Trailer Analysis 2 - The Strangers

The second trailer I’ve decided to analyse is the 2008 psychological horror film ‘The Strangers’. The trailer begins by lulling the audience into a false sense of security by showing a young couple in a suburban home being affectionate with one another, which is able to bring the audience at ease. However there is a sudden change through a non diegetic sound of something being dropped which disturbs the previous content and harmonious mood, and suddenly changes to a tense, scary atmosphere. This sudden alternation between calm and tense is used effectively by the director, as it somewhat deceives the audience and creates a sense of shock and surprise amongst the viewers, which in turn increases the tension making them want to see more.

The music used is also able to create a scary atmosphere, as it first starts with a content soft music, with a piano playing the background as we see the young couple being affectionate with one another. However, when the audience hears something being dropped, it changes the mood completely, and the music plays a major part in this, as the previous content music played by the piano suddenly stops, and changes to eerie music which represents the change from a content mood to a scary atmosphere. The diegetic sound of a swing slowly moving is also able to create a tense and scary atmosphere, as the audience is shown the shot of the swing moving which adds to the enigma, and raises the question of what caused it to move, resulting in an increase of suspense.

Camera shots are used effectively in this trailer to add to the horror element of the trailer. In frequent shots throughout, we almost see the camera somewhat shaking as if it were being held by somebody, which in turn creates a first person perspective. This is done effectively by the director, as shots such as these are predominately shown when showing a clip of the outside of the house, which gives the audience the impression that someone is stalking the couple and that they are in danger.

When considering factors which contribute to creating a tense, horror feeling in a film, lighting is always key in achieving this. Throughout this trailer, the director has considered the use of lighting in relation to the horror genre, and how it can be used to make a more tense and scary atmosphere for the audience. Throughout the trailer there is a sense of darkness, as the film is set at night time, and the house lighted with dim lights. Darkness denotes a feeling of insecurity and mystery, which are all key themes of the horror genre and therefore darkness is almost certainly a key feature of horror, which of course is incorporated in this film to add to the enigma, making the audience want to see more.

Editing is used well to create more of a scary atmosphere. The director incorporates text between shots, such as ‘Inspired by True Events’. By telling the audience that the film is based on a true story, this adds to the realism of the film and as a result makes the film more of a scary experience for the audience, as it would make them think that the events which occur in the film could happen to anyone. Towards the end of the trailer, there are quick transitions between the shots to increase the pace of the trailer, which is also in sync with the music which is also increasing its pace. This is very effective, as the increase of pace in both the shots and music can represent the audience’s heartbeat, as the horror elements incorporated in the film can be a scary experience for the viewer, causing the pace of their heartbeat to increase, as they are going through a rollercoaster of emotions whilst watching the film.