Analysing the 'monster in the house' genre

I decided to research numerous films in then genre of 'monster in the house' as it is something I am going to peruse for my final project. The films that I have researched are Insidious, Sinister and Mama.

All 3 trailers begin with the typical structure of films in the monster in the house genre. We are welcomed with a friendly, comforting atmosphere. This is often sported with some peaceful/relaxing music. This builds up tension and makes the impact of the horror theme bigger and more dramatic. In Insidious we see a mother playing with her child, a family home, and a mother and husband laughing and playing with their child. What is unusual about this however is that we are instantly greeted with a creepy/eerie soundtrack. In this trailer we see a family moving to a home, a father putting a daughter to bed, a family dinner etc. We also hear the phrase 'I have a really good feeling about this.' This reinforces the feeling of positivity and family. In Mama we see Two girls who have been trapped in the wilderness, being brought home to a family. We see the girl hugging the uncle, we see the mother placing a doll on their bed, and we hear the phrase 'In a loving family environment' This again follows the same positive structure as the others.

One feature that is displayed through the 3 trailers is the soundtrack. All trailers include an eerie/creepy soundtrack. In Insidious we hear 'Tiptoe through the tulips' which has became in infamous song associated with the film due to its creepy feel to it. In Sinister we hear Sacrifice, Music by Andrea Nebel which again creates tension. In mama we hear Vampire Guitar written by Gerard Misael. This soundtrack fits well with the trailer as it creates a eerie atmosphere which compliments this specific genre.

A typical feature of monster in the house films is the numerous scary jump cuts towards the end of the trailer. This is used to build up tension and create a scary animosity. In Insidious we see several jump cuts of moving image from the film. This includes the protagonist with a red creepy face behind him. This gives further detail to the story without giving away too much of it. In Sinister we see multiple jump cuts such of; people running, a women screaming etc. This again builds up tension and fear. In Mama we see a series of jump cuts featuring a child screaming, some form of creature on the floor, also, the mother screaming and asking the child 'What is under the bed.'

All 3 trailers all have the components featured in the title- a monster, and a house. In Insidious there is the house where the film is featured, and the monster-Insidious which is haunting the son and causing this paranormal destruction in the house and the son. In Sinister we have the house and the family which are being haunted by the 'monster' Bughuul / Mr. Boogie. In Mama we have the 'monster'-mama haunting the two girls. One thing which is different but featured in all 3 of these films is the fact that it is not the house that's haunted, it is instead a haunting in their family that they cannot escape.

Below I have put all 3 trailers onto this post so you can refer back to them whilst reading my viewpoints on them.