What is a Slasher Movie?
Slasher movies are a subgenre of horror, typically depicting a masked individual going around slaughtering a group of people before ultimately being defeated or evaded by the 'final girl'. The genre boomed in the 80's, and to this day, they continue to be made, where every now and then a new element is added to spice things up. The killers in slasher movies might feature a seemingly unstoppable force, such as Jason Voorhees in Friday The 13th (1980), or it could be a whodunnit, where the killer is a surprising reveal, such as Billy Loomis in Scream (1996). The subgenre started to form in the 60's and 70's, but became huge in the 80's. See more here.
Elements of Slashers
Cinematography
Cinematography is the art of making motion pictures. It includes all the angles and beautiful scenes you see in movies. How do slasher movies utilize these camera angles? Since slasher movies are a subgenre of horror, you can probably guess that they frame their camerawork to build suspense and stress. A lot of memorable camera shots seem ominous in a way. They focus on danger. A very popular slasher angle that became a staple was the shot of Pam approaching the house in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). The camera was a low-angle shot, one that has not been used in such an iconic way before.
Sound
Sound is vital in any movie, but how is it best used for Slashers? Since Slashers are a subgenre of horror, you could probably guess that Slasher use the same elements of audio as any horror movie. They have a lot of suspenseful music, creepy noises that might frighten audiences, and loud jumoscares. However, slasher movies are unique in the fact that there are more action sequences, so there might be chase scenes with loud intense music. Some movies, such as Halloween (1978), have their own distinct scores or music that are recognizable to even non-horror fans. The Halloween theme is one of the most popular themes of the slasher genre. Below is an example of a creepy sound effect used in slasher or horror movies to spook viewers.
Characters
The slasher subgenre focuses a lot on the characters and their archetypes. The most iconic archetype is the "final girl". This is usually when all the other characters die, and one girl remains, who usually ends up escaping or defeating the killer. There are many iconic final girls in history, like Sidney Prescott from Scream (1996) or Sally Hardesty from Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Some other slasher tropes include the Jock, the flirty girl, the stoner, or the nerds. As for killers, they are usually portrayed as crazy or pure evil. Most of the iconic killers from the 80's became icons and are still relevant in modern times.
