IT - Horror Movie Review Essay Example

Fear is one of the most obvious and critical human emotions. Everybody responds to scary and threatening stimuli with a certain amount of fear. Among the extensive categories of film genres, horror movies are the most fear instilling. Horror movies are aimed at eliciting the psychological and physiological responses of fear among the audience (Carroll &Noel,26). Horror filmmakers manage to terrify and horrify the audience by using various tactics. Apart from plot and dialogue, the creators of horror films use a combination of sound, lighting, timing, music, camera angles and motion to intensify the terrifying feelings on the audience. The horror film IT(2017) has carefully used a mixture of these effects to trigger and propagate terror on the audience mood.The scene chosen for analysis in this movie is the opening scene of the horror movie IT(2017). This scene is extremely captivating and scary. Various effects have been employed to trigger fear from the audience in this scene.

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Music is one of the most prominent effects manipulated to elicit fear throughout the scene.Several musical features and manipulations have been used to shape a fearful mood in the scene.The first way is the use of isolated musical instrument before key events in the scene.For example, just as Georgie is about to be bitten by Pennywise,queer musical sounds are used to heighten anxiety among the audience.The use of isolated musical instruments is emotionally appealing to the audience in that it elicits a sense of dread especially when something precarious is about to happen to an unsuspecting victim.For this case, Georgie does not suspect that Pennywise is a heartless monster but the audience already knows the intention of Pennywise on young Georgie. The isolated music played just before Georgie's hand is bitten off is what makes the audience expect something bad to happen just as Georgie extend his hand to take the boat from Pennywise. The music made by the bells just after Georgie I dragged by Pennywise is also isolated. The tactic of using isolated musical instruments elevates anxiety and nervousness among the audience. Another way in which music has been used in the use of long spleenful notes that have been contrasted with short, sharp notes.The effect of using the notes in this way to impart a feeling of shock on the audience. Long, suspenseful notes have been used in the scene right from the time Georgie starts running after his boat. The use of these notes helps to create a feeling of anxiety and expectation among the audience. In the opening scene of the horror movies IT, another technique through which music has been manipulated to cause fear is through the use of an extreme but intentional variation of pitches. Pitches that change very fast from one extreme to another brings out a sudden feeling of being tense on the audience. For example, as Georgie is running after the boat and hits the Derry Public Works obstacle, music suddenly changes in pitch from the high to an extreme low.

Sound effects have also been used in a subtle way in the scene's soundtrack. Sound effects are used to build up anxiety in an audience. The scene most prominent use of sound effects is when Georgie extends his hand to take the boat form Pennywise. The sound effect used at this juncture rises very rapidly in intonation. The use of this sound effects has been carefully calculated to resonate with the motion of Georgie's hand. As Georgie stretches his hand towards the cunning heartless monster, the sound effects become louder. For this case, the rising sound effect creates a sense of dreadful expectation among the audience. The audience mood I am immediately tense with fear. At this point, the audience is aware that something sinister is about to happen to Georgie and this instills nervousness. Classic sound effects that bear a horror type connotation have also been used. These sound effects are always synonymous with horrible and fearful settings and make the audience scared. Example of these sounds includes the sound of bats, crying owls, church bells, crows and also witches laughing. For this scene, the most prominent fear instilling sounds are those of the Pennywise laughing very strangely and dreadfully, a cat meowing and the sound of church bells. These are all found just as Georgie is about to be killed by the monster and immediately after he has been bitten and dragged to death. These sounds help to build fear among the audience.

The use of voice is one of the core effects used in horror films. Various voices are carefully chosen in horror films to reflect fear, tension, anxiety, and panic among the audience (Tompkins & Joseph,68). Pennywise's voice has been used to create a sense of dread among the audience. Pennywise speaks in a convincing and very cunning voice. On the other hand, Georgie's voice is that of a naive and unsuspecting innocent young child. The contrast in these voices, especially just as Pennywise is beginning to convince Georgie instills a sympathetic and fearful mood among the audience. The fact that Pennywise is too convincing is dreadful. The audience gets a sense of dread and sympathy for the young boy. Pennywise's voice is also very distinctive, and this creates fear and tension. Pennywise's voice is very intimidating. As he laughs, it is obvious that he is a monster who is up to no good. It carries a tinge of devilish and malicious sound which makes the audience nervous. Echoed voices are also among the features used to elicit fear in the scene. Just as Georgie screams and I dragged away by the monster, the slight echoes made by his screams are what help to elicit fear among the audience.

Camera angles have also been used very creatively in the movie scene to elicit fear among the audience. There are various camera angles that have been used in this scene. One of the main camera angles employed is the close-up camera perspective. Close-ups are used to highlight the reactions in the face of the actor (Maxford, Howard,7). For example, the close-up camera angle is used to portray the fear written on Georgie's face when Pennywise beginning staring at him in a scary way. This shows that Georgie is almost uncovering the motives of Pennywise in seducing him to take his boat. The audience somehow is relieved when Georgie begins to fear the monster since this could have given him a chance to run away. Another camera angle used is the medium closed up shot. Pennywise's eyes are first seen as two white and scary eyes in darkness as an eerie thunder like the sound is made in the background. This imparts fear on the audience.

Lighting is a basic recipe of fear in the movies scene. Lighting creates a fearful environment in horror films. Obscuring through selective lighting is a technique that has been used in the scene to build tension among the audience.The part where Pennywise appears from the unfathomable abby's of darkness in the drainage system is a scary one. Selective lighting on Pennywise's eyes wile no lighting his face elicits fear among the audience. Pennywise's body disappears in darkness. This evokes mystery, tension, and suspense. The audience can see what is being displayed on the screen but only partly. Pennywise is a monster hidden in the chambers of darkness. The technique of distortion through lighting is also used when Pennywise's face appears as that of a monster as he emerges from darkness in the underground drainage. The use of total darkness plays around with the human fear of the unknown. The lighting also used throughout the scene is dim. It is raining and somehow dark. This help to create a spooky feeling. Somehow, bad things happen when there is insufficient lighting.

Dramatization and careful timing are also good elements of the horror movie scene. The scene is dramatized. Pennywise dresses in special regalia to appear as a monster. The regalia bears the fearful and bloody face of a monster. The actors also create a scary environment perfect to instill fear on the audience. For example, Georgie walks alone and talks to a visible monster under the drainage. Timing has been used consistently to bring out fear instilling effects among the audience. For example, the scene I taking place on a rainy and seemingly dark spooky day.This is perfect for the movie.

Works Cited

Carroll, Noel. The philosophy of horror: Or, paradoxes of the heart. Routledge, 2003.

Tompkins, Joseph. "What's the deal with soundtrack albums? Metal music and the customized aesthetics of contemporary horror." Cinema Journal (2009): 65-81.

Maxford, Howard. The AZ of horror films. Indiana University Press, 1997.