Why Do People Enjoy Horror/ Splatter Movies?

Image credit: Saw Films Wiki

Some of us may think that people who enjoy watching horror movies especially in the gore/ splatter category (aka torture porn) are sick or have a dark personality. I can’t speak for the rest but I can tell you that it’s not necessarily true. How do I know? Well, for a start, those kind of movies are fascinating to me. I enjoy watching them.

Okay, a psychopath will not tell you they’re a psychopath right? But I’m telling you, there’s nothing wrong or dark about me except my imagination! Truly, I can be a chickenshit in real life and pretty harmless unless… *evil grin*

What I’m trying to say is, human beings are rather complex. What we enjoy doing sometimes doesn’t reflect who we truly are. How do you explain someone who would rather hold a python or tarantula than to be anywhere near a harmless cockroach?

I don’t do rollercoasters, skydiving, bungee-jumping, and all the activities involving heights. On top of that, I have fear of flying. My life in general is pretty non-adventurous. Therefore, I get my adrenaline fix from watching horror movies.

There are a few possibilities (or theories) that people are drawn to horror movies:

1. Curiosity: Some people are more curious than others and it’s safe to say, I fall into the category of being an extremely curious person. I remember when a friend recommended the movie Human Centipede to me, she said, “It’s so sick but I think you’ll enjoy it.” Well, I did enjoy it in the sense that it satisfied my curiosity. But will I watch it again? Heck no! Sick to my stomach!

2. Excitement/ Sensation-seeking/ Adrenaline rush: While others may enjoy going on a rollercoaster or bungee-jumping as a way to seek excitement, some of us seek these intense experiences through horror movies. Trust me, it’s way less risky. I just need the feeling it creates without putting myself in harm’s way.

3. Catharsis: There are a lot of studies linking violence in movies or video games can lead to violence in real life. But is it possible that it could be the other way around? Could watching horror movies release that pent-up negative emotions that can be comforting for the viewers? Will this then lessen the potential violent behaviours in them? At the moment, there are not enough studies to verify this but it’s a theory that’s worth exploring.

So do you like horror movies? What are your reasons for liking them? 🙂