Before watching any kind of horror movie, viewers understand that they are about to be scared, shocked and even disgusted. But that’s what makes them appealing to certain people. The core ideas in horror movies have come from mythology, religion, literature and folklore. Horror movies often have a pattern of tropes or cliches, such as jumpscares, closed-in or wide open spaces, supernatural villains or monsters, and paranormal activity. The scariest horror movies in my opinion are the ones that take characters such as the child or the old woman, and turn them evil, contradicting their innocence. Well-known characters from famous horror movies are often referenced in pop culture. For example, Micheal Myers in “Stranger Things”. This goes to show how much of a lasting impact the classic horror movies have to this day. There are also atmospheric elements that draw in an audience, for example the suspenseful soundtrack, the dark colour filters, and the use of distorted dutch angles. All of these concepts elevate the level of anticipation when watching a thriller film.
During my viewing of the 2022 horror/romance film “Bones and All” directed by Luca Guadagino, I took notes on the way the visual techniques are used to deliver the story, heightening the mood, pace and expectations. First, I noticed the scenes were lit with natural, earthy tones – nothing too harsh or filtered. This helped me feel that raw, primal instinct of the main characters Maren and Lee. Throughout the movie, I noticed the director’s frequent use of close-ups, so as to capture the deep emotion of the characters, and the small muscles that twitched to show their inner fear or hunger. The one scene that really stuck out to me is when Maren and Lee are sitting together in the slaughterhouse, and they’re having a pure, romantic moment. In any other setting, the audience would swoon, but the fact that they’re holding hands in a beef factory is quite jarring and confusing, perfectly marrying the horror and romance genres together. The last scene in “Bones and All” is the most beautiful, intense, and gruesome shot in the whole film. Lee is dying, and begging Maren to eat him. Lee says, “It’s the easiest thing, Maren, love. Just love me and eat.” The theme of this movie is how you can love someone so much that your hunger for them- both emotional and physical consumes you.
Julieta Esquivel Cano
My Review on the Analysis of Bones and All (2022) by Sasha Austin
Emphasizing the emotional effects of horror by relating it to how humans process information gives the reader a foundation to understand its appeal and repulsion. The analysis connects the movie Bones and All to the genre’s heritage, despite its unconventional blend of romance and horror in our modern era.
Sasha mentions that our expectations as viewers earn the genre popularity within society. How atmospheric elements and references to pop culture find their origins in our origins of storytelling. Humanity has always faced the “unknown” irrationally, and Sasha highlights our cultural fascination with horror and the unknown through recurring tropes.
Bones and All is a great example because the film is disturbing, yet beautifully done. I had the opportunity to watch it the year it was released and found that it is exactly “the natural and earthy tones—nothing too harsh or filtered” that give life to the almost animalistic characters. The choice to emphasize Guadagnino’s use of close-ups to reveal their inner struggles is a subtle but insightful observation.
The analysis effectively describes how the director adds an unsettling layer, transforming an otherwise sweet moment into something far more complex. The conclusion focuses on the different forms that love and human connections take, showing how intimacy blurs boundaries, while the director leads the audience to an intense emotional peak alongside the characters.
Julieta Esquivel Cano
My Review on the Analysis of Bones and All (2022) by Sasha Austin
Emphasizing the emotional effects of horror by relating it to how humans process information gives the reader a foundation to understand both its appeal and repulsion. The analysis connects the movie Bones and All to the genre’s heritage despite its unconventional blend of romance and horror, in our modern era.
Sasha mentions that our expectations as viewers earn the genre popularity within society. How atmospheric elements and references to pop culture find their origins in our origins of storytelling. Humanity has always faced the “unknown” irrationally, and Sasha highlights our cultural fascination with horror and the unknown through recurring tropes.
Bones and All is a great example because the film is disturbing, yet beautifully done. I had the opportunity to watch it the year it was released and found that it is exactly “the natural and earthy tones—nothing too harsh or filtered” that give life to the almost animalistic characters. The choice to emphasize Guadagnino’s use of close-ups to reveal their inner struggles is a subtle but insightful observation.
The analysis effectively describes how the director adds an unsettling layer, transforming an otherwise sweet moment into something far more complex. The conclusion focuses on the different forms that love and human connections take, showing how intimacy blurs boundaries, while the director leads the audience to an intense emotional peak alongside the characters.