Research into stock characters in horror films

I have been asked to research into stock characters in the genre of film I have

chosen to look at and I have chosen horror

What is a stock character?• A stock character is a character that is instantly recognisable in a particular

genre of film. For example in horror a common character is the wanderer the wanderer is usually the first character to die because they leave the group and go somewhere by themselves leaving them vulnerable to attack.

The Wanderer• The wanderer is often a member of a group which leaves to go there own

way and this is usually the catalyst for the characters death. This character is usually very naïve and unaware of the consequences of certain actions. For example Megan Helms in Black Christmas, Ned in Friday the 13th and Addison Corday from Saw 2. A popular line which Wanderers use is “I’ll be back in a minute” which evidently they wont because they are usually killed straight after they say that.

The Popular Girl• The popular girl is usually blonde and not the brightest and throughout

the film they usually date the Jock. They can also be mean and dismissive towards the smarter more intelligent individuals which is often there downfall. Examples of this character are Tatum Riley in Scream, Helen in I know what you did last summer and Buffy from Scary Movie. This character is the master of its own downfall because if they sepnt there time listening to more intelligent characters maybe they wouldn’t die so quickly.

Jock• Jocks in horror are very self confident and cocky. They usually date the

Popular girl and are usually rather dim. They are usually one of the first people to be killed because of the traits I have listed above. Examples of this character are Billy in Final destination, Tom in My Bloody Valentine and Kurt in Cabin in the Woods. The Jock is very similar to the pervert in that they spend most of the film trying to seduce women.

The Pervert• The pervert is a sexually motivated individual who is normally killed in this

genre along with the Jock and the Popular girl. Examples of this stock character are Frankie in Final Destination 3,Blake in house of wax and. This character is usually very similar to the Jock. This character sexual desires are usually the cause of its downfall.

Pandora• Pandora’s are usually women or young girls who have some connection

with the killer or they may even be the killer which is most surprising to the audience for example the little girl from Orphan because none of the character suspect her and Doofy from Scary Movie. This character is usually seen by the rest of the characters as innocent and harmless when really they are being fooled this is shown through Doofy’s character because he has a disability so no one suspects him.

The final girl • The final girl is a female character who is the last to die from the group

hence the word final. The final girl is usually very lucky as she is also the killers main target most of the time and will her luck run out or will she survive is usually the main question in the audiences head when watching the film and more specifically that character. Examples of this character are Sydney in Scream 4 and Brittany snow in Prom Night.