Supernatural Horror Films- Settings/Location (Individual)

Supernatural horror films have many classic locations which people traditionally associate with a horror film. As soon as the film opens people can usually tell which type of film they are watching because of where it is set. Horror films usually have an old or abandoned looking building however it can begin with just a normal setting. The setting always plays a key part to construct and develop a horror movie creating a certain type of atmosphere.

Hotels/Motels
Hotels have been apart of horror movies since they began. With films such as The Shinning, people have since been associating hotels with supernatural horror movies allowing the scare factor to follow them to every location. Hotels allow the writer to get creative with their setting and make the audience feel fear the next time they go to one.

The Shining (1980)

Abandoned Islands
These allow the protagonist to be cut off from the world around them and have to deal with the supernatural being alone which often ends up going badly. Because they are cut off from the rest of the world it makes the audience feel tense with every small movement with films such as Woman In Black making them feel tense at the slightest of movement in the background as no one else should be there.

The Woman In Black (2012)

House's and Cabins

The Woman In Black (2012)

One of the most traditional places to set a horror movie is in an abandoned house or cabin. This makes the audience associate it with other horror movies such as Woman in Black and Cabin in the Woods. Because they are such normal settings that people use in everyday lives it allows the audience to feel more fear as they see it as more realistic. This makes them think it is going to happen in real life despite them knowing it isn't real. With movies such as The Ring it also allows audiences to feel fear at being home alone as supernatural horror doesn't just happen in abandoned houses but also just regular homes of other people.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

Woods and The Outdoors
Woods have always been used in horror particularly during supernatural horror films as it allows the creatures used to have a natural place to have come from. It is usually at night when the creature comes out allowing the shadows of the woods to create an eerie atmosphere  which makes the audience check behind them once leaving the theater. Blair Witch is a classic example of a Supernatural Horror film set outdoors.

                              

                                          The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Schools
Classic films such as Carrie have been making audiences fear schools since the middle of the 20th century. This setting is often aimed to create fear out of teenagers as this is where they have spent most of their lives so far which means that anything could happen to them whilst in a place they are supposed to see as safe.

Carrie (1976)