Setting and Locations of Supernatural Thrillers.

Supernatural thrillers locations are usually set within a normal suburban area within a community. This could include a school, household or workplace environment, with the intention of adding suspense and an element of thrill in an ordinary, unexpected setting.

Supernatural thriller set in a school- 'Carrie'

In the film Carrie, the main character feels victimised and isolated in society. The suspense throughout the film builds as Carrie begins to find out more about her supernatural abilities at the same her bullying peers plan against her, until her defining moment occurs at prom when the humiliation causes her to lash out. The setting of a high school (a location all the audience will be able to relate to) reinforces the idea of abnormal occurrences happening in a normal location, which makes it seems even more thrilling and unusual.

Carrie throughout the film suffers from trying to fit in which is relatable in a high school environment,  her abilities make her more of an outcast and abnormal but in a sense that doesn't relate to high school but to a supernatural occurrence which ultimately causes people to fear her. 

Supernatural thriller set in a home- 'Sixth Sense'

When supernatural occurrences (in this case, the main character constantly seeing ghosts) happen in a household, the element of fear and suspense seems heightened when its set in a place we associate with safety and comfort.

Scene where the main character of the film is visited by ghosts in him bedroom, a place associated with protection and security, making experience scarier (particularly for a young child.)

Supernatural thriller set in a work environment- 'The Ninth Gate'

Dean Corso specialises in tracking down rare and exotic volumes for collectors. He finds that someone has recently acquired a seventeenth-century satanic text called The Nine Gates- a legendary book written by Satan himself. With The Nine Gates in his possession, Corso soon finds himself at the centre of strange goings-on. When supernatural thrillers are set in a workplace, the supernatural incidences seem to define the main character's career, and the centre of their private life becomes focused on solving the mystery or problem.

Overall, supernatural thrillers are often set in these locations to create sense of realism and therefore immerse us in the story more, therefore when the norm is disrupted, the sense of disequilibrium seems even more overwhelming to the audience and more fearful because they can relate the the locations.