Thoughts on the Horror Genre

What is it about horror movies that keep people coming back? How does this genre keep the interest of the masses? These are some questions that I have been thinking about.

People love to be scared. There is a thrill, a rush of adrenaline, when the crazy psycho killer jumps out with a giant butcher knife. Think about the movie theatre experience. There are certain aspects that create a comfortable vulnerability. You are sitting in the dark and there is a frightening story playing out in front of you. However, you know that you are safe because you are with other people and you are not actually in the movie. Anytime the movie becomes too scary you can say to yourself it is just a movie and I am safe. A large part of the appeal of movie is you can experience something frightening and dangerous without actually being in danger. The other aspect of it is confronting your fears. People may feel a sense of accomplishment my watching a movie that they were scared of. Movies are a painless way to surmount your fears. I guess what keeps people coming back for more with the horror genre is the experience that is offered by watching horror movies. All movies offer the experience of taking you to a different world for two hours, but only horror movies offer this special feeling of comfortable vulnerability.

Another great part of the horror genre is the fact that it changes to the times. The reason I feel that this genre can hold the interest of the masses is that it appeals to fears that are present in society at the present time. Basically as the fears of society change so do the topics of horror movies. Recently there have been many more films that are based around technology being the enemy. An example of this is the movie Virus. In this movie a “virus” is brought down from space and the thing manipulates anything robotic and turns it against man. In the past technology was looked at, as only positive so in the past there may not have been that many movies with technology as the enemy.

The face of horror movies is constantly changing. One thing remains constant, however; horror movies provide a rush and sense of conquering your fears that other movies cannot provide. While the horror genre may be changing today more than ever, the truth is it has always been changing. As long as society keeps dictating the fears of people, the horror genre will keep changing.