How the horror genera effects the audience

The main purpose of horror films is to frighten and terrify the audiences; this can be through the use of the soundtrack playing along with the film or the violent scenes on the screen. A number of films like to twist with people’s minds whilst other films repulse the viewers.
A thing most films have in common is the use of dim-lighting instead of fully lit settings. The lack of lighting plays on the fact that a fear of the dark and what may hide in it is common amongst the population. People may be weary of the dark from a young age as children associate the dark with monsters and ghouls and the use of the dark in horror films causes people to relive the frightened feelings they link to the darkness.
Many films use gore to make the audiences squirm, for example, the ‘saw’ films show numerous devices and horror contraptions brutally murdering the innocent. Another example is the ‘wrong turn’ films as the blood and mutilated body parts cause the audiences to cringe and look away in disgust. The scenes that are shown in both of these films repulse the audience but the methods used to kill the characters and the sick/weird nature of it all is intriguing and sometimes entertaining as the audiences may realise how unrealistic it all is.
The ‘paranormal activity’ series likes to make the audiences feel uneasy in surroundings where they should feel comfortable. The fact the films are set in places like family homes causes the audiences to think irrationally. People become paranoid when their houses (places where they should be familiar with and feel safe) make creaking noises or when they are home alone. Their minds always flick back to the time they watched the film and link the situation they are in, whether it’s a creaky floor board or a door opening on its own, to the film and play through possible horrifying scenes in their head which they believe might come true.
Common fears are also used throughout films to cause more horror and panic within the audience. The main characters have to battle against the evil axe murderers or the sick and twisted doll like in ‘Chucky’. To scare people, films often use people’s fears and phobias to their advantage. Clowns are a popular fear to many people and when shown in films like ‘it’ where the clown murders people, those with the phobia become more nervous and unsettled.
Finally, the soundtrack to a film can play an important part when it comes to scaring the audience. The soundtrack to ‘jaws’ is extremely popular due to the suspense it creates as the shark is just about to attack. The build-up leads the audience wondering when the shark is about to attack and when the time finally comes, the soundtrack accompanying the scene plays dramatically with an increased tempo and dynamics.
Personally, there are many key things in horror films which scare and frighten me, most of them listed above, yet, something I didn't mention before was jump scares within films. There is nothing more unsettling and nerve-wracking than watching a horror film where all seems perfectly fine one second and then the next second, the killer or other evil being is popping out into the shot wielding an offensive weapon. The jump scares can be so sudden and unpredictable that you are left with sweaty palms and a fast beating heart and so to compensate, you have to repeat to yourself how the films are all make believe and is the product of someone else’s imagination.