Stereotypical Movies in Horror Movies: The Masked Killer
The antagonist of every horror movie may be wearing different masks but he follows the same checklist of every horror villain.
1. Walks really slowly
You'll wonder why the rest of the characters are running away from the killer when all they do is trudge slowly towards their victim. And they do shuffle their feet or thump loudly. It's a wonder why none of the victims can hear them approach.
2. Good at Hide and Seek
The killer is usually a hide and seek expert because there is no other way to explain how they always show up exactly where their next victim is hiding.
The victim can run or hide anywhere. They could be faster, be able to squeeze in the tiniest of spaces, but the killer always ends up pouncing on them.
3. Painful Childhood
Killers are not born, they are made.
The killer is someone who has had a rough childhood. They were not blessed with good lucks, have some deformity, be continuously bullied, and receive no emotional support from their parents.
And then something horrible happens to them which results in them putting on a mask and going on a killing spree.
Usually that tragic event involves either them being hurt or someone supportive of them getting killed.
4. Has a connection with the protagonist
It will take the protagonist more than half a movie to figure out that the killer may be connected to them. It may be an estranged family member, a jilted lover, or their closest friend who secretly hated them.
The reveal, when it comes, is just shocking to the protagonist and not the audience who noticed that the character's best friend was giving them an evil look the whole time.
5. Turns out to be taller or shorter than the masked killer
All through the movie, the masked killer clearly looks to be in shape and looks of average height. Once the killer is unmasked, they are usually of a different height and their actual body shape belies the prowess they had displayed throughout the movie.
They look far from being able to scale tall fences and jump down roofs without a scratch.
6. Hints about his motives from the very beginning
After the first kill is done, the rest of the characters are introduced and along with it is the killer. But we do not know that yet. Or do we?
The killer doesn't seem as inconspicuous as one would imagine and the hints are all there. They will be hanging around the protagonist a lot. They deliver at least one cryptic dialogue. They had a crush on the protagonist but known it will never be reciprocated.
7. Usually uses a knife
The killer may have a lot of choices in weapons. There is the baseball bat, the axe no one uses to cut wood anymore and the ever reliable kitchen knife.
The first kill in the movie is almost always with the knife.
8. Is careful about leaving behind clues
The killer will be careful about not being spotted throughout the movie to the point that even the police and forensics experts cannot solve the crime.
The killer may be a high school student, but they always outsmart the police. However, toward the end, as it accidentally encounters the final girl instead of her friend, the killer accidentally drops a clue which leads the his identity being revealed.
9. Leaves the best for the last
The other victims get quick deaths. There's no prolonged stalking or missed calls of anything. But when it comes to the protagonist, the scene is elaborate and the protagonist is given enough opportunities to escape.
In fact, the killer will book an entire warehouse for the protagonist.
10. Always gets up
The killer rarely stays down after being hit. They are pumped with so much adrenaline because they are so hyped to murder people, that even a couple of stabs in the chest doesn't slow them down.
They could even be shot in the stomach and knocked off, but they still managed to recover quickly and go after the protagonist again.
The protagonist makes certain not to hit the killer in the head or stab him in any vital organs.
It's like they want the villain to get up.
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