Deconstruction of Titles of Horror Films

A common theme within the titles of horror films is they are usually relatively simple. For example, they are often only one single word, such as in the examples of Saw, Scream and Sinister. These titles have a strong impact on the audience and immediately hint at a slasher horror genre, as the words chosen for the titles are related to horrific images. This can be seen in Saw through the use of a dangerous weapon as a title, in Scream as screaming often indicates terror or fear and Sinister depicts horror through the definition of the word being a adjective of something scary or creepy.

Another theme within the titles of horror films is the use of a major plot device within the film, such as in Cabin In The Woods, Orphan and The Blair Witch Project. The two latter examples also conform to the first common theme of horror titles. The titles that have strong direct links can be seen in Cabin In The Woods as the cabin the characters stay in is the main location of the film, in Orphan as the antagonist is an orphan and in The Blair Witch Project as the Blair Witch is what the students are investigating. These titles work well with the horror genre as they are straight-forward and to the point. This works well for the target audience, as often horror film fans know what type of horror they like, and having the plot in the title helps appeal to the audience.