Why we love horror movies: The science behind the thrill

I ain’t afraid of no ghosts. But it can be fun to believe in them for a bit. Especially when it’s on a screen – where sudden revelations come with music and when you switch the telly off, the scary bit is over. Or so you tell yourself.

If you find yourself drawn to dark storylines where something goes bump in the night, you really aren’t alone.

The genre has always been popular – remember those campfire tales of ghouls told to the tune of munching marshmallows on school trips? Or the stories of jinn and other supernaturals found across cultures? And when the time came for the big screen, they did just as well with movies such as The Exorcist managing to wreak havoc on imaginations for decades.

Over time, the genre has become increasingly mainstream – and its makers more prolific. Now, one could argue this is about supply and demand. The proof of fame is in the numbers. Teresa Rio, VP Marketing, OSN+ and Anghami, says: “In the UAE this year, original horror film Obsession grossed more than Dh22 million (approximately $6 million).” Internationally, horror films have already generated more than $1.1 billion at the North American box office this year, she adds.

However, it’s not just about exposure. There is some interesting science behind why we like to be scared.

For one thing, horror is art, a partner in escapism. A sudden scare can activate the body's fight-or-flight response, sending the heart racing and triggering the release of stress hormones. But once the brain recognises that there is no real danger, that rush of fear can give way to excitement and relief.

Florida International University psychology researcher Matthew Sutherland says on the university blog: “Our brains let us experience the physiological rush of fear while knowing we’re not in real danger.” The cognitive neuroscientist and researcher at the Center for Children and Families adds: “That combination transforms anxiety into excitement.”

For 48-year-old Dubai-based Indian expat Zain Barodawala, whose favourite horror movie is The Exorcist, the genre has always been fascinating. "When I was a kid, horror movies used to scare the living daylights out of me. But there was something about them that still drew me towards horror, even if it meant watching them through a gap in my fingers or staring slightly off screen during a particularly terrifying scene. Over time, I've become braver (but I'll never watch a horror film when I’m truly alone at home). I think what keeps pulling me back to the genre is the fear, which makes me feel alive,” he explains.

There is such a thing as too scary. The study Playing With Fear: A Field Study in Recreational Horror, found that enjoyment at a haunted house attraction followed an inverted-U pattern: too little fear was less enjoyable, but too much fear also reduced enjoyment. The most pleasurable experience appeared to fall somewhere in between.

The ‘recreational fear’ theory, explains Rio, “suggests that enjoyment can sit in a kind of sweet spot: enough fear to create excitement and tension, without becoming overwhelming. That sense of control is what makes horror such an unusual form of escapism.”

And then there’s morbid curiosity, an itch to know more about disturbing or potentially dangerous subjects. (It’s probably why we watch a teenager in a scary movie running towards a mysterious sound rather than away from it, groaning at their questionable decisions but desperate to discover what's making the noise.)

Rio explains: “We want to know what is behind the door. We want to understand what happened. And once the story has us, we need to know what happens next. The most effective horror often understands that what we imagine can be more frightening than what we see.”

Aaqueela Floris, a South African expat in Dubai, says: “I like horror movies because I enjoy the anticipation and thrill of the unknown. I enjoy trying to figure out the storyline of why the characters turn out the way they do and the fear and adrenaline is fun since I can immerse myself in it without the risk of a real-life situation. I guess it’s the same reason why I like roller coasters.”

That basic human instinct of curiosity has not changed over time. “What has changed is the sheer breadth of the genre,” she says. “Horror today can be supernatural, psychological, gothic, franchise-led or born from internet culture. And as the genre broadens, so does the audience for it.”

And then there's the imagination, which can be a frightening thing in itself. If you have seen the shadows move in a sinister manner in the middle of the night, or wondered what a sudden sound is on a quiet day, you know the ghosties on screen can leave echoes in your mind – shadowy little moments that come to the fore when the atmosphere is just so.

Watching scary movies with a group of friends also offers an opportunity to bond – it is a shared emotional experience, from discovery to resolution, which can lead to a feeling of closeness. After screaming together, flinching at the same ominous footsteps on screen, and ‘surviving’ the same encounter, we laugh at ourselves and the situation, finding comfort in humour.

And perhaps that's why we keep returning to scary stories, whether we're sitting around a campfire munching marshmallows or watching ghosts emerge from the shadows on screen. We know they're not real. We know we're safe. But for a little while, it's rather fun to forget.