Why do we Love Horror?

The love that people have for horror in entertainment is quite a strange phenomenon when truly considered. The theme of horror is to take our deepest fears and worst nightmares and then bring us into headlong confrontation with them.

Why would anyone want that – especially as entertainment? We do though and it is not just movies. If you visit a site that is typical of the kind of online casino Canada has to offer, you will find very popular horror themed slots like Halloween and Blood Suckers.

Then there are other types of games and television shows that are full of horror. It is a recurrent part of the media that we consume, so clearly we find it compelling.

This article is going to explore that theme of horror and dread and try to uncover why we like it quite so much.

A Widespread Passion

The theme of horror is one that features in virtually all forms of media. There are highly successful horror books, movies, television shows and games. It has also been popular for centuries, ever since people first started to create fiction for others to enjoy.

Horror is exploited by these various entertainment industries precisely because there is such a huge audience for it. Compared with themes such as comedy and romance though, horror is an odd way to be entertained.

Not everyone is enthralled by it either. Horror is a genre that tends to engage people strongly or to repel them with equal force.

One of the theories to explain this in psychological terms is that the terror and shocks that we get from our exposure to horror media are pure physical and mental stimulation. Therefore we are compelled because it makes us feel something – even fear – on a visceral level.

The fright that the best horror media evokes in us has actual bodily effects. It leads to blood rushes that provide us with energy, which can make consuming them an exhilarating experience.

Another theory is that many of us like to be able to explore dark psychological states and evil in a controlled way. Horror lets us wallow in these for a while, before returning to safety at the end of the book, film or game.

That is similar to the effect of suspense thrillers and the master of that genre – Alfred Hitchcock – always claimed that audiences loved to be scared in that kind of safe way.

A third possible explanation for the passion that some of us have for horror is desire to explore strange alternate worlds that we might feel curiosity about. After all, a lot of horror media is set in landscapes where ghosts manifest themselves. Many people are fascinated by the supernatural and horror gives us a taste of what it might be like.

This genre is also one that has surprising romantic appeal. Psychologists have argued that horror leads to something called the maldistribution of emotions. This is the idea that being shocked or scared by horror media when watched with others leads to each person transferring their feelings to the other and developing attachments as a result.

Another suggestion as to why horror  is a popular dating choice is that it lets both sexes play out traditional gender roles for a while during a period when they are in flux. So those are possible reasons why we love horror, but what horror do we love?

Horror Films and Games

• Alien

This outer space horror is an absolute classic shocker. It was released in 1979 and the plot sees the crew of a commercial ship awoken from cryogenic sleep and attacked by aliens.

The movie made Sigourney Weaver a star. Its enormous popularity fits with the idea of people wanting to experience unusual alternate realities and it features moments of gory horror greatness.

• Jaws

Jaws is proof that horror does not have to involve aliens, ghosts or anything paranormal. All you need is a killer shark and some equally killer music to inspire feelings of creeping dread in the audience.

Many people consider this 1975 classic to be the birth of the modern blockbuster movie and its scenes of bloody carnage certainly inspired contemporary horror filmmakers.

• Alan Wake 2

Horror is a big thing in the gaming world too and this is perhaps the finest horror game. It sees the title figure trapped within a terrifying dream world while a second character – an agent for the FBI – tries to solve ritual killings. Alan Wake 2 is a surrealistic nightmare that draws the player into a dark and confusing landscape.

People love horror for a great many reasons and those who work at creating media are only too happy to exploit our desire to be scared when making movies and games.