Blood, guts, and gore galore. Horror movies have long been one of the most popular film genres. They are hugely successful at the box office, and some of the biggest pop culture figures throughout the last decade are horror icons. These movies make our hearts race, our pulses pound, and our anxiety spike. Fear isn’t typically a feeling that people enjoy, yet millions of people pay to experience it every year. So, we’re left with one major question to answer: Why do people love horror?
The Thrill
Horror movies might be fake, but the brain’s reaction to the content is very real. The suspenseful music, the jump scares, and the feeling that danger is near. This building sense of fear floods the brain with adrenaline, eventually putting us in fight or flight mode. According to Patti Greco of Health.com, our brains also release “euphoria-inducing brain chemicals like endorphins and dopamine—all of which can pump you up and make you feel like you’re ready to take on the world.” So next time you think you could take down Jason Voorhees, remember that it’s probably just the brain chemicals speaking…
The Danger (and Safety)
Frightening films let you experience terror without any real threat of danger. It’s fun to put ourselves in the shoes of a protagonist and let the movie take us for a ride. Your adrenaline is pumping like you’re present in the film, but you aren’t. Sometimes the protagonist wins the battle, and we feel that win. We feel like we conquered something at the end of the film, even though we didn’t personally experience any of it.
Viewers also love to criticize the actions of a protagonist throughout a horror film. Everybody’s done it before. “Why would you hide there?! How did you forget to lock the door?!” But if the threat was real, you wouldn’t be nearly as clearheaded as you are just watching the events unfold. Hell, you’d probably be the one who trips while running away from the antagonist.
The Villains
Horror villains have become a staple in pop culture dating all the way back to when Nosferatu was released in 1922. Today, we celebrate villains such as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Sam, Ghost Face ®, and so many more. People fall in love with these characters because of their unique, nightmare-inducing looks, their personalities, and sometimes even their sense of humor (see Chucky).
People also love horror villains because they feel bad for them. Some horror fans even end up rooting for these characters, mainly because the character has been through a traumatic experience that made them this way. Some examples include characters like Carrie White (who was a bullying victim), Candyman (who was murdered because of the color of his skin), and Hannibal Lecter (who suffered several tragedies in his childhood). Simply put, viewers feel the villain’s pain and they feel for them.
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