Psychological horror (film and television)

[2] Bill Gibron of PopMatters offered a broad and nuanced definition of psychological horror, describing it as anything that evokes a sense of unease or tension, or a film that relies on the audience's imagination to fill in the gaps of what isn't explicitly shown on screen.

Gibron ultimately characterized the genre as a "clouded gray area" that lies somewhere between graphic splatter horror and a more unsettling, cerebral cinematic experience.

"[4] Meanwhile, academic Susan Hayward traced its emergence to the post-World War II era, citing films like Psycho (1960) and Peeping Tom (1960) as key examples.

[8][9][10][11][12] The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The animated film Perfect Blue (1997) directed by Satoshi Kon, are both notable examples of psychological horror, as on the surface they incorporate elements of the thriller genre.

Filmmakers may also enhance the atmosphere by limiting both the characters' and the audience's awareness of the threat—through techniques like dim lighting or visual obstructions (as seen in Bird Box)—which amplifies suspense by leaving much of the danger unseen, allowing the imagination to fill in the blanks.

[citation needed] Plot twists are a common device in psychological horror, and characters often struggle with internal conflicts, including subconscious desires like romantic lust or the urge for petty revenge.

In contrast to splatter fiction or monster movies, which often depict grotesque, alien forces beyond the viewer's experience, psychological horror focuses on more relatable, though deeply unsettling, emotional and mental turmoil.