Analysing Horror Genre Opening Scenes - 'Doctor Sleep'

The third opening scene from the horror genre I will be analysing is from 'Doctor Sleep'.

The opening scene begins with an old production company ident for Warner Brothers Pictures (a company known for making iconic horror films such as 'The Shining'). The non-diegetic music that plays over the top of the ident is the chilling music from Kubrick's 'The Shining', the film 'Doctor Sleep' is the sequel to.

The scene starts with a birds-eye-view shot of a forest, which slowly zooms in to camper van. The extreme high angle is common in horror films, used to suggest that the characters are not in control of what is happening to them (referencing the powerful external force from 'The Shining'), whilst the slow zoom (another typical camera movement from the genre) creates unnerving suspense and tension. Again, more sinister non-diegetic music plays, instantly creating an uncomfortable sense of foreboding for the spectator. trailer. The isolated setting is a typical aspect of mise-en-scene found in the horror genre.

The girl is shot from a high angle, emphasising her vulnerability, and the tracking shot of her (a typical shot in the genre) both positions the audience with her but also suggests her vulnerability, perhaps marking her out as the film's first victim. She also wears a light coloured dress, and the combination of these aspects of film form signify to the audience that she will be a victim based on horror tropes. The slow pace of the editing and camera movement are unsettling for the audience and, again, are very common in the genre, frequently used to create suspense and tension. 

We hear the diegetic singing of a woman, who is wearing a dark dress that looks old. Dark colours are associated with the monster characters in horror films, and the nature of her outdated clothing makes her seem a threat despite the fact that she is holding flowers and is seemingly friendly to the young girl. 

The two characters are very close to each other in a two shot and we sense the feeling of danger through the composition; close two shots often imply characters have a close relationship, but it can also imply conflict. The lighting is unconventional for a horror film as it is high-key, but this could be to trick the audience into a false sense of security. The enhanced sound effects of the twigs crunching help to startle the audience; pleonastic sounds, to initiate jump scares, are common in the genre. By cutting to shots of strange looking people after each amplified sound effect, the director signifies the danger the girl is in. The many people also create jump scares; as they move in towards her, the non-diegetic music becomes chilling and horrific, with the 'boom' impact sound that follows being very common in horror films. The enhanced sound of the cars moving and the cicadas which end the scene, all help add to the intense feeling, terrifying the audience, particularly with the tight framing (suggesting the girl is trapped) and the quickening of the pace of the editing (reflecting her fear and panic). 

The scene ends with superimposition and a dissolve into a snowy landscape, and then to the iconic carpet featured in 'The Shining'.