JP: Monster Horror

This sub-genre of horror focuses around creatures created usually with the intention of embodying the anxieties and concerns within their cultural context. However, films classified as 'monster horror' can also feature human-like monsters that often are abnormal to those within the society at the time. The techniques used in these films have many similarites to other sub-genres of horror but differ in some key areas.


Mise-en-scene

Frankenstein (1931) - Frankenstein and his Monster

Characters & Costume

The sub-genre typically features characters wearing clothing that was worn commonly by people at the time of production. Due to the often real life settings, the costumes worn had to replicate the feel of the time and location so that it was more relateable to the audience, thus creating the unease of twisted reality by introducing the creatures. The monster costumes however, were dependent on the dominant audience the film makers were aiming to scare. For example, in 'Them!' (1954) the monsters were giant bugs for two reasons: one being the threat of the cold war at the time which provoked fears of mutation from the nuclear devices and the other being the universal fear of bugs which many hold even today.

Setting

Monster horror films are generally set in real life locations such as realisitc towns and cities due to the desire to relate to the audience and their home locations with the intention making the events seem real despite the inclusion of surreal creatures. However, some films, such as 'Alien' (1979), merge the sub-genre with other sub-genres of horror including sci-fi which subsequently results in the setting being less real but the monster adapts to that setting and the film relies more on other aspects to instil the fear in the audience; such as sound and the monster's costume.


Sound

Jaws (1975) - Featuring the iconic score, building suspense using only two notes

Non-Diagetic

Non-diagetic sound is one of the most important aspects to not only monster horror, but the horror genre as a whole. A film's soundtrack often helps to shape the atmosphere and tension in a scene through its composition. For example in 'Jaws' (1975) during arguably its most famous scene, the soundtrack manages to build suspense using only two notes but also using a crescendo and accelerando. White noise and other sound effects not related to the action on screen are also used to create similar effects.

Diagetic

Diagetic sound also plays a large role in the film maker's intention of scaring the audience. Within a sound mix certain aspects of diagetic sound are often amplified, such as breathing and footsteps, to create tension. Such is true of falling objects or loud collisions during jump scares in films. In terms of dialogue, the monsters very rarely speak lines (at least in modern monster horror films) and usually just make incomprehensible noises to convey their lack of conformity social normality.


Camera & Editing

Alien (1979) - The creature was portrayed as being much larger than the humans

Shot Types

A typical feature of monster horror is conveying the creature to be larger and far more powerful than the victims. One way in which film makers can achieve this is through the use of slight low angles when filming the monster to give the false impression that it's larger than it really is. Similarly, slight high angles are sometimes used on the victims / protagonists to make them seem weak and smaller in comparison as well as connoting their fear of the creatures that tower over them. Also, when both the victim and monster are framed in the same shot, they are usually either at opposite ends of the shot or from the point of view of the victim with the monster is standing over them.

Cuts & Cutting Rate

The length of shots depends on the intensity of action on screen. When the tension is building the shot length tends to generally be longer and the cutting rate slower. However, when the monster is on screen or if there is chase, the cutting rate is generally much faster and the shot length quite short to present the eratic events on screen. The shot transitions are predominantly just standard cuts too (with the exception of some older monster horror films that utilised newly invented transitions such as screen wipes).


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