Horror Film Theories

Final Girl Theory

The final girl theory is present in many horror films. This theory suggests that a female always survives. This theory came from Carol J.Clover. The final female surviver has ordinarially has got some sort of connection with the killer from the beginning of the film and the female usually has a unisex name. A unisex name for the female gives the impression that the female has a bit of a masculine side. Within horror films the 'final girl theory' explains that the final girl is a quick thinker, recourseful and become a person who is willing to kill to survive. With a horror film using the 'final girl theory', male viewers are much more likely to empathise with a female and want her to succeed. If a male was left last, then I beleive a male would be more competitive and would feel as if the male should be able to defeat villain or killer with ease. Feminists will argue that many horror films, if not all horror films have an element of sexism as a women is always being terrorised or brutally slaughtered in horror films. All horror films give off the impression that the women is initially being blamed for the villains rage, so therefore, I shall also be using an element of this in my horror film trailer. Although it will look like the female is being punished or blamed for the deaths of the other victims, she will not be the last girl 'standing' if you like so we as a group have tried to subvert from the typical final girl theory which is present in a lot of horror films. More frequently, the last person 'standing' in horror films are becoming to be male, which is occuring more in the 21st century. In my groups horror trailer, the last person standing is male and therefore doesnt follow the final girl theory.

Male Gaze Theory

It is said that horror films are made for male entertainment. There is evidence of this statement which is that in a horror film, there is always a terrorfied woman and it is thought that it is not what the woman represents but what the woman provokes in the villain. The theorist name for the male gaze theory is Laura Mulvey. She states that the audience view the horror film from a heterosexual point of view and that women are objectified in horror films for pleasure of the male viewer. This theory is less obvious in horror films now and an example of this the film Eden Lake. In Eden Lake it is true that the woman is very scared and frightened, but near the end of the film she is also very brave and couragous and attempts to tactfully get out of the situation she is in which presents her as a heroine.