When watching horror films, we experience adrenaline rushes from jump scares and unexpected plot twists, causing our body to enter fight and flight mode as we anticipate what is coming next. This involves many negative sensations which are associated with the experience of real-life fear: increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, tensed muscles. However, when the film concludes, all this tension is released, leading to the feelings of satisfaction and relief which can make horror films cathartic and addicting to watch.
This theory, sometimes referred to as the excitation-transfer theory, suggests that the initial feelings of fear and arousal cause viewers to experience intense relief and greater positive emotions once the threats have been resolved. The fight and flight response is associated with a boost in feel-good chemicals like endorphins and dopamine once the scary experience is over. This means that the arousal we experience when watching horror can intensify the positive emotional responses once the film finishes.
horror films allow us to confront our deepest fears from a safe distance
Another theory as to why we seek fear is that horror films reflect our fears of what could happen to society if certain issues aren’t solved. David Skal proposed this theory, suggesting that horror films provide us an outlet for our societal anxieties, acting as a collective coping mechanism for dealing with the societal issues we face. Skal cites multiple examples of how villains in horror films reflect the social concerns of the time: Godzilla’s radioactive breath in the 1950s as a reaction to worries about radioactive contamination during the Cold War; the resurgence of vampires in the 1980s as a response to concerns about the transmission of diseases by blood during the AIDS crisis.
Ultimately, horror films allow us to confront our deepest fears from a safe distance- whether for the thrill, the following relief, or to validate our concerns about the world- somehow making the experience of fear enjoyable!