2. A nightmare on elm street-Freddy Krueger
• Freddy Krueger is a killer from the A nightmare on elm street franchise. He is a burnt serial killer and a
dream demon who uses his gloved arm with razors to kill people in their dreams causing them to wake up
face their death in real life. In the dream world he is a powerful force and invulnerable however in real
life he has human vulnerabilities.
• Freddy Krueger is recognised by his burnt and disfigured face. He wears a red and green striped sweater,
a brown fedora and a metal clawed brown leather glove (with razors) that he wears on his right hand.
• Freddy Krueger follows the conventions of killer characteristics because what he wears is what allows the
audience to recognise his character and the way he looks makes his identity recognisable. Typically in
horror films the killer is always a serial killer who kills more than 1 character. It is also typical for a killer
in a horror film to carry a weapon, although not all killers carry knife the weapons they use is still sharp
like Freddy Krueger’s gloved arm razor. Some killers in horror films are not always human, like Freddy
Krueger they can also be a demon or a monster. In addition, killers usually have a troubled past or
childhood which leads them to grow up into a murderer, for example throughout his childhood Freddy
Krueger moved from one foster home to another but was surrounded by torment and hatred. After
suffering abuse from his stepfather he murders him with a razor. From then became the most notorious
child killer alive. Freddy Krueger also brings a supernatural mood to the story as he appears in people’s
dreams as well as the real world.
3. The Candyman
• Candyman is well known for being the killer in the film The Candyman. If you say his name 5 times while
facing the mirror he will appear and murder you. His weapon is a hook on his right hand. Candyman is a
man who is a serial killer and was tortured before he became a killer. Candyman is recognised for his
human features, his brown coat and his hand which is replace by a hook.
• Background: Candyman was born as Daniel Robitaille and is the son of a Slave from New Orleans. Before
becoming “Candyman” he was chased out of the town by an angry mob after they find out that he got a
wealthy land owner's daughter pregnant. When the angry mob catches him they torture him by having his
right hand sawed off with a rusty saw blade and being coated in fresh honey from a nearby beehive, a
small boy tastes the honey, and proclaims "Candyman!". Bees then swarm over Daniel's body, mortally
wounding him.
• Candyman follows the conventions of a killer in a horror film because he carries a unique sharp weapon
which is a replacement for his right hand. This shows that not all killers carry knife but carry weapons that
are more dangerous than a knife. Another convention that Candyman follows is by his supernatural ways for
example if a character says his name 5 times in front of the mirror then he would appear. Additionally,
Candyman also has a troubled past like Freddy Krueger before he became a killer. Typically, in horror films
the killer has a disturbing past.
4. Orphan-Esther
• Esther is a mysterious killer from the film Orphan. In the film Orphan she is portrayed as a innocent 9
year old orphan from Russia. As the audience watch the film they get to know that she has knowledge
of an adult and is a serial killer. Although the film presents her as a 9 year old girl, later on the
audience find out the truth about Esther. Esther was born as Leena Klammer in Estonia and is a 33 year
old woman. She has suffered hypopituitarism which causes proportional dwarfism so all her life she
used that to pretend to be a child. She is described as a violent psychopath with high intelligence and
charm but also manipulative and has no remorse.
• There are some conventions that Esther follows such as being a serial killer, in the film she kills a lot of
characters and some are her family members. The description of Esther addresses her as psychotic
which is another convention that she follows.
• However Esther also challenges the conventions of a killer in a horror film because usually the killer is
a middle aged man whereas Esther is a “little girl.” Typically, killers are known for carrying weapons
however Esther lives a normal life like everyone else but has different ways of killing people and she
doesn’t always use a weapon. At a point in the film she burns her brother who she locked in a
treehouse. Additionally, killers are recognised for their costume but Esther wears “little girl” clothes
which hides the fact that she is a psychotic serial killer.
