Clover
The Final Girl Theory
The final girl is a trope in thriller and horror films (particularly slasher films) that specifically refers to the last woman or girl alive to confront the killer and the one left to tell the story. There are also examples of final girls in other genres as well. The term was created by Carol Clover in her 1992 book Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Clover suggests that in these films, the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film.
The final girl usually has a unisex name, is a virgin or sexually unavailable and has typically masculine skills such as being able to fix a car or woodwork.
The final girl usually has a unisex name, is a virgin or sexually unavailable and has typically masculine skills such as being able to fix a car or woodwork.
Lila was a female investigator and although she is the "final girl," she is killed in the sequel. She is often acknowledged as the first "final girl" of horror, however she doesn't quite fit the modern persona.
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Chris has a female, gender ambiguous name. She defeats the killer and survives. She doesn't just murder him, she stabs him, hangs him, and ultimately hits him with an axe.
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Samantha was a female investigator who defeated the killer and survived. She uncovers the Satanic cult, kills most of its members and ends up shooting herself in the head.
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Dana is a very self-conscious Final Girl. She is portrayed as "the virgin" and she doesn't actually survive, however in dying, she does defeat the enemy.
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Weapons
There are no guns in slasher movies, as this is too quick and clean. Sometimes victims get firearms, but just like telephones and other modern commodities, they never work. Weapons can be held by both the antagonist and the protagonist as a method of attack or defence. These weapons demonstrate how vulnerable the human body is to the audience and how many ways someone can die..
The Lawnmower - BRAIN DEAD - 2007The end scene in the film might just be the goriest of all time. There aren’t many classic horror movies that feature this tool taking victims down, but what makes it so iconic is that it is a suburban tool used by many people.
Freddy’s Glove - A Nightmare on elm street - 2010Freddy’s glove is easily the most iconic and recognisable piece of killing equipment. It’s also one of the most unique. The creepy details to his psychopathic alter ego and his glove armed with razors enabled Freddy Krueger to make a huge impact.
The Pogo Stick - Leprechaun - 1993What makes this weapon particularly terrifying is the fact that a child's toy is being used to kill people. The use of it in Leprechaun - 2003 is particularly horrifying as it involves scenes of suffocating the victims through crushing their lungs.
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The Machete - Friday the 13th - 2009The machete has popped up in many horror features over the years, but was made epochal by Friday the 13th - 2009. There's something very barbaric about using a sword to kill people as it is a weapon typically used in medieval times.
The Chainsaw - The texas chainsaw massacre - 2003The chainsaw is one of the most iconic weapons ever to hit horror screens. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 2003 single-handedly made anyone instantly terrified the minute they heard this portable mechanical cutting device firing up.
The MicrowavE - The Last House on the left - 2009Despite its rampant tastelessness (and, in the case of the remake, pointlessness), “The Last House on the Left” makes for a rousing “Mom and Dad get revenge” thriller, even though you’ll probably hate yourself in the morning. There’s something immensely satisfying about the furious retribution that the parents of a terrorized teenager inflict upon the white trash wrong-doers, as each act of “punishment” gets more and more… unique. The final kill is the best, though it may swear you off microwaved popcorn (or microwaved anything, really) for a while.
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Terrible Places
Places such as decaying and haunted mansions are not terrible just because of their appearance, but also because of the terrible families and histories inside them.
Walls in a house which at first seem safe, end up trapping the victim inside with the killer.
This theory is shown in "Ils" where the victim locks herself in the car to try and keep the killer away from herself, but she does in fact end up locking herself inside the care with the killer.
Walls in a house which at first seem safe, end up trapping the victim inside with the killer.
This theory is shown in "Ils" where the victim locks herself in the car to try and keep the killer away from herself, but she does in fact end up locking herself inside the care with the killer.
The Amityville Horror - 2005 |
Cabin in the woods - 2012 |
This iconic building was the setting for The Amityville Horror - 2005, an effective choice as it is thought that terrible things happening to people of the middle class is considered more tragic than it happening to members of the working class. Big, old houses are generally scary enough due to their echoing corridors, creaky stairs and floorboards.
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An isolated cabin in the middle of a vast woodland would be scary enough on its own. The addition of spooky portraits and hidden basements makes for an awesome setting for a horror film. You'd expect a cabin to be a place ideal for making happy summer camping trips making it even more shocking that various horrifying things take place here.
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a nightmare on elm street - 2010 |
the woman in black - 2012 |
A Nightmare on Elm Street - 2010 was filmed in a middle class, surburban area, a typically normal looking town to live in. Their normal exterior makes it all the more terrifying as it relates to every day life. Featuring a seemingly nice house in a horror film can cause the watcher to find fear in everyday things, leaving the story on their mind long after they've seen the film.
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An abandoned house falling to pieces and slowly moulding away seems a great place to film a horror movie. Pair it with a story featuring possessed children and crazy ghost lady, this setting is iconic. It also looks similar to a child's dollhouse, making it all the more creepy as the girls inside are treated almost exactly the same as a doll would be.
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