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Bridget Rhodes

Charles Freeland

English 1201

24 Oct. 2021

The Fascination of Horror

Would you consider yourself a fan of horror movies? Have you ever been excited about

the upcoming season of Halloween, walking through a haunted house, or even the suspense and

thrill that horror brings you? If you answered yes to these questions then you are in the same boat

as roughly 36% of the U.S. population, according to The Fourcast. The genre of horror has been

around for centuries, yet has many varying opinions on it. Some people find horror to be exciting

while others cannot watch any horror movie if they want to be able to fall asleep that same night.

This has led me to wonder why horror is such a wide range topic and what about it do people

enjoy or hate so much?

As previously stated, horror has been around for centuries dating all the way back to 2000

B.C when narratives themselves were just beginning. Described by Wheeler Dixon in A History

of Horror, scary stories were originally passed on as fables or shown through epics like the

Odyssey where man faced monsters and gods. As the centuries went on, the genre of horror was

incorporated into poems and folk tales that were eventually turned into films and novels. An

example of an early famous horror story is one many people still know today titled Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley. When this tale was released it sparked the inspiration for, “thousands of films,

of all nationalities, from the dawn of cinema to the present” (Wheeler 2). Stories like
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Frankenstein paved the way for later on horror ideas like vampires, man made creatures,

werewolves, etc. However, as the years went on, these tales about the same classic monsters

were strayed away from and soon enough horror became deeper. Incorporating paranormal

activity, demons, murders, and much more, horror become even scarier. This also could be a

potential reason for why less people watch horror movies now than before, because of the

heightened level of fear.

As many people including myself wonder, what makes people enjoy the genre of horror?

An easy assumption to make is that people enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with being

scared, but scientific evidence shows there is much more to it. When it comes to adrenaline being

released in our bodies during scary moments, many people find this sensation uncomfortable

while others find it to be satisfying. Additionally, it is shown that going through stressful events

like a haunted house or a scary movie can cause tighter bonds with others. When being put under

these stressful citations with others, we create stronger bonds and memories with people that we

are already close to. Another reason for people taking a liking in the horror genre can be caused

by how they were raised. If you watched horror movies at a younger age or while growing up, it

is shown to lessen the scariness of horror movies as you grow older and most of the time this

causes one to enjoy these horror movies.

On the other hand of horror enthusiasts there are people who find no enjoyment in this

genre. To start, as discussed earlier, it is known that adrenaline is released in scary situations and

for many people this feeling can be uncomfortable. While horror likers are shown to enjoy

sensation searching, it is the opposite for horror dislikers who tend to find discomfort in these

sensations. Along with that, there are many factors that can create a sense of dread in humans as

described by Frances McAndrew in The Psychology, Geography, and Architecture of Horror:

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How Places Creep Us Out. Discussed in this article are some of the many important factors that

go into creating a horror film, haunted house, or even a scary place in general. For example, most

horror movies will take place in environments that are stereotypically unsafe like abandoned

homes, dangerous parts of cities, isolated areas, etc. This sparks fear in people because these

places are already viewed as having bad physical features which adds to the sensation of fear.

Beyond scary movies and haunted houses, many people share an infatuation with real life

horror such as murder cases and serial killers. In recent years, serial killers have almost been

glorified by the media in many documentaries, inspired tv shows and even movies. In the book

Serial Killers and the Media by Ian Cummins, he explores the idea of celebrities being expanded

to serial killers and how so many people are infatuated by these stories. It is intriguing to think

that events so tragic and awful can also be found so interesting to learn about by the media.

Finally another huge event that is known for its haunting thrill is Halloween. In Lisa

Morton’s book Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween, The origins of Halloween are explained

as well as how this holiday was modified through the years. This famous holiday originally

started as a festival called the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain where people would light

bonfires and wear costumes to keep ghosts away, but soon enough transformed into a day of free

candy and a month of fall activities. Around Halloween time you can find many people going to

haunted houses, watching scary movies, decorating their homes, and wearing scary costumes.

With the majority of people in the country not enjoying horror, it is interesting to find that so

many people celebrate Halloween.

Overall horror is a genre with much diversity. There are many ways to experience horror

whether you are watching a scary movie with your friends, reading about a murder case, or

celebrating Halloween. As enjoyable as horror can be, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but
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that all just depends on how you are wired. These works still leave me to wonder what more is

there about horror that entices people, especially real life horror such as murder cases and serial

killers? Along with that, what is the point of view of these murders and what drives them to be

interested in this way of life? Whether it's the sensation that people enjoy or fascination with

scary ideas, there are many ways to explore this controversial genre.
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Works Cited

Cummins, Ian, et al. Serial Killers and the Media : The Moors Murders Legacy. Palgrave

Macmillan, 2019. EBSCOhost,

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ds-live.

Dixon, Wheeler W. A History of Horror. Rutgers University Press, 2010. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=420876&site=ehost-live.

McAndrew, Francis T. “The Psychology, Geography, and Architecture of Horror: How Places

Creep Us Out.” Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, vol. 4, no. 2, Fall 2020, pp.

47–61. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=148847674&site=eds-live.

Morton, Lisa. Trick or Treat. [Electronic Resource] : A History of Halloween. Reaktion Books,

2012. EBSCOhost,

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ds-live.

Seiya Ishii, et al. “Horror of Three Synergistic Factors in THA: High Mechanical Stress,

Dissimilar Metals, Low Elasticity Stem: A Case Report.” Arthroplasty, vol. 3, no. 1, Oct.

2021, pp. 1–7. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1186/s42836-021-00091-7.

Zullo, Valentino L. “Keeping Horror in Mind: Psychoanalysis and the ‘New Direction’ of EC

Comics.” Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 54, no. 4, Aug. 2021, p. 868. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1111/jpcu.13053.

https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-horror-movies-have-changed-since-their-beginning/