RH - Supernatural Horror

The sub-genre of Supernatural horror consists of a paranormal entity hanging around the protagonist, the unwanted entity isn't usually accepted easily by the protagonist which causes tension to rise. The key with supernatural horrors is that it provides scares in some cases where the is no entity on screen and does this usually through the invisible movement of objects.

Setting:
A conventional setting for a supernatural horror is usually a place which relates closely to the protagonist which means it usually ends up being their house, a place of work or the local area; but the entity always seems to follow the protagonist. The fact the film takes place in a realistic area makes the film more believable in its self since supernatural activities are often subject to controversy.

Plot:
The plot of a supernatural horror usually takes one of two routes either the protagonist is being followed by a paranormal entity or the entity is already haunting an area that the protagonist happens to move into for example a haunted house or a person the protagonist is connected with that ends up to be causing the horror.

Characters:
The main character in a supernatural horror are conventionally young women who have done nothing wrong and are usually normal people who are harmless and caring, this is often represented through them being mothers; if this is the case the children are usually ones to see the entity. The antagonist which in most cases is the entity is usually seen at first as being there for no reason but later on may be seen to be there for a certain reason.

Props:
props in a supernatural horror usually consist of household items since these are the sort of items used as weapons used to harass the protagonist this is due to the subgenre not containing much gore.

Costume:
In Supernatural horrors the costume is often very simple and allows focus on other aspects of the film for example things moving on set. Later on in the film when the entity reveals itself everyone seems erratic and run down due to them being afraid.

Sound:
The soundtrack to a supernatural horror will usually consist of an orchestral score. Sound is often used to reflect the mood of a scene, when a child is involved there will often be childish music to provide juxtaposition and build tension. Diagetic sounds in the films usually include household items crashing and breaking to build tension as well as creaking doors and wind blowing.