Poster Analysis: 'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark'

Blogged by Naomi

The main colours used in this poster are grey, black and red. The combination of grey and black connotes death, seriousness and mystery, therefore connecting the poster to the horror genre. The eye is instantly drawn to the strip of red running down the centre of the poster, essentially created from the girl pictured opening the doors. The use of red connotes anger, hell and evil which is supported by what appears to be hands reaching out of the darkness towards the girl, who we can tell is clearly terrified through her facial expression. The title is written in a font which appears to be a fountain/ink pen, but in the context of a horror film poster the blotches of excess ink could represent spots of blood.

Unlike the majority of all other film posters, the 'Don't be Afraid Of The Dark' poster is almost cartoon-like in it's appearance. This artistic creation instantly conveys the gothic/horror genre in a way that movie stills and images don't. The only link between the poster and the trailer is the darkness and limited imagery used in both. The cartoon-like look of the poster could not be more different from the trailer, yet it strangely still works in attracting the audience's attention.