Why do we love Horror so much? - The Insomniac's Cinema

Why do we love horrors so much?
The Insomniac's Cinema

Horror is a very unique movie genre, it's one of those genres that people either love or hate. Usually the people who hate it say that they cant handle being scared or that the violence and gore is just too much for them, and then there's us, the people who cant get enough of those exact things! Why is this, why do we enjoy and love horrors so very much while others can't stand them at all?

Over the past few years I've heard several different theories explaining our fascination with horror movies. Some people argue that our love of horrors comes from the resurfacing of our most primal urges. That when we watch these types of movies we satisfy an aggressive and primal spirit that lives deep within us. The same affect can be used to explain the morbid fascination you might experience when seeing a car crash on a highway, how you know that there's a chance that if you look you will see something upsetting on the road but you can't help but stare as long as possible until your too far away to make anything out.


Another explanation suggests that while we watch horrors we get an adrenaline rush similar to what you would experience when you are actually in danger. This is the same reason people give for taking part in extreme sports or riding roller coasters. I think this a very good argument, but the thing is I've watched so many horror movies, that few scare me at all anymore while that same movie would make somebody (who isn't fond of horrors) go completely hysterical...


Something else that makes me wonder a lot about horror movies and their effect on us is that they almost always get such a polarized reaction... People either LOVE them or HATE them. Some would say it's because some people are just tougher and don't get scared so easily, I don't agree with this...

I think that one of the many reasons for our fascination and love for horrors and why they can  have such a polarizing effect can be linked to early exposure...

My father is really not a huge horror fan today but when he was younger he used to  be a complete Stephen King and all around Horror fiction lover! In our loft he stored all his horror books and when I was very young I went up there and looked at their interesting covers. Most of them didn't bother me that much except for one, a book called Headhunter by Michael Slade.

The exact same cover
 that is still gathering
Dust in our loft...

I have no idea why but this one book scared me so much but at the same time kept drawing me back to it, for years afterwards whenever I went up there I looked at that book and every time it creeped. me. out! See, my theorie is that, that book planted the seed in my head that lead to me being such  a huge horror fan,  it was jut scary enough to frighten and entice me but not that scary that it completely scared me away, thus I formed this fascination with this genre as a whole. Usually when I speak with the horror haters they tell me that they experienced something horror related when they were younger and that it scared them so much they can't stand horror at all, even today...


Thank you for reading and please remember that this is just someone who doesn't really know anything about anything's theorie, but I would love to hear all of your own opinions so please share them in the comments below!

-The Insomniac's Cinema