
In horror films, confusion is a great way to create even more fear. Pinedo’s idea that death can happen anywhere does not lack in this movie and the realistic gore provides more evidence to support the idea that this film is without a doubt, a horror film.

Pinedo states, “the disruption takes the form of physical violence against the body” (18).īlood is prominent in the death scenes as well as mutilation of the bodies with the use of sharp objects, knives, electrocution, and hanging. Not only are the deaths strange, they are extremely violent and gory. The incidents occur in ordinary settings involving items typically used on a daily basis, creating fear that one cannot escape. All three deaths treat “violence as a constituent element of everyday life” (18). One boy, Todd slips in the bathroom and is accidentally hung from the shower clothesline, another girl, Terry, is hit in the middle of town by a speeding bus, and a teacher is killed from an unlikely house explosion. Order custom essay Characteristics of the Postmodern Horror Film

Also contributing to the students’ constant fear is the way the deaths are occurring. The characters feel they have no control over their lives because while Alex, the main character, figures out that there is an order to these deaths, nobody is certain exactly when their time will come. In this film death comes at random times violating “our assumption that we live in a predictable, routinized world by demonstrating that we live in a minefield” (18). More specifically relating to this element are the mysterious tragedies that take place throughout Final Destination. The film is based off of a series of deaths that are unexplainable and unpredictable, matching the first element of characteristics of the postmodern horror, “horror constitutes a violent disruption of the everyday world” (Pinedo 17). Final Destination is loaded with scare tactics that closely resemble the characteristics described by Pinedo. While the movie does not apply to all four elements, the characteristics of the three present are strong enough to allow the film to still be considered a horror film. The movie Final Destination (2000) is a more recent horror film that consists of three out of four of Pinedo’s elements. Today’s successful films constitute a violent disruption of the everyday world, transgress and violate boundaries, throw into question the validity of rationality, and repudiate narrative closure. Horror movies date back all the way to the 1890’s so what is it exactly that keeps viewers wanting more? According to Isabel Cristina Pinedo, there are four key elements to the success of the contemporary horror film.

Characteristics of the Postmodern Horror Film In our world today, box offices are flooded with giddy teenagers seeking a thrill from horror movies.
