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Settings in horror films generally follow a similar theme throughout the genre with most of these settings being made popular by films in the 90s and early 2000s. The three categories that dominate the horror scene are
· Woodland/Forest
· Isolated House
· Suburb or a small town
Commonly horror films feature a combination of these such as the Cabin in the woods which has a self-explanatory name. The main reason why films in the horror genre all have similar settings is because of how successful some of the films mentioned have done at the box office, however another reason why there are certain settings at certain times is based on cultural shifts or technological advances. This blog will try to explain the different effects of these cliché settings.
Forest
One of the most common settings in the horror genre is the forest (woodland areas). This is seen with films such as the cabin in the woods and the Blair witch project. The reason why a forest is common in horror films is because it has become a representation of the “pre-modern world” [2] and represents experiences that humans have for hundreds of years in rural communities. The Leo Hickman Guardian article also sheds light on why The Blair witch project is enhanced as a film by having this setting. “It's a landscape of increasing disorientation where modern gadgets such as mobile phones fail to work.” [2].
In the modern world many people have become detached from nature by living in built up urban areas which leads to a fear of the unknown for many people who may be put off by certain sounds and sights that they do not understand which help to increase the tension and unease in the audience.
Old House
Figure 2 - "Abandonned houses in the forest" by boklm is marked with CC0 1.0 [3]
Another common setting in the horror genre is the classic old, abandoned house which was made popular by the film the shinning which was made by the famous director Hitchcock. In The shining the hotel plays off multiple subversions such as the hotel being in pristine condition despite being old and mostly understaffed and the obvious contrast of not many people living in a space designed to house lots of people which all adds up in the film to add an immediate sense of eeriness that the audience cannot avoid.
However, in most horror films, the old house is for the most part meant to represent evil that is or has taken place represented with its creepy aesthetic and generally poor state. Films play off this architecture by creating suspense. An example of this could be constant creaking and banging which is late revealed to be something more malicious than the presumption it is the house falling apart. The broken old house commonly parallels with the deteriorating mental state of the protagonists.
Another element of the old, abandoned house trope is the location of the house commonly the house being built on lands which should have been left alone. An example of this is the hotel in the shining as explained by the guardian “Hearing about the hotel being built on a Native American burial ground may add the threat of retribution from beyond the grave” [4]. Also, commonly the old house is in a very isolated area such as the woods or in a snowy area which makes the house look like its pushing people away.
Suburb
Figure 3 - "File:View of street in USA suburb - Town Planning photos USA(GN01943).jpg" by State Government Photographer is marked with CC0 1.0 [5]
One of the more common settings in recent years has been the suburb or small-town setting which has been seen in films such as It. The perfect idyllic nature of American suburban neighbourhoods has become a breeding ground for horror filmmakers to subvert these depictions and turn the quiet peaceful streets into disconcerting and ominous and the perfect families into toxic and evil households with dark secrets. This is seen in no better place than It where a normal town is turned upside down by a killer clown that is tormenting kids in the area with other disturbing events happening to the characters at the same time. The subversion of the stereotypes about suburbs helps turn the town into a menacing location that keeps the audience in suspense of what is going to happen next. However there have been arguments that the common suburban setting is more akin to the 50s suburban culture than modern day in recent horror films [6].
References
[2] L. Hickman, “The forest: from fairytales to horror films,” The Guardian, 29 October 2010.
[3] Figure 2 - "Abandonned houses in the forest" by boklm is marked with CC0 1.0.
[4] S. Tobias, “The Shining at 40: Will we ever fully understand what it means?,” The Guardian, 23 May 2020.
[5] Figure 3 - "File:View of street in USA suburb - Town Planning photos USA(GN01943).jpg" by State Government Photographer is marked with CC0 1.0
[6] WIRED, “Horror Movies Seem to Really Hate the Suburbs,” WIRED, 21 8 2020.
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