Horror film weapons

Nearly all films of the slasher genre feature a signature weapon that the antagonist uses to kill their victims. I researched into the different examples used and how effective they are at creating fear among the audience. The uses of guns are limited an instead replaced by knives, chainsaws, hammers, axes etc. There is also phallic symbolism involved in slasher weapons. These handheld weapons allow the killer to not only achieve the element of surprise but also allow them to confront their victims at an extremely close distance, allowing them to brutally penetrate the victim's body, impossible with a firearm.

1) The miner's pick axe in 'My Bloody Valentine' (1981)

The weapon used in this film is in line with the plot because the killer is a miner and he uses this workers tool to murder his victims. It is quite unique in the sense that it isn't really an everyday object and this adds to the feeling of mystery and the unknown. It has a sharp edge and phallic symbolism.

2) The kitchen knife in 'Halloween' (1978)
This is particularly effective because a kitchen knife is an everyday object that everybody has in their home and probably uses everyday as well. Therefore, this makes the mundane seem much more scary and builds up a sense of fear. It requires a short distance between the victim and the killer and in this particular film, Michael Myers may slit their throat or stab.




3) The chainsaw in 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974)

The chainsaw is the main focus of the film seeing as it is featured in the title and in theory, would be very efficient at killing. It has quite a menacing appearance as well as a roaring sound that gets louder as it gets closer to the victim, successfully building tension and creating a sense of doom.

4) Freddy Krueger's claws in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)

Freddy Krueger's metal glove with razor blades for fingers is arguably one of the most effective weapons in the horror genre. It is very rare and unique in the sense that it isn't an everyday object that can be found in the home and possibly was made by the villain himself. This is very scary because it makes the audience realise that he is very smart and always thinking about ways to kill. One of the scariest scenes in this film is when the claws emerge slowly in the bath and it is very effective in the horror genre at creating fear. 

5) The axe in 'The Shining' (1980)

In this film, the axe is used to kill and to break in the door in the iconic "here's Johnny!" scene. It is quite well recognised and conforms to the conventions of phallic symbolism used in weapons in the slasher genre.