Creating A Horror Film Antagonist
One of my favorite horror film elements is the design of
paranormal or supernatural characters (costumes and motives specifically).
Conversely, I get really frustrated when the storyline builds up backstory on a
villanous unseen force, and then reveals it as a goofy blob of bad CGI. There
are a lot of other important requirements for a good horror antagonist that
seem to go neglected in many modern horror films.
Though the Mudheads are the headliner of the film, but
there is another character who leads the protagonist to the point of no return,
opening up the door for our favorite slimy mud monsters.
This character is a reoccurring apparition, themed to represent
fear, weakness, and death in the protagonist's life. The spectral humanoid
entity is literally and metaphorically haunting Arlo - partially reflecting his
conscience, but also propelling the storyline. In act one and two, this type of
character's primary function is to build fear and tension for the audience. The
look of the character and questioning their motives are what we focus on before
we know the plot. By the end of act two, the story has divulged the motives of
the character, which then becomes the primary focus, causing aesthetic takes
somewhat of a backseat.
In the beginning, it's important to see the protagonist
unknowingly stalked by a sinister entity. Because the goal is to focus audience
attention on motives and appearance/costume, the filmmaker then becomes
obligated to create mystery with shots and sequences that hint to who or what
this entity is, shots that conceal the character either with light or depth of
field, and most frequently, jump scares.
That may seem like a long and in-depth route to this topic,
but it's a very significant element in all filmmaking. So let's talk about the
best images, sequences, and set-ups based on antagonistic characters in horror
(or any genre) film. Characters like Michael Myers (Halloween) and Jason Voorhees
(Friday The 13th) are perfect, polished and easy to digest examples, but what
are some others?