Why Do We Watch Horror Movies?

The trend of watching movies and shows has increased in the modern era and especially rose when there was a situation of lockdown due to COVID-19. Everyone has their own taste of movies but have you ever wondered why this happens. Why are some people more interested in watching comedy movies whereas others want to watch horror movies. There could be several possible explanations for that. 

Why Do We Watch Horror Movies?

Tension

According to many studies, it has been found out that one of the main reasons why people are so interested in watching horror movies is because they have a high element of tension in them. AS a result, these movies keep the viewers engaged for a longer time making the movie more interesting as well. The entire experience of undergoing suspense and thrill at the same time is something that is an important reason for many to watch horror movies. 

People want to experience tension and see how it feels like to be “really scared”. Some viewers want to figure out where this tension ends. Others are just interested because the tense situation is residing throughout the movie and the tension is not just existing at a particular point. Your heartbeat increases and your entire body can react making this sensation an appealing one. 

Comforting 

As much as you may find this an absurd concept, it is true. Horror movies could comfort some people. Hold on! How is that possible? Horror movies are made with the intention to scare people so how could they be comforting? According to Brownlowe, the people who face anxiety could find horror movies comforting. 

Sometimes the brain could emit neuro-chemical reactions and responses to certain activities allowing a person to cool down. This could especially occur when you are watching horror movies. The most probable cause of this, as highlighted by the experts, is that there is the release of dopamine-related to rest-and-digest. This could imply an increased sense of happiness, self-care, and well-being.

Some horror movies could be comforting.

Accomplishment

“I Challenge you that you can’t watch Anabelle alone”. You might hear this line from someone and the next thing you could do is to watch the movie all alone. According to scientists, many people watch horror movies to have the pleasure of accomplishment at the end. 

Some could assume that they are being labeled as “chicken” for not watching horror movies and this could be sufficient to instigate a person into watching a horror film. Mostly this type of factor is seen among the teens who challenge each other into making small bets. However, it still stays as an important reason why one would want to watch horror movies.  

Could be Bringing You Closer

There is a good chance that many of you are watching horror movies because you want to come closer to a certain person. Other than psychologists, this tip has been recommended by the different types of dating coaches as well as suggests that a couple could come closer if they watch horror. Dr. Arthur found out that those who are watching scary films could become attracted to each other. 

This happens mainly because people who watch these films together will have a deeper analogy of the collective consciousness as humans. The shared experience of dark and horror brings us closer involuntarily. When couples watch such movies together, they have established a strong sense of security by being with each other. According to Brownlowe, horror movies could be contributing to building a deep intimacy. 

Annabelle Comes Home, One of the top horror movies of all time. 

Find out more about some of the best older movies millennials could watch – The Best Older Movies Millennials Need to Watch.

Relevance

Horror movies are often liked for the fact that the concept of horror and ghosts has been seen in reality too. Many movies are adapted from real-life situations or news that we have heard. This makes the movie more interesting for anybody to watch. People love to see how a particular movie is depicting reality. 

Making a fiction story into a highly believable and realistic one is what we see in a horror movie. Relevance becomes a key factor in having horror films watched by the audience. Many folk tales mention that haunted houses and ghosts are real creatures making the movies more intriguing for the viewers to explore these myths. 

Particular Taste

Some people have a particular taste in horror movies. They could just find the horror part more appealing and interesting. Such people do not usually like comedy films as they have developed a taste of scary and adrenaline-pushing films. A fact is that the personality of a  person could be judged by the types of movies they watch. 

A jolly person might be watching more comedy films from where he could be improving his sense of humor. On the other hand, a person who is aggressive is mainly because the action movies have created an impact on his mind. The most suspicious and mysterious people are usually those that watch horror films. They tend to have a silent nature but could erupt at any time. 

Spooky Dolls could easily scare you away. 

Horror is a Teacher

There are many tough times in one’s life and some of them could be very dangerous too. There can be situations when you might not know what could be the right thing to do. According to experts, horror movies can help out in developing different types of strategies for day-to-day problems as well as prepare for unexpected emergencies. They can also help in dealing with uncertain situations. 

For this reason, many might watch horror films to prepare themselves when they feel anxious or afraid. Comparing this to a non-horror fan, there is a high chance of coming out of tough situations if you already have some ability to resist the aspect of fear and devise problem-solving techniques to aid in coping up. 

People are able to come up against their self-constructed fears or phobias if they are watching horror films in routine. For example, if a person afraid of snakes regularly watches horror films containing snake attacks, he might be scared at first but then he would slowly be prone to it. As a result, the fear of snakes will reduce. Therefore, horror could become a good teacher in overcoming the fears and setbacks that we have in our personality. 

Read more on top films directed by Steven Speilberg – The Best Movies Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Horror Films are Well-Made

As much as we think about the different types of horror films, one reason why people would like them is that they are very well-made. For example, Annabelle 3 has a fine plot and the exceptional thrill comes among the viewers due to the particular and perfect setting of the movie. The horror film has been designed in a manner that the viewers would be more attracted to this genre rather than any other. 

Horror movies contain perfect roles and dialogue along with the action. They have been made with extraordinary keen attention so that the fans are never disappointed. The visuals are from an evolutionary standpoint which becomes the reason why fans are always emotionally excited. 

Zombies are presented very realistically in horror movies. 

Being Trendy

Sometimes there could be no other reason than the fact that we like to be trendy. It does not matter whether we like horror movies or not. It doesn’t even matter if we are being highly uncomfortable or not. The only thing that is important is that “Everyone is watching it, so I have to watch it too”. Following the trends has become increasingly important because of the arrival of social media where even the smallest thing could go viral and become a part of the trend that everyone would want to follow. 

Controversies and conspiracies regarding a particular movie are also one reason why they might become more trendy and appealing for the viewers. Annabelle 3 is one of them. Many viewers had to visit psychiatrists after watching the movie. When this news broke out, everyone wanted to see the movie to find out what exactly had been so intriguing that people were having different mental disorders. 

This isn’t odd. Everyone follows something that gets into the trend even if it isn’t something they have a preference for. One of the reasons is that the social peer pressure is high and we have an impulsive desire to appear cool in front of others. So even if you aren’t a fan, chances are, that you would still watch a scary movie and stay feared for the entire night. 

You might be watching horror because it is in the trend.

Best Horror Movies of All Times

These many reasons could be provoking you to watch a horror movie soon. Fortunately, we have prepared a list of some of the best horror movies of all time that could give you thrills. Watch them with a friend if you don’t usually watch horror.  Be advised that most of these are R-rated films so watch with caution. 

  • Anabelle Comes Home (2019)
  • The Conjuring 2 (2016)
  • The Exorcist (1973)
  • Sinister (2012)
  • Don’t Breathe (2016) 
  • The Cabin in The Woods (2011)
  • The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
  • A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Conclusion

Watching horror movies is something that is not the job of every other person but what we see is that many people are indeed watching horror films without any problems. There are different reasons for that which we have mentioned above. Try to figure out which one of the reasons is most important for you to watch a horror movie. For sure, put this on your schedule to watch one of the best horror movies of all times like we mentioned above.