Genre Research: Phycological Horror

The psychological horror film genre has gained a great amount of popularity and notoriety. Unlike traditional horror films that rely on techniques such as jump scares and gore, psychological horror movies create tension through slow buildup. They explore themes such as the depths of the human mind, its darkest fears, mental illness, trauma, and anxiety

An aspect of psychological horror is ambiguity. Psychological horror films usually thread the line of what's real and what is not leaving the audience with a sense of confusion that could correlate to fear. This is especially true in a film such as The Shining; In which we see a lot of supernatural events but are never let know what is real and what isn't. 

  There are other productions that also highlight different ways psychological horror can use techniques to portray the desired meaning.  The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari used elements of mise-en-scene such as assets and lighting in order to convey feelings of unease and paranoia. This is not only an incredibly impressive use of technique but one of the first examples of psychological horror in film. Additionally, these techniques of mise-en-scene could be applied to our projects in a very interesting way 

Overall, psychological horror is a genre that aims to explore the human mind and fear itself. It creates tension through a slow buildup, leaving the viewer questioning what is real and what is not. Psychological horror's main characteristics can be achieved through varied methods such as mise en scene. 

05, May. “Why 'the Shining' Is the Best Psychological Horror Film.” YourClassical from American Public Media and Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota Public Radio, 5 May 2016, https://www.yourclassical.org/story/2016/05/05/shining-best-psychological-horror-film.

in Film, History | September 14th. “How the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Invented Psychological Horror Film & Brought Expressionism to the Screen (1920).” Open Culture, https://www.openculture.com/2022/09/how-the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-invented-psychological-horror-film.html.