underlying tone that something is off. This makes the audience feel very uneasy until THAT scene with Charlie happens about midway through the movie. (If you have seen it, you know what I am talking about) This sets off the more horror-like events in the movie, but that slow burn until it all happens works so well and is the reason why this movie is unforgettable - its psychological aspect. The score of the film is also incredibly composed so you feel a sense of dread throughout the whole movie, leaving you feeling exhausted by the time it is over. The score really adds to the psychological thriller aspect of it.

One of the incredibly unnerving tracks in Hereditary (2018)

    Another convention of psychological thrillers is the theme of isolation and claustrophobia. This makes the audience really uncomfortable and unnerved, making it feel like there is no escape. The Shining (1980) is a perfect example of how isolation contributes to the psychological horror genre. The movie is set at an empty hotel amidst a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere. This lack of outside contact forces the characters to only interact with one another, which makes it feel claustrophobic, despite them being in a gigantic empty hotel. The isolation really starts to get to Jack, and his grip on reality weakens the less social interaction he has. Not only does the physical isolation of the setting cause Jack to go mad, the psychological isolation from his family does too. when he only works on his book. This causes him to go mad by the end, where he attempts to murder his family out of this isolation-driven insanity. Isolation is the primary theme of The Shining (1980) and is the primary reason it is so iconic and memorable.

    

A shot of the iconic Overlook Hotel in The Shining (1980)

    Psychological horror, to me at least, has more of an impact than horror does. The way it messes with your mind and keeps you feeling uneasy and dreadful throughout the film really stays with you after the credits roll. It causes you to not be able to trust anything within it and adds paranoia. This can even lead to the main character turning out to be the villain, which is done better in psychological thrillers than any other genre.    

Sources:

- Edwards, S. (2023, October 18). Thriller vs Horror: What’s the Difference? The Script Lab. https://thescriptlab.com/blogs/39701-thriller-vs-horror-whats-the-difference/

‌- Grahl, T. (2022, May 30). Horror Genre: Stories of Life and Damnation against Uncanny, Supernatural and Ambiguous Monsters. Story Grid. https://storygrid.com/horror-genre/

‌- Ramirez, R. (2018, November 2). Thriller Genre: Step-by-Step Crafting an Exciting Story. Story Grid. https://storygrid.com/thriller-genre/

‌- Hesseldenz, P. (2023, August 24). Research Guides: Horror Film: Slasher Films. Libguides.uky.edu. https://libguides.uky.edu/horrorfilms/slasher

‌- G, M. (2023, October 11). Book Genre Spotlight: Psychological Thrillers | 48 Hour Books. Www.48hrbooks.com. https://www.48hrbooks.com/blog/267/book-genre-spotlight-psychological-thrillers

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