Slasher Research

 SLASHER

Perhaps the most famous subgenre of the large umbrella of horror films, slasher films are characterized by the killing of a large number of people by a psychotic murderer, typically with a sharp deadly object.

Content:

The most essential aspect of any slasher film is the villain/psychotic killer. The killer is characterized as stronger than a typical human and seems unfeasible to overcome, other than running or hiding. More often than not, the killer wears a mask to conceal their identity, and aid in creating the sense of inhumanity, mystery, and suspense. Furthermore, the antagonists in slasher films are almost always equipped with a weapon of choice, which often becomes representative of the character.

The iconic "Ghostface" mask from the Scream franchise

Jason from the Friday the 13th franchise holding his machete

The setting of slasher films is often an eerie and unfamiliar place, such as the woods or the countryside. However, this aspect is subject to change. For example, Halloween (1978) is set in a suburban neighborhood, which, in a way, makes the film all the more uncomfortable. It forces the audience to juxtapose the rather comforting setting with the nefarious, murderous acts taking place on screen. Additionally, it is common for slashers to include the "Final Girl" trope, which is when a leading female character seems to avoid all the mistakes made by the other characters and makes it to a final confrontation with the killer, the climax of the film.
                                                              

Slasher films typically provide a backstory to the killer which may provide context to their motives.  Another common content characteristic is a character making a foolish mistake that puts them in grave danger in the face of a killer (Ex: being cornered, tripping). This heightens the level of suspense of these films and keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. It even adds an extra level of audience interest as the audience wonders what they would do differently and may even feel aggravated when a character makes a costly foolish mistake.

Production:

Slashers often utilize low-key lighting to create shadows and strong contrasts, which limits the information directly available to the audience and aids in creating a sense of suspense and mystery. To fill in the missing information, the audience relies on the soundscape, thus becoming more sensitive to what they hear.

The sound design of slashers relies on creating an enormous contrast between dead silence and sharp, ear-piercing loudness. With this contrast, slashers work to catch the audience off guard and push them outside of their comfort zone. The sound perspective often draws attention to unexpected sounds and makes them unrealistically audible, such as footsteps, unsheathing a knife, or heavy breathing. This technique creates unpredictability, unfamiliarity, and suspense for the audience.

Perhaps the most infamous of all production techniques, jump scares go hand-in-hand with slasher films. A jump scare's job is to capitalize on all the suspense that the film has been building up, and if done correctly, will even make the audience feel unsafe. They are often aligned with loud stings of sound that act as punctuation to make the jump scare feel all the more sudden.

                            One of the most famous jump scares from Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Marketing:

The target audience of slashers are typically teens and young adults (16-30) due to the attraction held to thrill and suspense by this age group. While the audience is stereotypically male, over time the genre has become less targeted to any specific gender.

In the marketing process for slashers, marketing teams have one job: to invoke fear. Due to the few guidelines and regulations, slasher films are known to be very creative in their marketing. For example, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) was marketed as a true story with a documentary aesthetic. This made the film feel even more terrifying as it made the horror feel more realistic and unsettling.

A movie poster for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Another example would be The Purge: Election Year (2016) which utilized emergency response units to stage fake "Purge nights" in various large cities such as Los Angeles and New York. This tactic created urgency and panic for those nearby and turned out to be an effective marketing strategy. Word quickly spread on social media and developed anticipation for the film.

Samples:

Halloween (1978) follows the story of Michael Myers, a psychotic masked miller as he terrorizes a suburban neighborhood on Halloween night and draws an obsession to the main character Laurie, the "Final Girl". This film perfectly embodies what it means to be a slasher, as the audience follows Michael Myers as he goes on a brutal killing spree with his weapon of choice, a knife. Michael Myers is displayed as an ominous character with his terrifying mask which never comes off throughout the film, helping to develop a sense of inhumanity. His towering posture and menacing stalking of victims aid in portraying him as a powerful, undefeatable entity. The nighttime setting of the film paired with Michael Myer's navy jumpsuit slightly obscures him in the audience's eye, adding to the mysterious quality of his character. The use of low-key lighting, an unpredictable sound design, and well-constructed jump scares all help to both build and capitalize on the suspense of the film. 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is a film about a group of young adult friends who find themselves targeted by a cannibalistic family in the middle of the unfamiliar Texas countryside. The film embodies a slasher due to the feature of Leatherface, a horrifying masked killer who terrorizes the group with his chainsaw. Leatherface's character does not speak at all throughout the film, which further characterizes him as a mentally inhumane entity. The film also features the main protagonist and "Final Girl" Sally. The majority of the film takes place during the daytime, which creates a juxtaposition between the safe environment of the day, and the morbid brutal events of the film. Critics often state that what contributes to the terrifying nature of the film is how "real" it is. This is achieved through the use of minimalistic editing and almost entirely diegetic sound. The diegetic sound of the film and the use of master shots work to immerse the audience into the film, making it believable and attaining the realist approach.

Some Slashers to Consider: