The characters in horror films, across all sub-genres, that are male tend to have similar characteristics.
For example, the villain or killer in horror is more often than not a man. This conforms to the common representation of men as being strong, violent and dominant. This can be seen in the slasher horror 'Scream' where the killer turns out to be not one, but two teenage boys.
The same can also be said for psychological horrors, where the antagonist can often be seen to be a man with a dark psychological trauma. This can be seen in 'Se7en', where the antagonist is a middle aged man with an obsession with the seven deadly sins. In this way, the killer conforms to the common representation of men as being a killer, however there is more to him than just mindless violence.
Men are commonly represented within horror films as being the strong character that protect others in the group, primarily women.
This can be seen in the slasher horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods'. The character in the varsity jacket, Curt, is one of the films protagonists and he is responsible for the trip to the cabin. Whilst there he is also dominant and makes choices, such as suggesting the group split up. Having a man take the leadership role of the group conforms to the common representation of men within horror films.
This view is subverted, however, in the comedy horror Zombieland, where the male protagonist is weak and is outwitted and protected by a woman. There is a male character in the film who conforms to the common representation of men as being violent and aggressive, however this is more of a caricature for comedic purposes rather than a realistic representation.
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