Key elements in Horror movie synopses

SettingIcons

ProtagonistsStock characters/stereotypes

Stock situations/plots

In the suburb of Blackeberg in Stockholm, the twelve year-old Oskar is a lonely and outcast boy bullied in school by Conny and two other classroom mates; at home, Oskar dreams on revenging the trio of bullies. He befriends his twelve year-old next door neighbor Eli that only appears during the night in the playground of their building. Meanwhile, Eli's father is a serial-killer who drains the blood of his victims to supply Eli, so she doesn't have to kill. Eli advises Oskar to react to Conny fighting back; however, he soon discovers that she is a vampire and he feels fear and love for the girl.

Setting: horror films are typically set away from the city, portraying the normally comfortable surroundings as dangerous. Also the word ‘black’ in the name suggests mystery and death.

Summary of ‘Let the Right One In’ (2008)

Blood is an icon of the genre.

A non-stereotypical protagonist and a stock situation of conflict.

The supporting character is another stock of the horror genre: a vampire but defies conventions by being female. The killer is a male.

Again, a typical conclusion that the vampire is exposed and the human faces internal conflict.

Themes of loyalty, love and persistence

After centuries of war between men and vampires, the Church assigns warrior-priests to vanquish the vampires. The survivors are kept in reserves and hives and the humans live in chaotic cities ruled by the Church. The priests are outcast by the Church, afraid of the power of their fighting skill. When Shannon and Owen Pace, who live in an outpost, are slaughtered by vampires and their daughter Lucy is abducted by the vampires, the local sheriff Hicks seeks out Owen's brother, the Priest, to search for Lucy. The Priest asks permission to Monsignor Orelas but he denies. So the Priest breaks his vows and travels with Hicks to track down the vampires and rescue Lucy before they turn her into a familiar. Sooner the warrior Priestess joins the Priest and Hicks in their quest.

Summary of ‘Priest’ (2011) Horror icon/supernatural villain is a stock character of sorts in the genre

Establishes conflict in the plot

Dystopian setting

Heroic protagonistStock situations resolved by conflict

•Antagonist stereotypically is in power•Supporting protagonist is a stock character – the sheriff•Lucy is a stock character – the vulnerable girl

Theme of good vs. evil

Summary of ‘The Shining’ (1980)

A novelist - Jack Torrance takes a job interview as winter caretaker of the isolated, old, huge and beautiful Overlook Hotel. In the interview, Jack is told by the manager himself, that the previous caretaker - Grady, chopped his family and later killed himself with a shotgun. Ignoring the story, Jack brings his wife - Wendy and his son Danny. It happens that Danny, has a mysterious power known as "The Shining" that shows him things from the past and future. Some of the visions come from Tony - "the little boy who lives in Danny's mouth". Danny meets Hallorann - the hotel cook in their first day arriving at the Overlook, who also has this "Shining" and he warns him about the hotel and the sinister Room 237. As the days go by, Danny has visions of previous guests and employees who died at the hotel years before, meanwhile Jack starts driving into insanity, turning more and more aggressive, at the point that Danny and Wendy gets convinced that Jack might try to do the same thing, Grady did.

Isolated setting typical of the genre

The protagonist in this case is also the villain

This film uses less of the key horror elements and therefore employs variation in the plot but still uses enough to ensure the viewer can recognise it as a horror movie.

Theme of betrayal

Horror films typically involve a family unit or friendship group.