Characters

The main character gives off a sense of innocence turned into evil which contradicts the idea of childhood.

She is not presented as “alive” in the opening sequence or the 9 still images also suggesting the idea of being “different” to the others. Neither is she a human, she is a doll. Known to be an object loved by young girls like her.

Enigmatic for the audience because she is not what young children are stereotypically represented in the media.

Genre

Horror/fantasy feel to the movie. Fantasy because it isn’t just a typical horror considering its use of unrealistic looking characters.

Horror because there is no sense of positivity. The 9 shots each show a sense of “darkness”. The objects used such as scissors, pins and sharp hands connote pain and suggest that events in the film are not pleasant.

In the opening sequence, the fantasy genre is presented by through the unusual actions such as sewing a face on together and making it look scary which is where the horror genre may come in. Another way the horror genre is presented is by the props used such as spinning wheels, pins and sharp scissor objects. The music lays an impression that the vibe should not be positive. The constant sound of a young girl singing slowly builds tension which contradicts the idea of innocence in a child which may make the audience “scared”

Atmosphere

The soundtrack is slow and tension building also fitting in with the dull atmosphere.

We are brought into a room, all decorated in one colour. A dull beige connoting “blankness”.

The opening sequence is showing a hand, much like no other, which is sewing in and out of a stuffed doll. The sharp hands allow the audience to understand both the fantasy as well as the horror aspect of the film considering its sharp scissor shaped fingers.