Mother : Trailer Analysis

At the beginning of the trailer, viewers are shown a couple who can already be seen as very affectionate and in love with each other as through a close-up they are shown kissing and hugging. This alongside the music in the background gives off an impression of their being an airy and light atmosphere in the house (which the film is set in) as the music even gives off a nursery rhyme vibe. Adding to this, the main female character is discussing with her boyfriend/husband about their home saying “I want to make it a paradise” followed by a shot of her painting the walls. This implies that she is a motherly and well domesticated female, taking interest in decorating the house alone and wanting it to be a place she can be proud of. During a conversation between the couple, the main male character in addition declares his love for her whilst the couple are alone in bed together. Although the characters reflect a loving and caring feeling towards the audience, through mise en scene the house in which the couple have appeared to have moved to gives an indication that perhaps not everything is at it seems as the colours used in the house are dull and dark, indicating that the house is not as perfect as it may seem to the couple.

Immediately, in the next shots the atmosphere of the trailer changes  as the lighting in the house becomes low key giving the impression that something dark is coming. As the couple sit in the dark, bloodcurdling room, there is suddenly a booming knock at the door which becomes the catalyst for various, and what seems as never ending, torturing events for the female in the relationship of events. After the knock, the rhythm of music has changed and in fact resembles a ticking noise which could be a symbol that time is running out for the couple as danger is now coming their way , or in fact only to the female protagonist. As the couple open the door, through a close up a strange man is introduced, who actually invites himself to stay at the couple’s home, to which the husband, does not mind illustrating that the husband has been keeping secrets from his wife. Through continuing shots, the male “protagonist” is now perceived as less loving and innocent as he was first introduced as in the trailer. Through shot reverse shot, suspense is delivered even further as the strange males “wife” also visits the house demanding to stay, as the shot reverse shot show the protagonist stare deeply in the visitor’s eyes, viewers are able to connect with the character on a much deeper level and can now beginning to sense fear from the character’s emotions.

Through the use of editing, important aspects of a trailer such as the director and actor’s names have been written in white italic on top of a black background, through the colour scheme the spooky atmosphere is kept therefore continuing to allow the audience to engage with the horror genre. The words are shown in time to the beat of the music showing how fast the music tempo has gone by and giving an indicator of how fast paced the film will be for audience indicating a variety of twists and turns. As the trailer is almost at its climax, through montage editing, the audience are shown large amount of unexplainable events taking place in the house, which in fact lures the audience in as we are given no indicator of why these events are taking place.