Be Reel: American Horror Story

I have recently started watching American Horror Story: "Roanoke" which is the newest season added to Netflix. To give some premise: a couple moves from the city to a remote house on the east coast. Very strange and sinister things begin happening to them at the house but the couple insists on believing that everything is caused by their unwelcoming neighbors. The show is created to mock a documentary about horror stories. The show, created by Ryan Murphy, does an excellent job using a variety of mis-en-scene elements to create a suspense as well as a foreboding tone. For example, in the clip attached below the use of lighting and color help to create the foreboding tone. The lighting key used here is very dim with lots of shadows. This makes the depth rather shallow because all that can be seen is the character and what her flashlight shines upon. This also makes for the dominant color black, which also creates the darkness of the scene and symbolizes death, which creates the feeling that something bad is coming for the main character. The use of dominant feature is also used to create eeriness. Just before the crash in this scene, the camera is focused in on the old woman. She is the only thing light shines on and she is placed in the center of the screen just before she is hit. The dominant feature of the scene is her face, which is emotionless as she stares directly into the car before being hit. This creates an eerie tone because people generally will have a look of panic or fear before being hit by a car, but this woman is emotionless and stern which is emphasized by the lighting and her character placement, making her a dominant feature.
I highly recommend American Horror Story to everyone. I used to not like scary movies or shows but I have watched nearly every season and love it. The only people I would not recommend this to are those who cannot stomach blood and gore, for the show contains a lot of that. Sarah Paulson does an amazing job in the series and portrays a wide variety of characters. The best part about the show is that as the episodes continue, more information is revealed that explains the paranormal events that take place. My favorite seasons of the show are "Murder House" and "Coven". I've just started "Roanoke" but so far like it. The show is well produced and will leave you on the edge of your seat. American Horror Story is a must watch, especially with Halloween around the corner.