The uninvited poster analysis

The uninvited, 2009, is a drama, mystery and horror film that presents all of the conventional methods and techniques of horror through the advertised poster.

The focal point, placed central to the frame, is the antagonist character that is shown to be a female. Having acknowledged that the “killer” in the film is female, I would suggest that the film is very different from the usual horror film due the killer predominantly being male. This typically contradicts the usual conventions. The killer’s face is not shown in the frame and is darkened by shadows and a grainy effect from the mist outside. This silhouette helps to emphasise the effect of tension and the unpleasant atmosphere. By doing this, we as viewers are unaware of the killer’s appearance and when/ if we get to see her face, it will be more of a shock.

I feel personally that the poster is a psychologically intimidating poster due to the acknowledgment that a lot of people feel unnerved when they look out of the window at night and viewing this poster may mean that the audience can relate to the fear of somebody being outside their home and may feel that it’s a film that would give them the fear that they want from a horror film.

The background of the poster shows the misty, atmospheric weather with shadowed, bare trees, presenting the audience with the conventional setting of a forest or woods. This setting is predominantly in the middle of nowhere and the thought of being deserted at a time such as this is daunting. Due to the mist, the whole poster has been given a grainy effect which makes specific features hard to distinguish.

The written information on the glass of the window is written with a ghostly, white, hand-written effect. It is also written in a childlike font to suggest innocence as well as threat. By this, I feel that the writing looks as if the killer has written the information on the window. The tag line, “From the producers of “The Ring” and “Disturbia”” helps the audience to distinguish what kind of film “The unwanted” will be and whether it is a film that will suit their taste. The Tag line ‘Fear moves in’ reinforces that the evil outside will force its way inside.

The colour scheme of the poster is shown to be dull, blacks and whites. This helps to show the atmospheric nature of the film and the unpleasant feeling being evoked.

The website listed gives further information to the viewer about where they can fit more information for ease of access. This leaves the poster clearer and easier to understand and gives people an option whether they would like to read more information or not.

Due to the frame of the window filling the frame of the poster, I feel that the effect helps to create the feeling that the female killer is looking straight at us as an audience as addition to showing the entrapment of the scene and how there is no way to get out.

Having analysed this particular magazine cover, I would suggest that the target audience would be predominantly males aged between 18-30.