Deconstruction of a Stereotypical Little Girl's Room in Horror Films

The opening sequence of James Watkins' 2012 British horror film 'The Woman in Black' gives a prominent example of a stereotypical little girl's room which is linked to possession or the supernatural horror genre. 'The Woman in Black' is set in the Victorian Era and therefore the decor of the little girl's room featured in this opening sequence also dates back to that time. 

• The room that the three girls play in has many objects which are associated with little girls and also a stereotypical Victorian ghost stories. These objects include miniature porcelain tea sets and dolls with porcelain features such as the head (both of these items can be seen in the first image). Children's toys are a commonly used feature within the mise-en-scene of settings of horror films, especially those set in the Victorian era.

• Other children's toys can also be seen in the background of the room including an old fashioned baby carriage/pram (right). An old fashioned baby carriage is also a commonly used object in horror films set in the 1800's. The fact that these objects are old fashioned create an eerie feeling when placed in front of a modern audience. 

• The old fashioned dresses that the girls are wearing also convey and emphasise when the film is set and add to the eerie sense that the old fashioned toys convey. Again, to a modern audience, the dresses convey a typical Victorian ghost story and setting which creates a ghostly and eerie sense to the sequence.