Deconstructing Psychological Horrors

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

To begin with, the opening song in Rosemary's Baby is a clear signifier for the 'horrory' genre you are about to view, the song is haunting and slightly creepy which fits in well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQFwW8eAy4U. It is also similar to the lullaby in Pan's Labyrinth, which is in the same sort of genre.

 The film is set in a large apartment building, the building itself is very tall and overpowering, with castle like features. This shot shows the audience the main location, it has a creepy and haunted house-esque look to it.

A large majority of the film is set in different apartments within the building, it is a familiar location that would usually signify safety and comfort. The evil in the film infiltrates these safe surroundings. Through using a location which the audience can relate too, it brings them closer to the action making them feel ill at ease.

One of the mysteries in the film is why the door at the bottom of the hallway had been blocked, behind it all seems normal. This is until Rosemary discovers it's real purpose. This ominous doorway acts as another creepy factor in the apartment block, besides the history of witches devouring children. The addition of this adds suspense to the story, as to what the cupboards purpose is.

There is some surreal and ghostly imagery used such as in the scene where the devil rapes Rosemary. Psychological horrors often use shadows and darkness to disorientate the viewer and to add to its 'horrificness'. These weird images confused the viewer as they do not know if what is happening is real or not.

This is another surreal moment as the Devil is impregnating Rosemary, she seems to be consumed in some green fog, perhaps signifying the evil entering her. It again adds to the disorientation and dream-like aspect of the scene.

 There is also some disturbing and rather disgusting imagery used in the film, such as when Rosemary eats raw liver. It is quite uncomfortable to watch as it looks very unpleasant, and almost cannibalistic. This is a simple yet effective scene, the colour of the bloody red contrasts with Rosemary's innocent white face, dress and surroundings. It also begins to show that the darker force inside of her is making her do odd things.

Mental isolation is a common convention of psychological horror's, this is featured explicitly through the second half of the film. Rosemary's peers begin to drop around her, and she becomes trapped with her over friendly neighbors and increasingly suspicious behaving husband. No-one believes what she is going through, and so she becomes isolated from everyone around her.

Paranoia is also a keen convention of the genre, this adds to the isolation of the character. Rosemary becomes slightly obsessed with the idea that the neighbors are witches, and finds an anagram in a book named 'All of them witches'.

Often some kind of dark force, such as Satan or some evil is featured in horror films, the character becoming obsessed with or haunted by this. In Rosemary's case it is a group of witches who hope to bring the son of Satan into the world, through impregnating her.

 Some nightmarish scenes are featured such as this, it is reminiscent of Jacob's Ladder when he is subjected to a disturbing hospital visit. Here Rosemary is pinned down and drugged to be subdued, whilst going into labour. It seems that evil has finally won as she becomes powerless.

 There is again some devilish and disturbing images on the walls of the Castevet's household. This is similiar to the 2009 film Orphan. The use of artwork and paintings in films is used everywhere, this is shown in The Shining also. This sinister and dark imagery amplifies the horror part of the genre.

In the final scene Rosemary is faced with her half devil, half human child Adrian. Her choice is to be his mother or to leave. Often psychological horrors are left open ended for effect, you do not explicitly know which side Rosemary chose, but the way she rocked and stared at the child suggested she stayed with him. This is also shown in The Shining, when the photo of 'Jack' in 1921 is zoomed in on.


Many of the characters in psychological horrors are subjected to mental abuse rather than physical, most of the horror goes on primarily in the mind, although this is sometimes amplified through surreal or haunting imagery.

The Shining (1980)


The opening credits to The Shining, as with Rosemary's Baby establish the location in which the film is set, in this sequence we see a camera moving through desolate lakes and landscapes to an extremely isolated hotel. This allows the viewer to realise instantly that whatever happens there, there is no easy escape or help. This creates a feeling of uneasiness and anxiety. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgCejsyS0t8 (opening sequence).

This scene is accompanied with some eery classical music, it has a foreboding tone to allow the viewer to make assumptions as to what evil may follow..
The pitch of the music gradually gets higher as the car ascends to the hotel surrounded in mountain and snow. This type of music is recurrent in the film, it is often high pitched classical horror type music that is featured.

This nightmareish imagery is shown to Danny when speaking to his 'imaginary friend' Tony. It gives a foreboding outlook of what will happen at the hotel, and gives the viewer an insight into the kind of themes that are about to occur. The use of colour is good here, through using red against white it creates a bold contrast which makes the bloody pool appear more horrific.

Creepy looking children are often used in horror films, this is definitely shown in snippets of The Shining. The images of the girls that appear after seeing the blood gives them a ghostly and haunting look. Both have shadowed eyes and appear symmetrical, giving them a surreal dream like appearance. The character of Danny also conforms to this frightening child imagery, he appears possessed/demonic in some scenes, such as the 'REDRUM' scene.

Foreshadowing conversations is a common signifier of what is about to come in a film. In this scene the family discuss the Donner party whilst travelling to an isolated location. The details of this story relate in some way to what is going to happen to the family. The isolation of the Donner party and the Torrence's both end up in similar circumstances, but without the cannibalism. This is another warning to the viewers.

I love the tension that is built up whenever Danny is wheeling around the hotel, each time he turns a corner you dread what you might see. This sense of not knowing is really effective in a psychological horror, the viewer is constantly on edge as to whether something will appear or not.

As with the mysterious cupboard in Rosemary's Baby, suspense is built here as to what hides inside room 237. A conversation before this scene warns about the room, and as Danny passes it tension is built, will he enter the room? This again gives an ominous feeling, the viewer does and doesn't want to know what is behind the door.

Claustrophobia is a major factor which adds to the horror of this film, the isolation and entrapment in the hotel means that the family have no exit, and no hope if something goes seriously wrong.
It seems that the hotel prepares itself and cages its victims. This is a convention of a psychological horror, being trapped or confined in small spaces, also a space which the viewer can relate to.

This sense of isolation grows larger as Wendy discovers the telephone lines are down, the only way of communication being through a radio line.
This heightens the feeling of panic, should something go wrong.

The character of Jack gradually has some sort of mental breakdown, this puts the viewer at unease due to the isolation and evil in the hotel. This scene again foreshadows what could happen, - "but i didn't just kill you, i cut you up into little pieces". It also hints that Jack is seeing what the former winter keeper O'grady did to his wife and children. Or that he is turning into him. All of these factors ultimately show that something very bad is going to occur..

It is ultimately writing/a book (rosemary's baby) that uncovers the truth in the film. It shows the viewer that the character of Jack has turned psychotic. The pages of text are unnerving as there are so many of them, it shows that his madness has been building up over the course of time they have spent in the hotel. This is reminiscent of the previous murder, which suggests the same cabin fever has got to Jack also.

 The game of hide and seek that begins after Jack starts his rampage is a great source of tension as the viewer waits for Danny to be found.

More nightmarish images unfold as the Hotel becomes more animated, this image in particular shows how the memories and people are trapped inside the hotel, the shadowed prison-esque bars confining them.

This is another open ended psychological horror, the film is left with an image of Jack dated in 1921, which would be impossible as it appears he has not ages since then. This may symbolize his evil spirit forever being trapped in the hotel, or maybe the hotel absorbing Jack. Either way it is left to the viewers interpretation, the mysterious image heightens the psychological factor.


Through noting the conventions found in these psychological horror's I can see what traits I could include in my trailer to allow it to conform to the genre.