Many horror films tend to build their characters from the five archetypes usually associated with typical horror movies. These characters motivations, beliefs, and actions alike are, at many occasions, predictable because they stem from those stock characters tucked away in the back pockets of screenwriters. Those five tend to be: the nerd, the jock, the token ethnic, the "promiscuous" girl, and the final guy/girl.
The Nerd appears to be the most logical, rational character in the plot line who constantly warns the others of future events and serves as a symbol of foreshadowing in development of the story. The nerd is also the character that is most scrutinized by the others and finds himself or himself in situations he/she thought would be preventable. For example, Jamie Kennedy plays Randy in Scream and the author of the article states, "He’s the most self-aware character in a movie full of characters that know they’re filling out certain roles."
The Jock appears to be a central character in horror films, being the "know-it-all", who usually stays alive long enough until he dies an ironic or "justified death." Also, the Jock sometimes ends up being the most-hated character, and this type of stock creation is typically stubborn until it is "too late."
The "Promiscuous Girl" tends to remain in the movie long enough until she seems to clumsily fall into the arms of the killer or sleeps with the Jock. This archetype usually is expectedly not developed and left as a recognizable filler to the plot, as many horror movies seem to come with the characters that may not serve much of a purpose.
The Token Ethnic stock character provides comic relief to the plot as well as a means for screenwriters or directors to incorporate "cultural diversity" into the film. These characters portray a sense of insight into the scenarios they find themselves . The most prominent feature of these characters seems to be that, "Oftentimes, these characters are gone long before we ever get too attached to them," as stated by the article.
Last but certainly not least, horror films usually tend to inherit the hero or heroine of the plot that the movie centralizes its themes around: the Final Guy/Girl. He or she escapes most near-death scenarios of the film and comes out of the story alive. For example, the main character, Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) in Halloween embodies this archetype. The article states, "Strong, resourceful, smart… give her all the adjectives because Laurie is everything you want in a Final Girl. It’s the most important role..."
Although stock characters in horror films can be cheesy and overused, they are a great method to reel in audiences that continue to view movies with similar premises. Viewers of horror films tend to anticipate the same story lines, themes, and "villains", so in keeping characters consistent of their stock natures, the industry producers and/or directors can be sure to see a return of that viewership.
Del Vecchio, A. (2013, October 18). 5 FOR FRIDAY: THE ULTIMATE SLASHER FILM ARCHETYPE CHARACTERS.
Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://themaindamie.com/ website: http://themaindamie.com/2013/
10/18/5-for-friday-the-ultimate-slasher-film-archetype-characters/
The horror genre is not one known to challenge viewers. Hence stock characters are expected - and typically present. There is a certain level of comfort associated with just being entertained...
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