Horror Movies: Why Some of Us Love Them and Some of Us Don’t
In the words of Arthur Conan Doyle: “Where there is no imagination – there is no horror.”
Horror movies require us to face the unknown – to understand it and make it less scary. They allow us to see our fears and put them into context, to play “what if,” and in doing so, they shape our belief systems, how we see each other and ourselves. They are a safe place to explore and for some just a good bit of fun.
Some people can’t get enough of horror movies. They’ve seen many of their favorites over and over. They crave them and look forward to the next scare. But some people can’t stand horror movies, and just the mere thought of watching them frightens them enough.
So, why do some love horror and some hate it?
One reason for the appeal is how you feel after the movie. There is a name for this feeling, and it’s called “excitation transfer process.” It’s what happens when people are watching a frightening film; their heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration will increase. After the film is over, this physiological arousal lingers. Meaning that any positive emotions you experience are intensified. Instead of focusing on the fright you felt during the film, you recall having a great time, and you’ll want to come back for more.
If your experience while watching a horror movie is a bad one, it’s because your lingering arousal heightens any emotions you feel, and the negative feelings may keep you from watching a horror movie in the future.
Another reason for the difference is because people are just wired differently. People who love horror movies enjoy high levels of physiological arousal. They may like scary movies because they enjoy the adrenaline rush of being scared while being safe in their own homes, or a movie theater, or they may turn to scary movies because they’re exciting and something they don’t see in everyday life.
All of us are wired to pay attention to anomalies in our environment anyway, and since danger disrupts routine, curiosity about change is important for survival. Like stopping at the scene of a gory accident: You don’t see that every day. Still, negative emotions can trump novelty. If we experience high levels of fright, seeing a scary movie just isn’t worth it.
Whatever the reason for our morbid fascination of watching horror movies, or our “horror paradox” as some people call it, we love them. Call us adrenaline junkies, sick fucks, or whatever you want; but horror isn’t going away soon and is in fact becoming even more mainstream than ever. Horror movie fans like the thrill and the excitement, and that is a fun thing. And who doesn’t like having fun?
So let’s raise a toast to all things horror, my friends, and say “cheers” to our next scare!
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