Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional and psychological states used to frighten, disturb or unsettle its audience. The subgenre frequently overlaps with the psychological thriller and often uses mystery elements and characters with unstable, unreliable or disturbed psychological states to heighten suspense, drama, tension and paranoia, producing an overall unsettling or distressing atmosphere.
Facts
Notable Example Defining TraitCharacters experiencing psychological instability or extreme emotional distress 1 Connections
Features Author
Source The Silence of the Lambs (novel) (Wikipedia)
Form Of Genre
Sources
1. Psychological horror - Wikipedia
Films section
Historian David J. Skal described The Black Cat (1934) as 'being called the first psychological horror movie in America.'
Characteristics, traditional definition
Traditionally, psychological horror was defined by its portrayal of characters experiencing psychological instability or extreme emotional distress, where the eerie atmosphere was a direct reflection of the character's internal state.
View the SourceWikipedia: Macbeth
WikipediaFeatures Author: Macbeth, Infobox, genre fieldQuote, Features Author: Macbeth, Infobox, genre field
Genre: Shakespearean tragedy Psychological horror
The Silence of the Lambs (novel) (Wikipedia)
Features Author: The Silence of the Lambs, Infobox, genre fieldQuote, Features Author: The Silence of the Lambs, Infobox, genre field
Genre: Psychological horror, thriller, mystery
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