Characteristics of the Horror Genre

Iconography
The iconography of horror are features which are typical to horror movie scenerio. In films such as Scream they use masks and knives as iconography to the antagonist. They use a remote location and darkness to evoke the sense of isolation. They also use womens screams as a sign of helplessness; all these features are horror iconography.

Rules
In horror movies, specific things of goverened by rigid rules; for example werewolves can only be killed by silver bullets and vampires can only be killed by a stake through the heart. These rigid rules are key to some storylines and give an idea to the climax to the film.

Settings
Setting is one of the key aspects used to define whether the movie is a horror or what kind of sub-genre the horror could be. Irrational, supernatural worlds can seperate the horror genre from other genres, for example in films like Nightmare On Elm Street when it goes into the 'nightmare' world it is very dark, mechanical and uses a lot of the colour red to represent blood and death. Even in teen horrors such as Scream, there is a gothic and horrific presence, this is done through things such as isolated settings and darkness.

Twists
There are occasionally twists throughout some horror movies, these are done to change the audiences typical perceptions about how the film will end. In some films the audience is encouraged to feel sympathy for the antagonist, this is done in films such as Frankenstein. In the Sixth Sense there is a major twist here Bruce Willis is actually dead and that is why the protagonist can see him.

Archetypes
Archetypes are an original model or a ideal example of a person; a prototype upon which others are copied. Most of the characters found in horror movies are archetypes.

Conventions
Conventions are aspects which are traditional to the horror genre; similar to iconography. Certain conventions go under different sub-genres, yet some sub-genres can share them. For example an isolated setting or an indestructable monster.

Final Girl Theory
This type of character is, essentially, a female protagonist with noteable masculine characteristics. The 'final girl' almost always shows a higher intellegence of the antagonist whilst others appear naive and more vulnerable. Carol. J. Clover, the theorist behind 'Final Girl', states that this character is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, is more rational and avoids situations, such as narcotic use, as they effectively lead to the demise of each victim via the antagonist. These characters are often branded with a unisex name, such as Sidney (Scream), which immediately takes them away from the stereotypical 'monster fodder' type girl who is; sexually objectified, relatively unintelligent and constantly screaming/ in fear. The film Saw II adds an element to this theory as the antagonist has a previous experience with the 'final girl' leaving them to join together in the end. Though Carol J. Clover acknowledges this, it is rare.
Clover also states, in her book Men Women and Chan Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film, that the 'final girl is often made masculine via a phallic appropriation in the final antagonist-final girl confrontation. A weapon is usually the tool the character picks up, identifying herself as masculine with this phallic object. This can be seen in films such as Alien vs Predator, in which the final girl takes a spear (phallic object) and thrusts it through the chest (representitive of heart, love, emotions and sexuality) of the antagonist.
Sexuality is the basis on which the final girl theory is formed. It states that there is a crisis in the identification of the sexuality of both final girl and the antagonist, which is settled in a final battle situation. The final girl is rarely introduced in the opening scene, with a monster fodder/ stock character being the likely replacement, as in scream;