"Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes."
There are several subgenres of horror, including supernatural, psychological, body horror, monster, and slasher. Each subgenre focuses on a different type of horror experience.
Gothic horror: A subgenre that originated in the 18th century and features a gloomy atmosphere, supernatural elements, and melodramatic sensibilities.
Cosmic horror: A subgenre that represents the fear of the unknown and the insignificance of humanity in the cosmos.
Body horror: A subgenre that focuses on the graphic depiction and deconstruction of the human body and its limits.
Psychological horror: A subgenre that explores the human mind, mental illness, and the complexities of the human psyche.
Paranormal horror: A subgenre that involves supernatural phenomenon, such as ghosts, demons, and other entities.
Lovecraftian horror: A subgenre that emphasizes the vast, incomprehensible horror of the unknown, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
Monster horror: A subgenre that features monstrous creatures and the terror they bring to their victims.
Horror comedy: A subgenre that juxtaposes horror elements with comedic ones, often providing a satirical take on traditional horror tropes.
Found footage horror: A subgenre that utilizes the found footage format to create a sense of realism and immersion.
Survival horror: A subgenre that focuses on characters trying to survive against all odds, often in a brutal, unforgiving setting.
Slasher horror: A subgenre that features a killer or group of killers stalking and murdering their victims.
Zombie horror: A subgenre that centers around the undead and the fear of a widespread apocalypse.
Folk horror: A subgenre that draws on rural folklore, legends, and customs to create an ominous atmosphere.
Haunted house horror: A subgenre that centers around a haunted house or other similar location, and the fear it instills in its inhabitants.
Torture horror: A subgenre that features extreme violence, torture, and sadism as a primary element of the horror.
Crime horror: A subgenre that melds classic horror elements with criminal activity, such as serial killers, organized crime, and dark cults.
Religious horror: A subgenre that deals with the supernatural or demonic, often based on religious beliefs and practices.
Alien horror: A subgenre that blends science fiction and horror, often featuring extraterrestrial beings and their terrifying power.
Environmental horror: A subgenre that explores the dangers and threats posed by natural phenomena, such as storms, earthquakes, and climate change.
Body horror: A subgenre that focuses on the graphic depiction and deconstruction of the human body and its limits.
Psychological horror: This subgenre focuses on the mental and emotional states of the characters, inflicting fear and terror on the reader's imagination. It often deals with the human psyche and has no physical threat present.
Supernatural horror: This subgenre deals with ghosts, spirits, demons, and other paranormal activities that are beyond the scope of scientific explanation.
Gothic horror: This subgenre is dark and macabre, often set in a medieval or Victorian setting. It typically features haunted mansions, crumbling castles, and classic horror tropes.
Sci-fi horror: This subgenre combines science fiction and horror, often featuring aliens, robots, and other futuristic technologies that turn against their creators.
Body horror: This subgenre focuses on physical decay, mutation, and mutilation of the human body. It often shows graphic and gory depictions of body horror.
Folk horror: This subgenre is inspired by folklore and mythology, often featuring sinister rituals, pagan traditions, and secluded villages.
Found footage horror: This subgenre involves the use of first-person camera footage, simulating a real-life experience. It often features urban exploration, documentary-style horror, or video diaries.
Survival horror: This subgenre shows a group of people struggling to survive against a common threat. It often features survival in the wilderness, post-apocalyptic situations, or zombie viruses.
Comedy horror: This subgenre combines elements of horror and comedy, often featuring parodic or satirical elements of the genre.
Religious horror: This subgenre features religious themes or institutions as the source of terror, such as possession by demonic entities, cults, or apocalyptic prophecies.
"Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes."
"Horror films have existed for more than a century."
"Early inspirations from before the development of film include folklore, religious beliefs and superstitions of different cultures, and the Gothic and horror literature of authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley."
"Horror only became a codified genre after the release of Dracula (1931)."
"Many sub-genres emerged in subsequent decades, including body horror, comedy horror, slasher films, supernatural horror, and psychological horror."
"Horror is particularly prominent in the cinema of Japan, Korea, Italy, and Thailand, among other countries."
"Some horror films and franchises have seen major commercial success, influenced society and spawned several popular culture icons."
"Broad elements include monsters, apocalyptic events, and religious or folk beliefs."
"Horror films seek to elicit fear or disgust in their audience."
"Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley."
"From origins in silent films and German Expressionism, horror only became a codified genre after the release of Dracula (1931)."
"Many sub-genres emerged in subsequent decades, including body horror, comedy horror, slasher films, supernatural horror, and psychological horror."
"Horror is particularly prominent in the cinema of Japan, Korea, Italy, and Thailand, among other countries."
"Despite being the subject of social and legal controversy due to their subject matter..."
"Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes."
"Horror films seek to elicit fear or disgust in their audience for entertainment purposes."
"Many sub-genres emerged in subsequent decades, including body horror, comedy horror, slasher films, supernatural horror, and psychological horror."
"The genre has been produced worldwide, varying in content and style between regions."
"Some horror films and franchises have seen major commercial success, influenced society and spawned several popular culture icons."