Triangle

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Although Triangle is not what you expect from a typical horror movie which leaves you screaming and at the edge of your seat, horror as a genre is not limited to the startle effect. As mentioned in Horror, The Film Reader, the main conflict in a horror film is when the “monster” character deals with a different or unreal relationship with normality. Horror films have an anti-real aesthetic which introduces something that does not normally happen in real life, and questions cultural norms. During the earlier parts of the movie Triangle, I was expecting it to be a paranormal/ghost movie. However, as the plot progressed, the main character, Jess, turned out to be both the victim and the monster with no external parties involved. The set of characters remained the same all throughout the movie, and for the most part, the story revolved around Jess’ perspective. This proves that monsters in horror films do not necessarily have to be ghosts or supernatural beings, but ordinary people as well. Jess was the victim in a sense that she was the only one experiencing or aware of the pattern of events, yet at the same time, she was also the monster because she was the murderer and no matter which way she tried to solve the chain of events, the outcome turned out the same and there seemed to be no way out.

The horror aspect can also arise internally, in the mind, or by twists of fate. The conflict arose when Jess’ relationship with reality was challenged, in turn affecting her relationship with herself and others — making the conflict both internal and external. Upon realizing that she was the murderer of her companions, her internal conflict was whether to break the cycle by stopping herself from killing them or to give in and follow fate. What was interesting about Triangle is that although the setting was completely normal, you could immediately sense that something was off, and eventually, the pieces fell together.

Another characteristic of horror films is how they appeal to emotions. Triangle draws you in to each moment, anticipating what was going to happen next. No matter how predictable the next scene appears, another twist seems to surprise you. Details were also very important in the film as these are what gave clues about the occurrences. Little details that did not seem entirely relevant at one moment had a significant bearing on stitching together the events later on. In the end, when the pieces finally came together, you feel a sense of resolve but you’re also left with a sense of unsettlement. Triangle fed on the audience’s fear of the unknown and surprised its audiences in the least expected ways. No matter how differently Jess tried to approach the repeated situations, the outcome was inevitable and it seemed as though each decision she made was already predicted and destined from the very beginning. This created only more conflict and confusion for myself as the audience because for each time Jess would approach a situation differently, I would hope that it would finally solve the dilemma. But even in the end, the film returned to the beginning which involved a whole bigger cycle which seemed to have no escape or solution. Triangle was a great introductory film to Horror Film class because it broke the stereotype of what a horror film should be as it incorporated different elements and characteristics from horror as a genre. It left you completely disturbed and confused but also hooked.