Horror film

How it is used

Used in genre discussion, programming, and reviews. Horror films may rely on suspense, monsters, psychological threat, gore, or the supernatural.

Example sentences

1. Although it was marketed as a horror film, the director built most scenes around silence and family grief rather than jump scares.

   Here, the term names the genre category, while showing that fear can be created through mood and emotion, not only shocks.

2. The festival paired the horror film with a late-night Q&A on sound design because the audience noticed every off-screen noise.

   In this sentence, horror film refers to a movie whose effect depends strongly on suspenseful auditory cues.

Common collocations

• psychological horror film
• independent horror film
• classic horror film
• horror film festival

Related terms

• genreA category of films or TV shows that share a style, subject or set of conventions, such as comedy, horror, western or science fiction.
• feature filmA full-length film made for cinema or streaming release, usually between about 80 minutes and three hours long.

More terms: Genres and Storytelling

• documentary
• short film
• plot
• character arc
• flashback
• plot twist
• thriller
• animation
• genre film
• romantic comedy
• science fiction
• melodrama