Types Of Characters In Horror Films

Stereotypical Characters In Horror Films

There is usually a protagonist (the leading character of the film), and an antagonist (who opposes the protagonist). Horror's are usually set from the protagonists point of view, but from time to time there can be films from the antagonists point of view, for example in the film, 'Hard Candy.' There are often jump scares in horrors to make the storyline come together and to create a better atmosphere. The protagonist usually has to overcome certain obstacles in order to make it out alive or have a happy ending. To add to this, there can be a lot of action going on in films that keeps the tension building and the audience guessing - often wrongly. By the end of the film, the relationship between the characters is explained to the audience so that they have a reason for how they acted towards each other. But sometimes the characters decisions in the films are not explained.

Examples of this are in, 'Wolf creek' and 'Wrong Turn.' In 'Wolf Creek' the antagonist (Mick Taylor) lets the audience know that he kills people because he hates tourists and is an all round psychopathic, bad guy. But in, 'Wrong Turn,' it is never truly explained why the cannibals kill and eat people. The audience just assume it's because they want revenge or are just bad.

Different Medias In Which The Villain Is The Protagonist

The main protagonists that are in horror films are usually, blonde females who are in danger, and strong males who save the day. They are also usually, everyday citizens who are having a normal day at the beginning of the film. They will usually have a goal in the story, and the antagonist regularly tried to stop them achieving their goal. Antagonists in horror films can be a range of different things, such as, serial killers, ghosts and monsters.

Types of characters -
Female victim:

The female victim is usually the protagonist in a horror film. This could be to support or subvert stereotypes. If they are supporting stereotypes then the female protagonist will usually be killed by the antagonist. If the film subverts the stereotypes then the female victim will be able to defend herself and will win by the end of the film. A film where stereotypes are supported is, 'Scream,' and a film where stereotypes are subverted is 'Alien.' The film, 'Wolf Creek,' directed by Greg McLean both supports and subverts stereotypes. This is because the female victims try to be brave and get away, but eventually they both die. We will use a female protagonist in our film to subvert stereotypes.

The male hero:

Male protagonists usually save the day in horror films. They are usually of strong build and attractive. There are not a lot of horror films where good wins evil but the male hero is there to be brave and to add a sense of hope to the film. In most horrors they will prove their bravery by going off to look for the killer, which either results in them dying horrifically or them finally killing the antagonist. However, in a lot more recent horror films, the protagonist is becoming female a lot more. This could be because the audience do not know what to expect and because of the newer conventions that are occurring in films. An example of a film where the male hero wins is, 'The hills have eyes.' An example of a film where he loses is, 'Cabin in the woods.'

The hysterical character:

These types of characters are usually female and are usually the ones who make bad things happen. They will refuse to leave a building or they will try to run away. but it will always end badly for them. These types of characters in horrors are important as they help create suspense in horrors and build the tension. Examples of horror films with hysterical characters in them are, 'Final destination' and 'Wrong turn.'

The antagonist:

This type of character features in all horror films. A horror story line would not work without the use of a protagonist and an antagonist. The antagonist in horror films can be many different things, such as a serial killer like in the film, 'The silence of the lambs.' A psychopath in a mask, like in the film, 'Halloween.' A scary monster, for example in the film, 'IT.' A ghost, like in the film, 'The woman in black.' Or from time to time the protagonist could also be the antagonist, in films such as, 'Hide and seek.' This film shows that the protagonist has a split-personality so is also the antagonist. In our film we will be using a similar method. Because Agnes believes that she isn't dead, she thinks that the other "beings" in the house are ghosts, when in fact, she is the real ghost.