BA Drama

From early German cinema’s monsters to the contemporary Hollywood blockbuster, horror film has established itself among the most vital and popular movie types. Placing these films in their historical context and contemporaneous social debates, the course will explore key aesthetic and thematic aspects of horror in order to consider issues such as genre; politics and society; and mainstream versus independent film across global cinema, including Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. We will trace how early and classical film’s objects of fear, who often appear as gendered, racialized and sexualized outsiders, have been increasingly turning the camera on the mainstream to now bite back against the histories of their oppression. In doing so, we will consider horror as a highly subversive, deeply contentious and yet profoundly playful genre, which continues to serve up some wicked surprises. Our discussion will be contextualized by theoretical readings on the uncanny and horror, including works by Sigmund Freud, Julia Kristeva and Robin Wood.

Pre-requisite units	Any L1 Drama Study, Film Studies or Practical core option
Co-requisite units	Any L2 Drama core unit - Theatres of Modernity; Screen, Culture and Society

 

• To develop students’ understanding of theoretical approaches to and genre conventions of horror film
• To develop students’ grasp of key concepts in cinema studies with particular focus on aspects of mainstream and independent cinema
• To develop students’ understanding of the historical and social contexts of horror film internationally

• A broad understanding of the key themes and theoretical debates around horror film
• Knowledge of important horror films and issues of genre
• A good grasp of key concepts in cinema studies
• Ability to present research-based knowledge in visual media
   

• Define horror and discuss how it can be expressed visually and aurally
• Demonstrate familiarity with the key periods and historio-cultural contexts of horror film
• Demonstrate familiarity with the audio-visual styles of horror film
• Demonstrate an awareness of relevant social and historical factors reflected in horror film

• Critically analyse and build sophisticated arguments about films and related sources (posters, trailers, reviews and industry documents) 
• Contextualise historically films and practitioners, and to draw on contextualisation to develop understanding
• Critically evaluate a series of films, practitioners and genres in relation to key moments of socio-political change in relevant territories
• Synthesise theoretical terms and concepts and apply these to analysis, argument and creative practice

• Research academic and non-academic materials, and evaluate the effectiveness of these materials as supporting evidence for individual essays, seminar presentations and creative projects
• Plan, undertake and evaluate independent critical and creative work
• Use relevant software to collect, compile and present audio-visual material for presentations
• Communicate research material both verbally, audio-visually and in writing 

• Work independently
• Argue critically and coherently
• Present information in a convincing and accessible manner
• Develop an understanding of national cinemas in world contexts

 

One practical group project, eg. sequence analysis, visual essay or short film	50%
One exam	50%

 

Feedback method	Formative or Summative
Seminar presentation	Formative (oral)
Essay or practical project	Summative (written)
Exam	Summative (written)

• Sigmund Freud, The Uncanny (London: Penguin Books, 2003)
• Julia Kristeva, Powers of Horror. As Essay on Abjection (New York: Columbia University Press, 1980)
• Alain Silver and James Ursini (eds.), Horror Film. Reader (New York: Limelight Editions, 2000)
• Thomas M. Sipos, Horror Film Aesthetics (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2010)
• Brigid Cherry, Horror (London: Routledge, 2009)
• Robin Wood, The American Nightmare (New York: Columbian University Press, 1986)

Tuition fees for home students will be £10,050 for the 2027/28 academic year. In England and Wales, tuition fees for home undergraduate students are subject to the Government fee cap, which the Government has announced will be £10,050 for the 2027/28 academic year.

Government policy is to increase the fee cap on an annual basis to reflect inflation (i.e. increasing costs), and the tuition fee home students pay in subsequent academic years will reflect any increases in the Government fee cap (which we will communicate to you as soon as we can in advance of the relevant academic year).

Tuition fees for international students will be £31,400 for the 2027/28 academic year. For subsequent academic years, the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fee by up to 7% each year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our education and wider student experience.

For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

Learn more about student finance options for UK students .

Learn more about fees and finance for international students .

As an international student you may be eligible for our Global Futures Scholarships . This is open to students starting their studies in September 2026.