HORROR 101 · PART 1
Splatter, slashers, psychological thrillers, body horror, folk horror – horror is far from being just one thing. Some genres drown you in blood and shock effects. Others barely show any violence at all and still stay in your head long after the credits.
So what is the difference between splatter and gore? Is a psychological thriller automatically horror? And where do zombies, demons or found-footage films belong?
Here is the quick BESO guide – with well-known film examples and short iconic quotes that capture the feel of each genre.
Jump to a genre
Splatter & Gore · Slasher · Psychological Horror · Psychological Thriller · Supernatural · Body Horror · Creature Horror · Zombies · Found Footage · Folk Horror · Cosmic Horror · Home Invasion · Survival Horror · Horror-Comedy · Torture Horror · FAQ
What is splatter?
Also: splatter film · closely related: gore / gore film
Splatter horror shows physical violence in an especially explicit and exaggerated way. Blood flies, bodies are damaged and effects are allowed to look deliberately excessive. Practical make-up and special effects often play a major role.
Typical: visible violence · blood and injuries · practical effects · deliberately over-the-top scenes
Typical films: Braindead (1992), Evil Dead II (1987)
“I kick arse for the Lord!”
Braindead (1992)
Splatter does not have to be deadly serious. Some films push the violence so far that it becomes almost absurdly funny.
Splatter or gore – what is the difference?
Not quite the same: Splatter focuses more on the moment and spectacle of violence. Gore puts more emphasis on the visible physical aftermath. In everyday use, the two terms are still often mixed.
Typical films: Hellraiser (1987), Terrifier (2016)
“No tears, please. It’s a waste of good suffering.”
Hellraiser (1987)
What is a slasher?
Also: stalk-and-slash
In a slasher, a killer or stalker usually hunts a group of people. A group of teenagers is isolated somewhere – and one by one they disappear.
Typical: killer or stalker · several potential victims · chase scenes · a clear setting · often a “final girl” or last survivor
Typical films: Halloween (1978), Scream (1996), Friday the 13th (1980)
“What’s your favorite scary movie?”
Scream (1996)
Slashers can also be splatter films – but they do not have to be. John Carpenter’s Halloween shows how effective the genre can be with relatively little visible blood. Horror 101 Part 2 looks at why Halloween became so influential for the modern slasher.
🎬 See the genre in action
What is psychological horror?
Psychological horror attacks the mind more than the body. Fear grows from paranoia, isolation, loss of control, guilt, unreliable perception and the feeling that you can no longer tell what is real.
Typical films: The Shining (1980), Black Swan (2010), Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
“Here’s Johnny!”
The Shining (1980)
This genre does not need monsters or huge amounts of blood. Sometimes what you do not see – or cannot clearly explain – is the most unsettling part.
Is a psychological thriller horror?
Not automatically. A psychological thriller usually focuses on tension, manipulation, psychological conflict and threat.
Typical films: Psycho (1960), Se7en (1995), The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
“We all go a little mad sometimes.”
Psycho (1960)
Not the same: A psychological thriller primarily aims to create tension. Psychological horror leans more strongly into fear and unease. A film can absolutely be both.
What is supernatural horror?
Also: paranormal horror · related: occult horror, ghost stories, haunted-house horror
Here the threat does not come from our normal world: ghosts, demons, curses, possession, haunted houses and other unexplained phenomena.
Typical films: The Exorcist (1973), The Conjuring (2013), Poltergeist (1982)
“The power of Christ compels you!”
The Exorcist (1973)
🎬 See the genre in action
The classic haunted-house setup is especially popular: someone moves into a new place, and it quickly becomes clear that they are not alone.
What is body horror?
Also: biological horror
In body horror, the human body itself becomes the source of horror. It changes, decays or develops features that definitely should not be there.
Typical: mutations · parasites and disease · physical transformation · human-machine fusion · loss of control over your own body
Typical films: The Fly (1986), The Thing (1982), Videodrome (1983)
“You gotta be fuckin’ kidding.”
The Thing (1982)
🎬 See the genre in action
Body horror can be extremely bloody – but it does not have to be. The discomfort often comes from one simple thought: What if my own body suddenly stopped obeying me?
What is creature horror?
Also: creature feature, monster movie
Here, the monster really is a monster: werewolves, vampires, aliens, giant creatures, mutated animals or things that do not even have a name yet.
Typical films: Jaws (1975), Alien (1979), The Descent (2005)
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Jaws (1975)
🎬 See the genre in action
Depending on the story, creature features can also be science fiction, action, survival horror or body horror.
Are zombies their own horror genre?
Also: zombie horror, zombie film · related: infection horror
Basically, yes. Zombie horror is big enough to be treated as its own subgenre – from slow undead to total apocalypse. Stories about fast infected are often grouped in with zombies, but they are not automatically the same thing.
Typical films: Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978), 28 Days Later (2002) – where the threat is infected humans rather than classic undead.
“They’re coming to get you, Barbra!”
