Horror movies usually always connote death as a result to the actions. The reason for this this is because horror movies are based around punishment, more specifically teen punishment (however it may vary) and death is the ultimate punishment.
The lighting in a horror movie is dark for the majority of the movie, if not all. Darkness is more effective as it connotes evilness and a sinister atmosphere. It also connotes death which is the ultimate punishment.
The ideas of religious belief in all horror movies are subverted i.e. the cross; Jesus died on the cross for our sins, a way to protect us, however once that crucifix is shown in a horror movie, the idea of protection is taken and therefore makes us feel uneasy.
In horror movies, especially slasher and vampire, sharp objects are always used as a weapon as phallic symbolism. This idea of the knife piercing skin is a representation of penetration i.e. sex. The ideas of sex are repulsed against by antagonists as they are sins and therefore punishable.
Certain clothing helps identify the antagonist(s) from the protagonist(s) and a way of doing so is the colour of the clothing i.e. dark clothing represents evilness, lightly coloured clothing represents innocence.Furthermore, antagonists in horror movies tend to wear masks as a way to hide their identities which creates a sense of mysteriousness and hostility which causes the audience to feel at ease.
The idea of possession tends to be used in horror movies as it's an evil spirit taking over the protagonist. Those that tend to be possessed are children as ideas of them being innocent are subverted. Dolls are also used for possessions as they present ideas of purity and childhood.
Mirrors tend to be used in horror movies, however more specifically, shattered mirrors, as they represent the past life of the antagonist and their emotion resulting in the way they behave.
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