Horror Films

Horror films are an example of a genre in which the use of LEAN FORWARD MOMENTS is extremely strong. The filmmakers generally try to create a sense of dread and fear in the audience, building towards a moment when a body falls out of a closet or a killer suddenly appears at a window. As a result, some horror films tend to overuse their filmmaking tools to create LEAN FORWARD MOMENTS that are obvious and telegraphed to the audience. But, even though these moments can be overused, it is important to know what can be done with them.

As with action films, a scene analysis for a horror film is usually action/plot based, though it is almost always told through the point of view of a character. The famous final scene of Carrie, in which the hand of the angry lead character suddenly pops up from inside a grave to grab another character’s arm, had started by building a sense of serenity and sadness to lull the audience into a false sense of security before the hand popped up. It was that sudden change that made the moment so effective.