Analysing Horror Genre Opening Scenes - 'X'

The final opening scene from the horror genre I will be analysing is from 'X'.

              

               

The film starts with the titles that have the aesthetic of old, exploitation horror films. This film is produced by A24, a production company known for specialising in horror films. Ti West, the director, is also known for directing many other horror films such as 'Pearl' and 'Cabin Fever 2'. The accompanying non-diegetic music sounds like a sinister contrapuntal lullaby, a typical type of music found in horror genres

The scene begins with a static shot of  a house; the shot seems to be through a window, which gives the impression that someone or something is watching the house. The isolated nature of the setting is typical of the genre. A police car slowly pulls up to the house indicating to the audience that something bad has happened, and this information, alongside the fact that there is no music, adds to the tense, suspenseful feeling. The camera then slowly zooms in towards the house, through and past the framing of the window, so we get a wider view of the house and we can see more police cars already at the scene. We can instantly see how run down and abandoned the location seems. 

The enhanced sound effects of the cicadas and the sound of the cop shutting the car door act as jump scares for the audience. The shot cuts to a long shot and we see a dead man on the floor, the blood covered drape over him is a typical prop of the genre. The slow panning of the camera adds to the feeling of suspense and gives the impression of somebody watching or stalking the cop. The camera is also positioned low on the ground so the audience can see the shocking amounts of blood that is trailing out of the creepy house. The camera lingers on a blood-stained axe, a weapon that is typically found within the horror genre. 

Throughout the scene the characters and house are loosely framed, and this is common in horror films as it helps create a feeling of emptiness, danger and loneliness. As the policeman enters the house, he is shot from a high angle, making him look weak and vulnerable, as if he is possibly the next victim. The lighting is now low-key and gloomy and the viewer cannot see much of the interior of the house, helping it to feel mysterious. The enhanced sound of the TV playing a preacher's warning to his church is a typical theme in some horror films about cults or religion. 

The editing is slow and the long takes help reinforce the sense of anticipation and fear. The shot of the gloomy basement adds to the scary atmosphere, and this location is again a typical horror film setting. The contrapuntal lullaby music, heard over the titles, returns and builds once the cops are in the basement. The slow zoom into the sheriff's face is typical of the pace of camera movement in the genre, and reveals his horrified facial expression. What he sees is kept from the audience, creating enigma.