Research of Horror and Sub Horror Genres
Part 2
Psychological
Definition: Psychological horror is a sub-genre that combines horror and psychological fiction. This genre focuses on metal, emotional, or psychological states to deeply scare and highly disturb the audience. The genre topically focuses on psychological fears such as madness, stress, anxiety, guilt, paranoia, and jealousy.
History Be Hide the Genre
This sub-genre can be traced back to the beginning of the iconic 18th century Gothic literature and continued to evolve as television and film become more popular. Going back to gothic literature, Horace Walpole, Ann Radcliffe, and Matthew Lewis authored multiple gothic novels that highlighted the beginning path of psychological horror.
In the 19th century, American authors for example, like Nathaniel Hawthorne who authored books on human nature and society’s values, thus influenced many others to pursue writing and explore sections of psychological horror that was not established yet.
The first film about psychological horror that was produced was “The Black Cat” created in 1934, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. The film follows Dr. Werdegast, who seeks revenge on Hjalmar Poelzig’s, a former commander involved in his past betrayal. The story unfolds in Poelzig’s creepy mansion, where he plans to sacrifice an American woman, leading to a tense confrontation between the two men. The film is known for its dark atmosphere and expressionism.
Cultural and Social Impacts
Psychological horror has a significant impact culturally and socially because it reflects society’s deepest fears and anxieties, often reflecting societal issues such as poverty, racism, violence, and other topics. It does this through narratives like, allowing audiences to explore taboo subjects, environments, and characters that are not included in many genres other than psychological horror. It can also add to the development of shared cultural experiences of fear through iconic characters and plot devices.
Characteristics
Disturbed characters: Characters may be unreliable, unstable, or disturbed
Internal struggles: Characters may struggle against their own impulses, thoughts, and morals
Psychological states: The story may explore anxieties and mental illness that are common to the human experience
Distrust: Characters may have suspicion, distrust, self-doubt, paranoia, and anger
Unreliable narrators: The story may be delivered by an unreliable narrator as they may be the person going under the psychological turmoil, or the thing causing it
Twists: The story may include twists that betray the audience's trust or the characters
Gothic Horror
Definition: Is a literary genre that uses fear, haunting, and dark themes to create a sense of dread.
History Be Hide the Genre
Gothic horror is a literary genre that originated in the 18th century and became most popular through poems. It is famously known for its dark, and longing atmosphere. The genre’s name stems from the gothic architecture that had become popular in the European Middle Ages.
Cultural and Societal Impact
Gothic horror which is a form of gothic literature has had a significant impact culturally and socially on horror culture, practically formatting the foundation for modern horror genre by introducing key themes such as supernatural, monster, decaying settings, psychological terror/turmoil, romantic horror, and deeply unsettling atmosphere. Which are now all used in films, television, books, and other forms of media, which include famous characters like Frankenstein and Dracula serving an example of their long-lasting influence in the media overall.
Characteristics
- Eerie weather like thunderstorms, high winds, and long rainstorms
- Dreams and nightmares
- Melodrama, where characters respond dramatically to events causes them to have meltdowns, bursts of anger, and extreme amounts of fear
- Mysteries, curses, secret passages, and potions
- Powerful love, romance, yearning for something/ someone who the person cannot have
- (Ex.) Ghosts and vampires
- Characters who are unpredictable and intriguing to the audience
- Characters who face emotional turmoil like grief, loss, anger, and depression
- Characters who doubt their reality and purpose in life
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