How Does Horror Movie Scare Audiences?
Humans are a strange bunch, as they are sometimes curious to a fault. Yet, they seek thrills by putting their lives in danger when they jump out of planes, climb mountains, plunge into bridges, and run away from bull chases. Every year, audiences flock to cinemas or purchase horror movies online.
The genre has become one of the most profitable ventures in most movie production sets worldwide. Insidious, Saw, The Sinister, and Paranormal Activity are consistent horror movies that consistently generate huge profits. There are various techniques that horror movie producers have mastered, which make the audience scared and create a desire to continue watching the movie.
First, the sub-bass sounds are the main reasons why audiences are scared. Also known as nonlinear sounds, they are low-frequency sounds with an optimum limit to what the human ear can perceive. The ear can register sounds from 20 hertz to about 20,000 Hertz (Willis 43). However, horror movies play their sound at around 20 hertz to maintain the anxiety and tension of the audience.
Secondly, hidden shots have a way they work to scare audiences. Often, there are demon-spliced or jarring images called subliminal images. They are intentionally placed images that viewers can see and comprehend. The images only last for a few seconds but have undeniable effects. Such images increase an audience’s state of hypervigilance, and their fast flash can question the audience if they saw something or not.
Finally, too much negative space subjects audiences to fear since it depends on how the subject is placed in the frame (Willis 39). For instance, according to the rule of thirds, as most filmmakers follow, the negative and positive have to balance. More space is given to the direction faced by the character to create a three-dimensional awareness for the audience through a lead room. Most horror movies violate this rule by lacing the subject at the edge of the frame and allowing an overwhelming negative pace in the frame. This creates anxiety in the audience and an emotional cord, making them uneasy.
Elements of Horror Genre
The horror genre has three main elements: dread, terror, and horror. Dread is the anticipation accompanied by great apprehension. It usually happens first and takes the longest compared to other features. It is the ability to wait when one knows something horrible is about to happen. It is impossible to prepare for dread since one lacks knowledge of how the horror will take form when it will happen, how it will appear, and its purpose (Noer 70).
Secondly, terror is the state of intense fear, the second element of a good horror genre. It is a powerful emotion that is stronger and faster than dread. Lastly, horrors are the intense sensations of disgust and shock, the final elements experienced. It is the least powerful after dread and terror. As the audience immerses itself in the series, it stops reacting as the shock numbs them.
Sub-Genre of Horror
Slasher is one of the subgenres of horror movies that was popular in the past but has lost its reputation. It focuses on serial killers who are human villains and have high body counts upon completing the movie (Casha). The villains stalk their victims and murder the film’s heroes or anyone who gets in their way.
Audiences get scared of slasher movies since the movies seem highly realistic. An example is John Carpenter’s movie, recorded in 1978, that ushered in an era of masked serial killers. The movies attributed to this genre are so terrifying that they repel people from watching them regularly, so they are no longer produced.
Works Cited
Casha, Bernard. An analysis of the cinematic techniques used in American slasher horror films. BS thesis. University of Malta, 2020.
Noer, Achmad Ridwan. “We Choose What to Fear in Indonesian Horror Cinema.” Communicare: Journal of Communication Studies 8.1 (2021): 62-75.
Willis, Andrew. “The Fantastic Factory: the horror genre and contemporary Spanish cinema.” Contemporary Spanish cinema and genre. Manchester University Press, 2019. 27–43.