Location in Existing Horrors

By Betsi Burch

The Creepy Hotel...

The Hotel is a common location for a horror movie, as it is an unfamiliar setting but the audience can relate to it (the likelihood is, they will have been to one at some point). Since many people have stayed in the room before you, there is always a sense of apprehensiveness, as it could have been anybody in the room before you, whereas in your house, you know exactly who has been there recently. In this particular film, The Shining, the hotel is also isolated, as they are snowed in for the winter close to the mountains, heightening the sense of anxiousness.

In horror films, the decor in the hotel featured usually tends to be the same; slightly dated/ornate. For example, the patterned carpet in this image is very 70’s even though this film was made in the 80’s. Similarly the elevator on the left hand side of the picture looks almost like a wood carving, adding to the ornate feel.

Hotels featured are often large in size. This is so it is much more difficult for the victim to escape as it is unlikely they will be able to find their way around as easily as they would so in a house. The hotels often have a ‘dark history’ (the last caretaker in The Shining killed his family and himself), furthering the anxiety for the audience.

The Isolated House...

The audience is again able to relate to this setting – they are probably in a house as they watch the film! However, houses in horrors tend to be isolated in country settings, demonstrated here in The Strangers. These settings are much more common in slasher and supernatural movies as both genres are more realistic/have a much deeper realism element than say, gothic horror, although, in slasher movies such as the Halloween franchise and the Scream franchise, the houses are less isolated, and are usually in a neighbourhood.

The isolated area around the house adds to the thrill of the kill; nobody can hear your screams heightening the scariness.

The house can also be haunted, or harbour a supernatural presence, as seen in The Amityville Horror and more recently, the Paranormal Activity franchise. This puts the audience on edge, as their home is meant to be a haven; somewhere they can feel safe and relax. It shows you can never truly escape the problem when it comes to supernatural and slasher films. It can also help leave room for a sequel, if the house is the problem.

Houses often tend to look old and almost wooden, however, this convention has been challenged by recent horrors such as Paranormal Activity where the house featured seems relatively modern.

The Woodland/Outdoor Setting...

This setting helps to create tension and fear, due to the ‘unknown’ that could lurk behind the trees in the setting. At any point, anything can happen and anyone or anything could potentially jump out and scare the audience, keeping them on the edge of their seat.

The fear of the unknown when it comes to setting is demonstrated effectively in The Blair Witch Project – nobody knows what even happens to the characters, or why the twigs are arranged in the particular format, therefore it is gripping to the audience; nobody knows what is within the forest.The fact that the setting is so

remote also heightens fear – like the isolated house (or hotel in The Shining), nobody can hear your screams and help you when the antagonist finds you, building the tension.

It could also be argued that since the forest consists of neutral colours and is leafy, as well as usually being a large area, it would be difficult for someone to find you, including the antagonist; it is almost a game of cat and mouse, again building fear and tension.

The Hospital/Mental Asylum...Fear is created in this setting due to it’s history; it has been full of ‘insane’ people before, who are likely to have committed horrendous crimes, and even possibly died within the setting – it could be haunted and horrific incidents could have taken place in the cell or hospital room.

Usually the room is of a dull colour with little light, and it could therefore be argued that it reflects the mood of the individual, foreshadowing that bad things are about to happen.

This setting is conventional within psychological horrors, as they usually feature a disturbed or insane individual/individuals who is/are a danger to society (The Silence of the Lambs, Gothika).

The fact that this setting often tends to be quite bare/empty (lacking in props) reminds the audience of the unpredictability of characters, heightening fear and giving them a sense that anything could happen – building tension.