1. FINAL GIRL
The final girl is often portrayed as the least glamorous in the group of friends. Her
character is dull, quiet and looks rather masculine. In most horror/slasher movies
she is the only female survivor. She survives until the end as she is able to
persevere through the chase scenes with the monster due to her athletic ability.
The final girl is always a virgin and survives at the end as a part of an underlying
message that having sexual intercourse can lead to bad consequences and
staying a virgin allows you to live and succeed in life.

2. MONSTER
The monster of the horror/slasher movie is conventionally seen concealed by a mask.
This is done to keep their identities unknown to the audience and adds tension and
mystery to the film. It not only scares the audience but makes them curious to wonder
who could be under the mask. It also makes them suspect other characters in the film.
The monsters are usually viewed as big, strong males. They often carry a weapon such
as an knife or axe in which they use to carry out their gruesome killings. The monster
tries the find the most creative ways in which he can kill his victims. He kills his victims
off one by one but is defeated by the final girl.

3. GROUP OF FRIENDS
Many horror/slasher films tend to contain a group of friends. The first and final girl
are also members of this group. The group usually end up splitting up when they
realise something isn’t right or if they are being chased by the monster. Todorov
would call this the recognition stage. The separation makes each individual
vulnerable and one by one they are killed by the monster, leaving only one survivor;
the archetypal protagonist.

4. FIRST GIRL
The ‘First Girl’ is usually represented as the sexually active, promiscuous female.
These females are generally seen wearing revealing clothes, the most attractive of the
group and blonde. She is the first person to be killed by the monster in the film as a
punishment for her sexual acts. The occurs commonly happens in the first half of the
movie and either during or right after performing a sexual act. A reason for why this
happens is could be through subliminal messages that those who have control try to
portray. These middle class, white men do not like the thought of their daughters
engaging in sexual activities and so the promiscuous female dies to imply
consequences if participating in sexual intercourse. This suggestion is reinforced by
Karl Marx statement; power resides with those who have ownership and control.

5. LOCATION
Typically, film directors will set the location of horror/slasher films in areas in which the
audience can relate to. This could be suburban areas, schools, houses or isolated areas.
Recognisable areas like these instantly brings fear to the audience. Not only will they feel
frightened inside the cinema, but they may also feel uneasy whenever they find themselves
in the same sort of surroundings. Filmmakers also choose these surroundings because they
are aware that the audience would usually consider these locations as a safe place to be,
especially the schools and houses. In most horror/slasher films, the same type of location is
found and so this makes it conventional.

6. FILM NOIR
Film Noir is also another style of filmmaking that was massively influenced by German
expressionism. It developed in the 1940’s stretching into the late 1950’s by French
critics Nino Frank and Jean-Pierre Chartier. At the heart of film noir is a dramatic story,
often filled with crime and sexual exploits. These were often referred to as
melodramas. Film noir's defining characteristics, though, are its storytelling style and
the cinematography used to capture it. ‘Noir’ translates into ‘black’ which explains why
the style of Film noir is captured in a low-key black and white visual. This again
reinforces the German expressionist movement.

7. GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM
German expressionism is a movement that originated in Germany before the First World War.
Due to the financial crisis that surrounded the World War, filmmakers had to finds ways in which
they could produce films that compare even slightly too big Hollywood movies. These filmmakers
came up with creative techniques such as the involvement of symbolism and Mise-en-scene
which developed a different style of movie making all together. Their low budgets meant that they
would often use black and grey paint on the walls and floors in order to represent lights, shadows
and objects. By doing this, filmmakers conveyed a sense of mood, emotion and atmosphere
within the film which ultimately created a deeper meaning.
Film makers who moved from Germany to Hollywood were influenced by the work of the German
expressionist movement. The horror genre especially uses some of the techniques to create a
sense of atmosphere. This is done with the help of low lighting to create shadows and create an
eerie ambience. These films were categorised as B movies which became increasingly popular.