Horror fans will always debate when the “peak” of horror was, but one thing is true: it’s an area that continues to grow and surprise us.
I must admit my bias in this article: I’m a huge horror fan. It’s my favorite genre by far and the type of movie that gives me the biggest thrill.
One quote I love from Wes Craven (most known for directing the Scream movies) summarizes it so well:
You don’t enter the theater and pay your money to be afraid. You enter the theater and pay your money to have the fears that are already in you when you go into a theater dealt with and put into a narrative. Stories and narratives are one of the most powerful things in humanity. They’re devices for dealing with the chaotic danger of existence. – Wes Craven
Horror movies play on our biggest fears. No matter what you’re afraid of, there’s a movie out there that has covered it and brought it to life. Maybe it even plays on fears you didn’t know you had in the first place.
Now, every single horror movie out there follows similar patterns, but how the characters will react is the game-changer for each movie.
Some characters find their inner strength to pull through and win against the evil, and some cave in and give up.
If people think that horror movies don’t reflect real life, they’re wrong. Yes, sometimes horror movies are cheesy and they don’t seem realistic, but for the most part there will always be people who rise to the challenge and who fall to the side in the middle of chaos.
We can see this in almost any disaster across the world
Primal living
Horror movies tap into that primal part of our brains and our lives that scream to survive against the odds. When you’re faced with someone chasing you with a chainsaw, your only thought is to survive. What horror movies do so well is throw us into that primal feeling, something we don’t often get in our cushy air-conditioned lives.
Most of us have no real desire to throw ourselves into a terrifying situation, but it’s fun to live through one to see how the characters will take it on.
Horror shows humanity
Few things show humanity like horror movies. People either come together and put aside their differences to beat the evil, or they perish.
Some people are selfish in horror movies and often they’re the ones that end up dying.
Horror movies help your health
You think I’m kidding, but I’m not about this one. Some studies have shown watching horror movies is good for your health. Of course, if it causes you to freak out and not sleep for a week… it’s probably not worth it for you.
I remember reading a long time ago that horror movies help people with certain types of anxiety feel better, and suddenly all my years of watching them made sense. There’s something to be said for watching people survive and conquer the odds. Also jump scares are simply fun.
Writing The Stories 