Horror Target Audience

Horror films tend to be targeted at around 15-25 year old people. Anyone younger than 15 could only see a horror film that had a certificate of 12, which would be hard to make scary without the blood and gore that 15 and 18 rated films are allowed. Anyone over the age of 25 is generally too mature to be scared by horror films and tend to dislike them. This could also be because the majority of horror films reuse the same old cliches and stereotypes over and over again and most lack originality, meaning by a certain age you're likely to get bored of them as you know exactly what to expect. The way this age group is targeted is by making it as easy as possible for them to relate to the characters onscreen. Almost every horror film ever made features teenagers as the main characters (or victims) so teenagers and young adults will be the age group that can best imagine and put themselves in the situation the film presents. This makes the film more enjoyable to the viewer if they can put themselves in the action as everything that happens in the film feels more real and evokes more genuine emotion out of the audience.

Within this age group, horror films are usually more male-focused. The violence and terror that comes with a horror film is meant to appeal to men, who enjoy proving their masculinity by refusing to be scared by it all. Women are stereo typically more frightened by horror films but still enjoy them and the rush that comes with them. Horror films also target the date scene, with couples often persuaded to see a horror film. This is because the man enjoys "protecting" the women during the films more frightening moments.

Horror films work to play on the audiences interests in order to scare them. For example, a reoccurring theme in the genre is to have lengthy scenes in almost total darkness, or having the villain always in shadow rather than being fully shown (Halloween being a good example). This plays on the audiences fear of the unknown, and interest in what lays in the darkness. If a dark room is being navigated by one of the main characters, the audience is immediately more frightened by this than if they were exploring a room in full light. This is due to the mixture of confusion at the surroundings they have been presented and the knowing that the threat could be as little as a second away, just not in view. Another theme that comes up in most horror films is sex. This again plays with the audiences interests (particular with the age group being targeted) and is almost always interrupted or immediately followed by the arrival of the serial killer/lunatic/ghost. Instead of using the audiences interests to discomfort them like the darkness example, this time the audiences interests are used to make them more comfortable as the situation is familiar and less threatening. This makes the sudden shift in tone more shocking to the audience when the antagonist shows up, and therefore more frightening.