Horror films have delighted audiences for more than a 100 years, right from 'The House Of The Devil' (1896), to 'The Conjuring' (2013). Much time has passed, and though the themes have changed and evolved, one constant has always left filmmakers and film goers wondering — why do we like horror films? An assumption we all tend to make is that people pursue pleasure and avoid pain. Then how can this explain people wanting to experience negative feelings, such as what happens while watching horror movies?
It certainly seems contradictory that so many people would voluntarily immerse themselves in almost two hours of fear, disgust and terror. “Why do people pay for this?” “How is this enjoyable?”
The reason is that the person is not actually afraid, but excited by the movie. The second explanation is that they are willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end. But I believe that people love to experience a positive effect through a negative effect.
In other words, horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy. The truth is that people experience both negative and positive emotions simultaneously — people may actually enjoy being scared, as much they would be relieved when the threat is removed. The most pleasant moments of a particular event may also be the most fearful.
This applies to other experiences that seem to elicit terror, risk, or disgust. Take for instance extreme sports. When individuals who typically choose to avoid the stimuli are embedded in a protective frame of mind, when there is sufficient psychological disengagement or detachment, they experience positive feelings while still experiencing fear.
So to sum it up, I would say that people love horror films because of their need to feel an emotional intensity, which is very primal in nature. It makes them feel alive. The only other thing that can make them feel more alive and can beat horror hands down would be sex.
