The Woman In Black – Poster analysis

The Woman In Black – Poster analysis

The colours used in this horror film poster are dark and gloomy which is a key feature of horror as it signifies fear and disaster, as horror movies are usually about horrific things happening to people that creates a sense of fear for the audience and dark and dingy colours help to signify this miserableness and fear. The image has many features that signify the horror genre, which is common for a poster as the image is the main feature of a poster as it’s primarily what catches the reader’s attention  and gives them an indication of what it’s going to be about and some of the characters etc. The part of the image includes a young boy who looks content but scared. The way he’s sat implies he’s not stuck with fear however the way his shoulders are slightly hunched up and the look on his face shows he’s focusing on something and he has a fearful look in his eyes and he doesn’t show any signs of happiness and joy towards whatever he’s looking at, he just look wary and scared. The prop used is a creepy looking doll that he is holding which is a common feature for horror films as they signify the awakening of evil spirits and disaster is usually associated with evil dolls, also the way he’s clutching it isn’t in a comforting way, it’s not like he’s cuddling it like his own doll for safety and comfort it’s as though he’s holding it for someone else, like he’s looking after it. From the image the audience gets a sense of the setting, as the clothes the boy is wearing is very old fashioned and the background is of an old looking room which indicates it’s set in an olden day era rather than in modern times. The main focus of the image that indicates that this poster is of the horror genre is the shadow looking figure of a woman which we can instantly identify as the woman in black, which links to the title of the film. The way she is dressed also indicates it’s of an old era and the face is half blacked out and old lady / skull like expressing a mysterious and dark feel to the character, the audience can immediately identify that she is the evil character, and the image contrasts with the title so the audience can also identity that this character may be ‘the woman in black’. The title has certain significance in the poster as it’s written in a dated looking font and the hint of red signifies blood and death. The title its self ‘angle of death’ immediately makes the audience identifies this as a horror film and the use of binary opposites with the words ‘angle’ and ‘death’ contrasts with each other signifying that the film may take a dark turn.