The Horror genre has been incredibly popular for a very long time and is especially relevant in the past month of October due to Halloween. The horror genre has been showcased in a variety of different ways to appeal to many different demographics. Horror films are notorious for the emitted sense of fear, jump scares, gore, killings, and nightmares that follow.
The horror genre mixes very well with other genres to give a different feeling to every movie. These hybrid genres could include Horror Comedy, Alien Horror, Romance Horror, Adventure Horror, and so much more. All of these different types of horror movies keep each movie unique to ensure that the horror movies don't seem repetitive and boring.
The horror genre is mainly marketed to teenagers and young adults. The target audience for the horror genre is younger people, primarily aged 16-25. This demographic of people is the main audience for horror films because teenagers seek that sense of fear and thrill. Older adults don't typically want to watch films that scare them or make them jump. One example of how horror films are marketed to the younger demographic is the movie IT. This horror film features a group of young teens as the main characters. This movie appeals to teenagers because they are able to relate to the main characters. This film gives teenagers a chance to relate to the main characters while still giving them that fear factor they seek.
Teenagers love horror films because they love that thrill and fearful rush that comes with them. Teenagers like to be scared and spooked. One technique used in these horror films that adds to the thrill is commonly known as a jump-scare. A jump-scare is a technique that uses a very sudden, abrupt, and loud change in an image or event. One of the most popular examples of this is the Conjuring series. The Conjuring series falls under Paranormal horror and uses jump-scares to make the audience.....jump. This thrill is sought out by teens to make their viewing experience more fun and interesting.
Another technique used in horror films is the use of lighting. In the majority of horror films, lighting is used to add a further sense of fear to the movies. It is usually very dark in horror films to make it more mysterious and suspenseful because the victim has more trouble finding the enemy in the dark. An example of a horror film that uses lighting to its advantage is the Friday the 13th series. This series uses dark areas and low visibility to hide the killer to make it more suspenseful for the viewer. If the viewer is unable to see where the killer is, the scene may be more suspenseful and scary than if the scene was filmed with a bright light.
Realism is also another technique used in horror films that can add to a film. A film like Get Out offers a little bit of realism to further the sense of fear. A film becomes significantly scarier for the viewer when the story is able to occur in real life. It is very scary to watch a movie that involves an intense amount of murder and torture, knowing that it is physically possible to happen in the real world.
Another technique used in the horror world is the use of music. Music can be used to add a variety of feelings or emotions to any story or film. One example of this technique is the Jaws series. The infamous Jaws theme song is played whenever the shark is about to attack. Every time the track is played, the audience gets ready for another shark attack. This sound can add suspense and thrill to each attack because the audience is waiting for the next attack to occur.
Blood, gore, death, and murder are all important aspects of this morbid film genre. Most horror films use death as the main source of fear. Everyone is scared of death, so when a film includes tens, sometimes even hundreds of deaths, it makes it much scarier. The Purge films include thousands of deaths to make the films scarier.
Some films use zombies and other apocalyptic forces to add that fear factor. The "end of the world" is commonly used in the horror genre to create a sense of fear. Zombies, aliens, and other invasive monsters can be showcased in the films to create that sense of horror. Zombie Land is a comedic horror film that uses zombies to add horror and fear.
Overall, there is a huge variety of different fear factors and techniques that can be accomplished in the horror genre. There are no set rules to what is and isn't horror, as long as it's scary. Death and gore appeal to teenagers more than they should, but for some reason, all teens love horror. Hitchcock and Stephen Kings horror stories will never be topped, but the genre will continue to grow.
