R1 - Sub-Genres of Horror

SUB-GENRE	DEFINITION	EXAMPLES	CONVENTIONS
Psychological Horror	Relies on the characters' fears and emotional instability to build tension.	-          The Rings -          The Shining -          The Exorcist	Often comes from reality and there will most always be a protagonist.
Gothic Horror	Very atmospheric type of horror, combines fiction, horror and romanticism.	-          The Woman In Black -          Sleepy Hollow -          Dracula	There is often wild landscapes and dimly lit, gloomy settings. Most likely there would be a damsel in distress and unnatural acts of nature.
Comedy Horror	Combines elements of comedy and horror.	-          Shaun of the Dead -          Fright Night -          Scary Movie	The main character in the film would often be an ordinary character who takes on the role of the hero. A general icon would be a character dying in a funny way.
Slasher	Defined by its common characteristic of having a minor plot and focusing on the killing and gore in the movie.	-          Scream -          Friday the 13th -          A Nightmare on Elm Street	The killer would often never be revealed but if so it is someone you’d least expect. The location would be quite and suburban and the lighting is mostly dark.
Zombie Film	Feature creatures that are usually portrayed as either reanimated corpses or mindless human beings.	-          Dawn of the Dead -          Night of the Living Dead -          Resident Evil	There’s most always isolation, location would typically be deserted, lead characters would always be a pretty, fit girl or heroic, fit guy. First person to die is the one who lacks intelligence.
Splatter Film	Deliberately focus on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts.	-          Texas Chainsaw Massacre -          Saw -          The Human Centipede	There is a lack of plot and order and storyline revolves around the gore and violence. Some films have a slight psychological aspect to them involving the antagonist being a psychopathic killer or just a psycho.
Supernatural Horror	Includes ghosts, demons, or other depictions of supernatural occurrences.	-          Insidious -          Paranormal Activity -          The Ring	Set in the home of the protagonist to establish a common ground with viewer. Typical sounds heard are creaking of a door or wind blowing in the middle of the night as to symbolize the entry of an unknown presence.
Teen Horror	Plot is based on special interests of teenagers, often revolving around a murder plot.	-          I Know What You Did Last Summer -          Jeepers Creepers -          Piranha	The villain in the film often gets killed by the hero in the end or disappears and ends up returning. A “deed’ or an action is done which starts the chain of events and narrative of the story.
Erotic Horror	Contains strong sexual content combined often with gore and always violence.	-          Bram Stoker’s Dracula -          Maniac -          Hellraiser	The evil character or “monster” in some films encounters a sexual relationship with an ordinary character

By looking at the different sub-genres of horror it will help me give an idea on what to be expected for my chosen sub-genre. For example, if i choose slasher I'll know that the conventions include the killer's identity remains a mystery.