Conventions In Horror Films

In horror movies, there are certain elements that are frequently used in the genre. Many of these lead to the protagonists being hindered, or simply build tensions into scenes.

Secluded location; Normally shown in an establishing shot to show where the characters will be during their traumatic experience. They have no means of contacting the outside world, and even escaping the area would be a difficult task.


The power is cut; Just as tensions builds or characters become aware of the antagonist - the lights go out. They're in darkness, and panic ensues.

Bad weather; A visual pathetic fallacy. There might be sunshine before the threat is shown, yet in the secluded location as the threat is present, the weather can shift into torrent of rain and even have lighting to show the danger of the situation.

The fake scare; As there is, yet again, more tension building up - many horror movies include a fake scare which can make an audience jump. The fake scare will often be an animal moving or a minor object breaking, and is often followed by a genuine scare.

Characters forget about the threat; Because it's totally normal to just casually forget about the monster lurking in the woods, leading them into a false sense of security.

Warning goes unheeded; For some reason, most protagonists ignore the potential danger they might face if they enter their secluded location. "Theres a serial killer in that abandoned hospital? Sounds like a great documentary to film".

The short cut; Just like Little Red Riding Hood shouldn't have gone through the woods, protagonists seem to often take the more life-threatening route - because it'll be faster to their destination, right?

Investigating a strange noise; There will be a rustling of leaves, or a door opening. The characters foolishly will go towards whatever is making the suspicious sound - and almost always get dragged away by the antagonist.

Cowering infront of a window; When the monster is outside, why not hide underneath a place where it can access to enter the room you're in?

Someone runs upstairs instead of outside; Instead of getting away from the threat, it way makes more sense to trap yourself even more (most protagonists even hide in the bathroom or some other confined space).

Victim falls over; Sorry, but if you're not the main character, your running away sequence will either end or include tripping over something.

Vehicle won't start; Another convention which prolongs the get-away, and a common way of building tension. Will the car start in time? Will the elevator doors close?