Synthesis Of Horror Films

4 Pages 1080 Words

There are many ways that people in today’s world get there thrills. One of the most popular methods of getting a thrill is watching a horror film. There are many qualities that makes a horror film appeal to the audience. There is the monster or evil, the tension which the movie creates, the special effects, and the possibility of the story being true. This paper will compare three of the all-time best horror films, Frankenstein, Psycho, and The Exorcist.
The main part of all horror films is the monster or evil. Frankenstein, Psycho, and The Exorcist have three entirely different evil forces in them. The Frankenstein monster is a soulless creature made from science not nature. Because this monster has no soul, he can’t determine right from wrong, this includes murder. But the evil in this picture could also be said to be science. Because man has tried to play God, human kind pays the consequences. It is not the monster’s fault that he kills people; he is a creation of science not of God. In Psycho, the evil is the human brain. Norman Bates has a split personality caused by childhood traumas. It’s not Norman himself that kills people; it is the imbalance in his head that causes him to act in that manner. The evil in The Exorcist is the great evil possible, the devil. The devil is the greatest fear of many Christians. That is what has made this film voted the scariest movie of all time by TV Guide.
Tension is another vital aspect of horror films. The majority of violent films have a peak and valley type of action. The tension will build and then after a murder or other violence, the tension will fall. Some films, mostly psychological thrillers have a tension that is continuously building up to one final climax. Frankenstein and The Exorcist have the peak and valley type of tension. Frankenstein’s tension build but when the focus is away from the Frankenstein monster thing are at ease. The same holds tru...