This paper requires us choose a horror film not covered in class and analyze it through the lens of genre. Focus on a film that interests you and allows you to explore meaningful, urgent, or fascinating issues from the course. Your analysis should make an argument about the film’s place in history and culture and provide insights about the horror genre. Use vocabulary and frameworks from class, and explore relevant scholarship on the film’s period, genre/horror theory, or the filmmakers.
In this paper, I decided to choose the Taiwanese Movie Incantation (2022) directed by Kev in Ko. Summary of the movie:
“Incantation” (2022) is a Taiwanese horror film directed by Kevin Ko. The story centers around Li Ronan, a mother who must protect her daughter Dodo from a malevolent curse she inadvertently brought upon them. Six years prior, Ronan and her friends violated a taboo during a visit to a remote village, leading to a series of terrifying events. The film unfolds through a found-footage style, combining past and present timelines to reveal the horror of the curse.
Ronan, haunted by guilt and supernatural occurrences, tries to uncover the origins of the curse and find a way to lift it. As the curse’s effects intensify, Ronan’s desperation grows, and she faces horrifying revelations about the true nature of the evil she unleashed.
“Incantation” explores themes of motherhood, guilt, and the consequences of breaking cultural taboos, using a blend of psychological horror and supernatural elements. The film’s non-linear narrative, eerie atmosphere, and unsettling visuals contribute to its chilling impact.
Here is my thesis of my paper:
In “Incantation” (2022), director Kevin Ko employs found footage techniques to craft a culturally rich and psychologically compelling horror narrative, distinguishes itself within the broader scope of Modern East Asian horror cinema, innovates the genre through interactive audience engagement, thereby redefining modern horror’s potential to evoke fear and introspection.
The structure of the paper could be:
Para 1:
Explain the Modern East Asian Horror Movie Culture, religious stuff and how the movie Incantation fits in in this context
Para 2:
Explore the found footage techniques and how does it craft a culturally rich and psychologically compelling horror narrative
Cite:
Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra. Found Footage Horror Films: Fear and the Appearance of Reality. McFarland & Company, 2014. Link for the resource: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pkNXAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Heller-Nicholas,+Alexandra.+Found+Footage+Horror+Films:+Fear+and+the+Appearance+of+Reality.+McFarland+%26+Company,+2014.+&ots=zKJP4qFCju&sig=hl17bfnQVPxRIW7h580GT49hB4g#v=onepage&q=Heller-Nicholas%2C%20Alexandra.%20Found%20Footage%20Horror%20Films%3A%20Fear%20and%20the%20Appearance%20of%20Reality.%20McFarland%20%26%20Company%2C%202014.&f=false
Affective Intensities and Evolving Horror Forms (Please find attachment)
Para 3:
How does the found footage techniques distinguishes itself within the Modern broader scope of Asian horror cinema
Para 4:
How does the found footage techniques redefine modern horror’s potential to evoke fear and introspection through interactive audience engagement.
Para 5:
Conclusion
Your paper should raise thought-provoking questions, critically engage with the topic, and connect to broader issues. Use at least three scholarly sources not assigned in class, and follow formatting guidelines (Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, MLA or Chicago citations). Bold your thesis statement and number your pages. Check spelling and grammar for clarity.
Sources:
This paper requires at least three scholarly sources that were not assigned in class. You may also use class
materials, but these are in addition to the three required academic sources
Please let me know if you need more information
