Haunted House Horror
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What is the Haunted House Horror Subgenre?
Much like vampire horror and zombie horror have grown out of the creature horror subgenre because so many stories of these types of monsters exist, haunted house horror grew out of the haunting horror subgenre. Haunting horror is just as its name suggests, scary stories about people who are dealing with some sort of supernatural force that is drawn to them. The "haunting" can be anything from ghosts or poltergeists to demons, and in haunted house horror, this supernatural entity is tied intrinsically to the setting, and woe to those protagonists who dare to encroach.
The haunting horror subgenre is one of the oldest and most widely varied in the horror genre, and haunted house horror goes back almost as long. Haunted houses and castles were often used as plot devices in gothic literature, but the first haunted house tale came from Pliny the Younger who wrote to his patron about a haunted villa in Athens. In fact, haunted house stories are so pervasive in our culture that a 2005 Gallup poll found that 37 % of Americans, 28% of Canadians, and 40% Britons believe that houses and other buildings could be haunted. It's no wonder then, that many modern haunted house horror tales claim to be based on true events. Modern haunted house horror may also contain elements of psychological horror, in which the characters may not know if a supernatural entity is plaguing them or if it is their own psyche.
Haunted House Horror Characteristics
Level of Characterization: The level of characterization for haunted house horror is varied, though generally low to moderate for the human protagonists. The supernatural entity haunting the home, however, will often have more characterization than the humans.
Level of Plot: Plots will be low to moderate in haunted house horror as plots generally revolve around the human protagonists discovering that something supernatural is haunting their home.
Level of Supernatural: With ghosts, demons, and poltergeists abound in this subgenre, haunted house horror definitely has a high level of supernatural.
Level of Scary: The level of scary varies in haunted house horror, though it is generally moderate to low, as atmospheric thrills are the most effective in this subgenre.
Level of Violence: Violence is a variable factor in haunted house horror depending upon the malevolence of the supernatural entity performing the haunting. However, generally in this subgenre, violence is moderate to low.
Typical Setting: A haunted house, of course. Haunted house horror is typically set in an area that is being haunted by a supernatural being. That being said, the haunting does not necessarily need to take place in a house. Isolated hotels and castles are also popular settings for haunted house horror.
Related Horror Subgenres
The haunting subgenre is the most obviously related subgenre to the haunted house subgenre as the two are often confused with one another. Supernatural menace is another related subgenre due to the high supernatural occurrence in haunted house horror.