Psychological Horror

Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction,film, and video games (as a narrative) which relies on the characters’ fears and emotional instability to build tension.

Psychological horror aims to create discomfort by exposing common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities and fears, such as the shadowy parts of the human psyche that most people repress or deny referred to in Jungian psychology as the archetypal shadow characteristics: suspicion, distrust, self-doubt and paranoia of others, themselves and the world. Thus, elements of psychological horror focus on mental conflict. These become important as the characters face perverse situations, often involving the supernatural, immorality and conspiracies. While other horror media emphasize fantastical situations such as attacks by monsters, psychological horror tends to keep the monsters hidden and to involve situations more grounded in artistic realism.

Plot twists are an often used device. Characters commonly face internal battles with subconscious desires such as romantic lust and the desire for petty revenge. In contrast, splatter fiction focuses on bizarre, alien evil to which the average viewer cannot easily relate.

Psychological horror films differ from the traditional horror film, where the source of the fear is typically something material, such as creatures, monsters or aliens, as well as the splatter film, which derives its effects from gore and graphic violence, in that tension is built through atmosphere, eerie sounds and exploitation of the viewer’s and the character’s psychological fears.

The Black Cat (1934) and Cat People (1942) have been cited as early psychological horror films.

Roman Polanski directed two films which are considered quintessential psychological horror: Repulsion (1965) and Rosemary’s Baby. Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining is another particularly well-known example of the genre. The Changeling (1980) directed by Peter Medak is another good example of a psychological haunting story.

The subgenre is a staple in Asian countries. Japanese horror films, commonly

Psycho

referred to as “J-horror”, have been noted to be generally of a psychological horror nature. Notable examples are Ring (1998) and the Ju-on series. Another influential category is theKorean horror films, commonly referred to as “K-horror”. Notabl

e examples are A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), Hansel and Gretel (2007) and Whispering Corridors (1998). A landmark film from the Philippines, Kisapmata (1981), is an example of psychological horror.