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The interesting question is often not only how dangerous the zombies are. It is also: What do people do to each other once normal order collapses? Part 2 looks at how Night of the Living Dead shaped the modern zombie.
What is found footage?
Related: screenlife – but not a synonym
Found footage pretends that we are watching real recovered recordings. The story is told through handheld cameras, smartphones, CCTV, bodycams, video diaries or livestreams.
Typical films: The Blair Witch Project (1999), REC (2007), Paranormal Activity (2007)
“I’m afraid to close my eyes, I’m afraid to open them.”
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Shaky cameras, poor visibility and chaotic footage are often deliberate. The style is supposed to create one feeling: This could have really happened. Part 2 explains why The Blair Witch Project turned the approach into a mass phenomenon.
What is folk horror?
Related: rural horror – a broader category
Folk horror connects horror with old traditions, isolated communities, nature, religion and customs. Rituals, cults, village communities, legends and sacrificial ceremonies are common ingredients.
Typical films: The Wicker Man (1973), Midsommar (2019), The Witch (2015)
“It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man.”
The Wicker Man (1973)
🎬 See the genre in action
Often an outsider arrives in a seemingly peaceful place and eventually discovers that very different rules apply there.
What is cosmic horror?
Also: Lovecraftian horror · related: weird fiction
In cosmic horror, the monster is not necessarily the real problem. The more disturbing realization is: Humanity is completely insignificant in the universe.
Typical elements include unknown beings, alien dimensions, forbidden knowledge, madness and things the human mind cannot properly understand. The genre is strongly associated with the stories of H. P. Lovecraft.
Typical films: Event Horizon (1997), Color Out of Space (2019), In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
“Where we’re going, we won’t need eyes to see.”
Event Horizon (1997)
What is home-invasion horror?
Depending on the emphasis: home-invasion thriller
In home-invasion horror, a place that should be safe becomes a prison. Strangers enter a house, apartment or holiday home and threaten the people inside.
Typical films: The Strangers (2008), You’re Next (2011), Funny Games (1997)
“Because you were home.”
The Strangers (2008)
It works because it taps into a very ordinary fear: What happens when even your own home no longer feels safe?
What is survival horror?
Survival horror is about staying alive. Characters have limited resources and must escape from or defend themselves against a threat. As a genre label, survival horror is especially strongly associated with games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
Typical films: Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), The Descent (2005), A Quiet Place (2018)
“Game over, man! Game over!”
Aliens (1986)
Zombies, monsters or other humans can all become the threat.
What is horror-comedy?
Also: comedy horror · splatter + slapstick is sometimes called splatstick
Horror and comedy work surprisingly well together. Horror-comedy can parody genre clichés, exaggerate violence to absurd levels, make monsters funny or comment on familiar horror rules – while still delivering real horror.
Typical films: Shaun of the Dead (2004), Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010), Evil Dead II (1987)
“You’ve got red on you.”
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
🎬 See the genre in action
What is torture horror?
Related: extreme horror · “torture porn” is a controversial, judgmental label
These films focus strongly on captivity, physical violence and situations in which characters are subjected to extreme tests. The phrase “torture porn” is sometimes used for this style, but it is more of a loaded label than a clean genre definition.
Typical films: Saw (2004), Hostel (2005)
“I want to play a game.”
Saw (2004)
Horror 101 Part 2 looks at why Saw made this style so visible in mainstream horror.
FAQ: horror genres in short
Which horror genre is the most brutal?
Splatter, gore and extreme horror usually show the most explicit violence. How intense a film actually feels still depends heavily on direction, atmosphere and effects.
Which horror genres work with little or no blood?
Psychological horror, supernatural horror and many folk-horror stories can work almost entirely without visible violence.
Does every horror film belong to only one genre?
No. Many horror films combine several genres. The Thing, for example, is creature horror, body horror, science fiction and survival horror at the same time. Shaun of the Dead combines zombie horror and horror-comedy.
Are thrillers and horror the same thing?
No. Thrillers primarily aim to create tension. Horror leans more strongly into fear, dread and unease. The boundaries can overlap.
Are the alternative terms true synonyms?
Not always. Some are simply language variants or near-equivalents. Others only overlap: gore is not exactly splatter, screenlife is not the same as found footage, and rural horror is not automatically folk horror.
What genre are haunted houses?
In films, haunted houses usually belong to supernatural horror. Real haunted attractions are different: one attraction can combine slashers, zombies, demons, body horror, splatter and many other styles.
Horror does not fit neatly into boxes
Genre labels help us describe films, games and horror experiences. They are not fixed rules.
Some of the most interesting horror ideas appear where several styles collide. A zombie experience can be survival horror and splatter at the same time. A haunted attraction can begin as classic supernatural horror and suddenly turn into body horror.
And sometimes all you need is a dark room, a sound behind you and the feeling that something is standing there.
Welcome to horror.
HORROR 101 · CONTINUE WITH PART 2
15 Horror Films That Changed the Genre Forever →
Now you know the essential genres. Part 2 looks at the films that shaped, broke and rewrote their rules.
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