Representations And Stereotype Of Horror Films

In horror films gender is very stereo-typically presented, which can mean women being presented as objects mainly sexually and emotionally orientated . Throughout films women are also presented as beautiful and much more emotional compared to men who are stereo-typically seen as being much more tough and less emotional.

Characters 

Non-Believer
Can be of either sex, although often male.
Portrayed as being cocky and at ease, convincing the other characters that they are over reacting and that nothing is going on
Typically overconfident, which usually lead to them being the first to be killed, and their death will trigger a mass killing of the other characters.

To begin with, the audience will listen to this voice of reason and be reassured and calmed slightly by them. However, when they are shortly after killed, the audience will panic and all sense of security has gone; nobody is safe.

Hero
Pretty much always a male character of strong, masculine build.
Although he is the ‘hero’, there aren’t many horror films where the good triumph over evil. In these cases, he tends to be the brave character that goes after the murderer, often never returning.
These characters tend to show little emotion throughout the film, perhaps to stay strong and supportive for the other characters that cope less well.
In more recent horror films, the hero has begun to appear as a female. This makes the film more unpredictable, and challenges the older, more traditional conventions.

Evil Character
Can take many forms; serial killer, demonic possession, ghost, monster, vampire, werewolf, zombie etc.)
If they are human, they will often wear a mask, disguising them completely of appearance or emotion, and the audience can make no connection to them whatsoever. Wearing a mask also plays on the fear of the unknown.