I love horror movies. I absolutely adore the cliché storylines, bad acting and gore. I love gore. From that druggie's arm being crushed by a truck in Evil Dead to Jessica Biel being repeatedly slashed at in the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And I consider myself to be a fairly mild-mannered human being. So what is it about horror movies that comforts me so?
Realistically speaking, my answer would be that there is some primal urge in the human psyche that longs to see suffering but because we've evolved as a society, that bloody pain can only be truly captured in films, otherwise we would all be raging, homicidal maniacs (cue, The Purge).
Romantically speaking, my answer would be fairly similar, citing the reason as a human response to social development. It is not very often that both sides of my brain agree wholeheartedly.
I watched my first horror movie when I was twelve, it was my friend's birthday sleepover and we decided to rent a scary movie to watch. Our choice was Fear Island, staring Hailey Duff as the main role. No offense to Hailey but you always know you won't be getting world-class art if you see her as the title role in a movie. It was a horrible movie, granted but it opened my eyes to this vibrant genre.
I set myself a mission - to find a horror movie that honestly scared me. I finally found one, The Conjuring 2 gave me the shivers (a possible factor could have been the fact that I watched it with my best friend Danijela who seems to make everything scarier with her existential attitude, we're a very positive bunch I know.)
The fact of the matter is, I am satisfied knowing that something has scared me. It makes me feel a lot more human and I think that's mostly the reason why people need to watch horror movies - to feel alive. I know that my reason is cliché and expected but I genuinely believe that sometimes people are too busy existing instead of living. So, next time you feel a little glum, put on an old Wes Craven classic and let all of your feelings come back - fear, irritation, etc.
"And remember, the next scream you hear may be your own!'' - The Birds,1963.
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