Why do so many people like frightening things, like ghost stories and horror movies?
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Just last month, the Hollywood horror production (by American producer Jordan Peele) Candyman hit cinema screens and raked in $27 million (Dh99 million) during its opening weekend, in worldwide ticket sales. A Quiet Place Part II (grossing $296 million or Dh1.08 billion globally) and The Conjuring’s sequel (ringing up $202 million or Dh741 million) also performed incredibly well.
All indicators point to people loving the horror genre. Logically, we should be avoiding things that induce fear, but horror entertainment contradicts this notion and continues to draw audiences in.
According to an April 2015 study published in the Germany-based Journal of Media Psychology, people watch scary movies for three primary reasons: tension, relevance and unrealism. Some enjoy the grit and gore, others like being startled, and still others find it a form of sheer escapism. Horror cinema’s ability to raise tension in anticipation of an eventual, satisfactory plot resolution also keeps people coming back.
As viewers, we are able to have an element of control when watching horror. According to American social psychologist Clark McCauley, who wrote the book, When Screen Violence Is Not Attractive, the fictional nature of horror films allows viewers to place psychological distance between themselves and the violence they watch, giving them a sense of control. It’s the same kind of safety net that comes with visiting a haunted house or playing a horror video game.
While a real terrifying situation – like facing off with a lion or being mugged in an alley – would immediately compel our bodies to go into fight, flight or freeze mode, our minds know that what’s playing out on screen is a little different from real-life threats. Our brains quickly evaluate the situation and tell us we are free from risk. Many of us continue to remain in the horror film setting of controlled or safe fright and suspense – simply because we know we are at no risk of harm.
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