Rachel Williams

The Sub Genres of Horror

Action HorrorIt combines the intrusion of an evil force, event, or supernatural personage of horror movies with gunfights and frenetic chases. Prevalent themes include; gore, demons, vicious animals, vampires, and most commonly, zombies. This category also fuses the fantasy genre.

Body HorrorThe horror is principally derived from the graphic destruction or degeneration of the body. Other types include; unnatural movements, and the anatomically incorrect placement of limbs to create 'monsters' out of human body parts.

Comedy HorrorCombines comedy and horror fiction. This genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre.

Gothic HorrorA type of story that contains elements of Goth and horror. At times it may have romance that unfolds in the setting of a horror tale, usually suspenseful.Traditional:

Modern:

Natural HorrorFeatures nature running amok in the form of mutated beasts, carnivorous insects, and normally harmless animals or plants turned into cold-blooded killers. It sometimes overlaps with science fiction and action/adventure.

Psychological HorrorRelies on characters' fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music, emotional instability and at times, the supernatural and ghosts, to build tension and further the plot.

Science Fiction HorrorOften revolves around subjects that include but are not limited to killer aliens, mad scientists, and/or experiments gone wrong.

Slasher FilmOften revolves around a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, mainly with a knife or axe. Sometimes overlap with crime, mystery and thriller genres, and not always horror.

Splatter FilmThey focus on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. Through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts, they tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and its mutilation. Not all splatter films are slashers or horrors.

Zombie FilmZombie films feature creatures who are usually portrayed as either reanimated corpses or mindless human beings. Further sub-genres have evolved, such as "zombie comedy” or “zombie apocalypse”.