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Why do we love horror movies so much? Why do we enjoy watching people get killed or tortured on the screen, even if it makes us feel scared and uncomfortable? It turns out that there are a number of reasons why horror movies are so addictive.
Psychological Perspective: One reason for this is because they tap into our natural fear response. When you watch a scary movie, your adrenaline starts pumping and your heart rate increases – essentially giving you a rush. Horror films also have aspects of suspense built in to them that play with our anticipation-filled minds by teasing us with what could happen next (or what might already be happening right under our noses).
In other words, these types of films generate tension and anxiety in the viewer. This can be exciting for some people, but it’s not fun for everybody – which is why so many horror movies end with a happy ending or an “I knew that!” moment where the hero survives or figures out what was going on all along.
Another psychological perspective here is that when we watch someone die in real life, such as through violence and crime coverage on social media, it makes us feel helpless and afraid because these things happen to strangers who are removed from our everyday lives (or maybe to people whose stories we don’t know). But when you see this happening in a movie – whether it’s fictionalized like Stranger Things or based on something true like A Quiet Place – then the protagonist has been built up enough that you feel like they’re someone that you can save, and then it makes the violence much less scary. Fear is a universal emotion because of its evolutionary function in keeping us safe from danger; it’s just that some people find horror movies more thrilling than others.” The emotional intensity of watching an intense movie might make our fear stronger for a little while – but this has been shown to have no long-term effects on mental health or happiness. What we do know anecdotally, though, is that many people who enjoy being scared are very keen on getting as close to death themselves: skydiving or white water rafting for example!
