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The main issue is mental health. It is clear that the killer is suffering from psychological issues. However, from the outside, he is seen as ‘normal’ and functioning- but from his obsession with dolls, we can see that he goes to extreme lengths; such as stalking and committing cold-blooded murder to ‘bring the dolls to life’. His mental instability threatens both himself and others around him, including potential victims.

Another issue is secret and mystery, although in the opening it is left ambiguous, the fact that the killer has a collection of dead bodies in his shed/attic that is separate from his own home implies that his ‘hobby’ is a secret and that he keeps up the appearance of being normal in society/the outside world. Furthermore, the identity of the killer is hidden in the opening, the audience is left wondering if the secret is going to be revealed.

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Finn Wittrock as The Killer

I chose Wittrock as his character as Dandy Mott in American Horror Story actually inspired the character of the killer. His eerily symmetrical face and tall/slim build matches the characteristics of the killer portrayed in our opening. Furthermore, I think he would be able to pull of the creepy and unsettling air of the killer very well.

Saorise Ronan as The Victim

Saorise has delicate features that fit into the character of the victim, she is able to convey her feelings very well which encourages the audience to emphasize with her, making them root for her escape even more.

Dakota and Elle Fanning as The Dead Girls

Dakota and Elle have very innocent and doll-like features.

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The victims are held captive in the killer’s shed, the opening shows three victims but only one of them is alive- all alone and isolated. From the state of the other two, the audience is able to guess where her fate is headed.

The age and gender of the victim is quite significant; firstly, being a girl, the chances of her successfully fighting her capturer are even less as she is much smaller and weaker. Secondly, her young age gives an disturbing feeling as she is ‘taken before her time’. Finally, the audience may be able to link the victims together, all teenage girls- showing that the killer has a trend- a common trait that serial killers have. Furthermore, the age and appearance of the victim is chosen so that the target audience will be able to identify with her, provoking more fear and the anxiety in the viewer as they are able to personally relate with the victim.

The class of the victim is not clear as no trace of the victim’s old life is shown, her face is dirtied and restless and she is dressed by the killer. Her clothing is important as all three victims are dressed in pretty white dressed- adding to the theme of femininity and the killer’s preference of doll-like girls (which is his obsession). The mise-en-scene of the white dresses splashed with blood conveys the purity and innocence of young girls contrasted by their inevitable death and suffering.

The sounds used helps build up the tension and the rise and fall of events leading to the death (by poison) of the victim. The music starts out quite soft, and as the killer starts his preparation for the tea party, more elements start layering over making the music sound thicker and louder. No diegetic sound can be heard as the music-box (source of music) overpowers any screams or cries of the victim- this creates the feeling of helplessness and dread.

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The portrayal of the killer or the antagonist is very different from the victims’, while the victims are presented as vulnerable and almost ‘naked’, the killer’s identity is kept a mystery and only a few things are known about him from the opening.

The killer is the first on-screen, the audience is able to tell the gender of the killer from the body shot- a teenage boy, tall, slim. He is seen wearing a white long sleeved shirt and dark navy pants, which gives him the appearance of being innocent, pure and most importantly- not a killer. The portrayal of most killers, especially in the media is wearing dark clothes to ‘blend in’ and to camouflage blood and gore- however, this shows that the killer is not your average murderer, much like the TV character Dexter, the killer is careful with his killing methods. This paired with the mise-en-scene of him boiling water in a kettle, the audience is fooled into thinking that he is ‘normal’ and would not get the impression that he is capable of murdering innocent girls, or be prepared for what is coming next.

The editing cuts to many different aspects of his house, it can be deduced that the killer is of the upper-middle class. He is able to afford a nice home (from the kitchen scene) connected with a personal external shed (where he keeps his victims) while supporting his killing antics- which could be high maintenance.

He is able to afford luxury items such as a high quality camera, a collection of expensive dolls, nice clothes for the victims as well as for himself. Furthermore, the fact that he has the time to keep up his ‘hobby’(tea parties, stalking his victims) shows that he is not working class.

Throughout the opening, the killer’s torso and hands are often shown and only the the lower half of his face is ever on screen which evokes curiosity in the audience. The close up shots hide his identity as well as gives the character a more sinister ambiance. Playing further into this, the fact that the killer’s identity is hidden makes him more invincible which gives him the upper hand and eliminates the chance of the victim ever getting away.

From the context given, the killer is shown to be suffering from psychological/mental issues, the mise-en-scene of his room shows that he is dedicated to killing and his crimes are thought out/planned and carefully played out (photographs of victims in their everyday lives are evidence that his killings are not passionate but cold and methodical).