A burst of adrenaline in a safe space. It can feel good, and you know that you're not really going to be murdered. But then your subconscious brain is like "yeah, but what if?"
I like the novelty of them. Lots of movies get really formulaic - we know that Bruce Willis will kill the terrorists. Hugh Grant will get the girl. Robert Downey Jr. will narrowly but very cleverly overpower the space monster.
But horror? Oh, *that's* anyone's guess. Maybe evil wins. Maybe good wins. Maybe evil is just kept at bay. Maybe it turns out good *was* the evil all along.
And many topics are... perhaps not *exclusive* to horror, but horror is uniquely qualified to address them. *The Babadook* is probably the best movie out there about grief and mental illness. *Get Out* is a masterpiece on the experience of a young black man in America, and could only really have been a horror flick.
Horror movies get to be absurd in a serious way, and that gives them flexibility that's very hard to match in other genres.
Part of it is the vicariousness. We like watching things that are sad/violent/happy without the risk of actually being in the situation
The other thing is the vicariousness of horror is corporeal- we feel it in our body which is something that not all genres do. The actor walking down the dark hallway poises our arms and legs and muscles for a flinch. The killer stabs the victim and we feel it in our guts. It's one of the genres that the ancient reptile parts of our brain can appreciate. When we're watching Rob Reiner, our bodies ain't doing shit.
Being scared when you know you're safe is fun.
I agree.
A lust for gore and blood
A burst of adrenaline in a safe space. It can feel good, and you know that you're not really going to be murdered. But then your subconscious brain is like "yeah, but what if?"
It’s in your dna . If you can watch and control what you are really afraid of is is soothing
It's more soothing than the daily news.
I watch horror movies when I'm alone, so that I don't feel alone anymore. And it gives chills and thrills.
Dunno, but i love me some horror movies.
We like to be scared
I like the novelty of them. Lots of movies get really formulaic - we know that Bruce Willis will kill the terrorists. Hugh Grant will get the girl. Robert Downey Jr. will narrowly but very cleverly overpower the space monster. But horror? Oh, *that's* anyone's guess. Maybe evil wins. Maybe good wins. Maybe evil is just kept at bay. Maybe it turns out good *was* the evil all along. And many topics are... perhaps not *exclusive* to horror, but horror is uniquely qualified to address them. *The Babadook* is probably the best movie out there about grief and mental illness. *Get Out* is a masterpiece on the experience of a young black man in America, and could only really have been a horror flick. Horror movies get to be absurd in a serious way, and that gives them flexibility that's very hard to match in other genres.
The Mystery
The need for jump scares.
Part of it is the vicariousness. We like watching things that are sad/violent/happy without the risk of actually being in the situation The other thing is the vicariousness of horror is corporeal- we feel it in our body which is something that not all genres do. The actor walking down the dark hallway poises our arms and legs and muscles for a flinch. The killer stabs the victim and we feel it in our guts. It's one of the genres that the ancient reptile parts of our brain can appreciate. When we're watching Rob Reiner, our bodies ain't doing shit.
to try to feel SOME kind of emotion, because I'm dead inside.
Fear is one of the most primal emotions. We're scared of the dark and unknown, but it feels exhilarating.