Iconic Sounds in Horror

Just a few iconic sounds you would typically hear in a horror film...

 

 

"Scream":

A scream or a desperate cry for help is a typical sound in horror movies. This is usually from someone who is in danger or presented with an overwhelming fear. A massive convention within horror films is when someone screams but the audience are never shown what they are screaming at or that someone screams off camera and by the time the characters get to the source of the scream, there is no one there. The most famous scream within the world of horror would have to be the famous Psycho scene (above). Screams or cries tells us when a character is scared or shocked which makes it relatable to the audience to scream along with the film. We see it as okay to be scared when others are too.

 

"Heavy Breathing":

When a character is in panic and the scene is at the highest point of tension, the character usually is panting or heavily breathing. This is due to the heart rate going up because of panic and the body thinking it needs more oxygen and so breathing becomes quicker. When a character is looking for danger or when danger is nearby, heavy breathing usually more present.

 

"Footsteps":

Most of the time, tension is built through the oncoming sound of footsteps caused by the 'evil' of the horror film. The sound of footsteps getting closer implies evil approaching and this would make the audience feel as if whatever is in the film is coming for them in reality. This sound would tie in a lot with heavy breathing in its build-up of tension.

 

"Silence...":

Sometimes the worst sound of all is none at all. When we can't hear anything, it can be quite disturbing and through convention, audience members know that after silence something may jump out at them and scare them so we prepare ourselves to be scared in a way. The sound of silence is probably one of the worst things to hear in a horror film and is more frightening then any sound possible. Some films use silence in their titles and even then it sounds frightening: Dead Silence, Silence of the Lambs, The Silent.