I was a traumatized kid in a bad situation that i couldn't escape.
Horror gave me an outlet of sorts. It was something worse than my life and I could tell myself, at least it's not like that.
Now I appreciate horror for it's own sake. I enjoy the feeling of controlled fear. I enjoy the darkness and imagery.
I like that phrase, 'controlled fear', I think when you're reading horror it's taking back control in a way, you can always put the book down but it's satisfying and thrilling to go on that journey. I read all sorts of books, but when I don't really know what mood I'm in it's horror/sci-fi all the way.
You are absolutely right, I've never thought of it that way - of taking back control.
I read a lot too so if you have any good horror books, throw them my way! I usually read fantasy/urban fantasy.
Taking back control is a huge part of my love of horror! I was raised really religiously, which teaches you to be scared of everything. So getting into horror was really helpful for healing some of my religious trauma after i deconstructed.
As a woman and a trauma survivor, it's the same reason we like true crime. It makes us feel like our hypervigilance might save our lives someday instead of just crippling us and making us suffer.
For me Its about escapism that other genres just dont do for me as well. Ive always described it as I love a cute rom com or action or drama as much as the next person but I can still be stress out about my day while watching that rom com. I can still be sad or depressed or busy in my mind thinking about my own reality shit. BUT with Horror movies and books its pure escapism for me. I think its that extra element of "fear" that completely gets me out of my own head and I can really immerse myself. I also think horror is my favorite genre because in my opinion its one of the most "creative" styles of movie making. I love anything with practical effects and just adore that with in the genre so much and it makes it really fun to dive into behind the scenes of whatever movie.
Agreed! A bad movie is usually bad, but there are many awful horror movies that I adore. I just watched Down(2001) for the first time recently and it was so much fun
A fixation on the dark corners of everything. The soul, the psyche, the dark superstitions of long dead societies (and some still living), the endless possibilities. The Dark is endless, and I am so utterly curious about what may lay within. Honestly, if I had the option I would become something akin to a lich, just to see how far down this dark rabbit hole goes.
I majored in English Literature in (a small, private) college and we had this absolutely fascinating professor.
He loved horror novels and short stories and turned me on to a phenomenal British ghost story writer from the early 1900s named M.R. James.
Anyway, one day, he said consuming horror stories, films, whatever, exorcizes fear. I thought that was an interesting take.
I grew up terrified of the dark. Weird shadows out my window and on my walls. The monster under my bed. The sounds of a house settling, pipes fluctuating and branches screeching against the house. That kind of stuff.
Watching horror and paranormal movies helped me learn how to deal with fear and be brave/braver. Then it became kind of a quest to find what will scare me. Not much that isn't IRL situations.
Mines not as deep as these and applies soley to horror films, not books- if theyāre good Iām scared and I love adrenaline, if theyāre bad theyāre normally funny to laugh at. Win win
I like horror books because I find them an accessible mixture or realism so I can ground myself in it, and the fantastical. So
I find them easy enough to read whilst also challenging my imagination in others.
I like mysteries, the more unpredictable the better. I pretty much only like sci-fi/ cosmic / paranormal / occult horror because any rules of the mediaās reality could be bent or broken at anytime. This lends itself to some great, unpredictable twists and endings.
I like horror movies. I noticed I especially in the daytime and when Iām having a bad day. It makes me feel like OK, so my car didnāt start. I missed an appointment and had to pay a fee anyway but at least I donāt have zombies after me or creatures trying to suck my blood(except for mosquitoes)š¦ or anything like that. Itās kind of, a contrast thing. I have issues like everyone else does, but at least Iām safe.
Unfortunately, I have experienced a lot of anxiety, based off...stuff.
Horror is a way where I am in complete control. I can fast forward, mute the sound, look away. It is a way that has allowed me to gain a better control over anxiety, if that makes any sense.
Ever since I was a kid I've liked monsters and I enjoy delving into the darker depths of the human imagination.
I like my happy endings but some times you just want some gloom and misery.
The sort of horror that Iām drawn to has an enchanted quality to it, and it often depicts a world that is radically outside the control of present day civilization. Ghosts, faeries, demons, and ancient gods are all too happy to exploit the hubris of modernity and remind their victims that the spirits of history and the natural world are not so conquered as they may have thought. In that sense, I think that horror introduces a sense of uncertainty about the world that I find appealing, as well as a certain reverence toward it.
I used to get scared easily as a kid and got nightmares easily. I think when it changed because I wasn't the best reader due to learning disabilities (dysgraphia) and the series I really started reading on my own was Goosebumps. Then I got into Stephen King, Wes Craven and so on. I feel horror really tested humanity and what is wrong with society.
Horror was the first outlet for many minority groups or the LGBTQ community. Because if there is one thing that can unite people is fear.
For consuming: I have crippling OCD, being afraid of something in a book/movie/whatever distracts me from being afraid of one of my obsessions. Basically I live in a state of Constant Fear that I can't turn off, but I CAN change what I'm scared ABOUT. Can't get intrusive thoughts about getting a disease, too busy scared that the girl from The Ring will crawl out of my TV
For creating: great, constructive way to explore & express my fears/obsessions
Its cathartic. Sometimes you just need to watch stupid people die.
Someone gets on my last nerve, i go watch jason kill some dumb teenagers and i feel better. The worse i feel the more gore it takes to relieve that stress, i know i need to talk to someone when watching a serbian film again starts sounding like a good idea.
My mom was always watching horror growing up, especially the 50s and 60s Vincent Price era. That stuff's like comfort food to me. She also got me into reading through Goosebumps, then Christopher Pike, then Stephen King, and we bonded over horror books. For her birthday every year I got her the latest King book (or Joe Hill) and a Yankee Candle. She'd read it in 2 days, give it to me to read, then we'd talk about it.
One day she brought me her whole collection because her eye sight wasn't good enough to read anymore. I bought her an audible subscription that birthday so we could still have our book club. Fairy Tale was the last one we covered before she passed and I miss her every time he announces a new one.
Variety of reasons, i suppose. Most notably is that it seems to be among the last genres that are still genuinely inventive or capable of generating that "What the..." response. That's not to say that horror doesn't have its own steel core-ed tropes and cliches, but i find horror can still be surprising. Or more able to surprise.
The other thing is that there is still a touch of taboo to horror. Which i confess does have an edgy appeal even if i personally stay away from the more gory or lewd horrors.
I grew up in a house with an LEO father who was a detective as a kid. I used to help him organize and identify crime scene photos when Iād go to his office to help him. It was a small city and I was up at the PD almost everyday. Anywho, I learned about all the evil in the world from a young age. Itās nice to watch stuff like that play out on film and it not be an actual human who has to go through whatever happens in the movie. I think I may just be desensitized at this point though.
I like seeing someoneās creative vision brought to life in an unexpected way. Iāve seen so many horror movies that they donāt really scare me much or shock me at all. I love creatively spooky or gory moments that catch me off guard.
Most of my favorite horror films can be broken down into two categories: entertainment value picks and good quality exploration of thematics. Sometimes they fall into both.
Hereditary is a good example of a film that explores loss. Itās much more interesting than āsomeone died and now theyāre a ghost;ā the mysterious matriarch passes away and pieces of her life become uncovered over the course of the film. Thereās also that unforgettable scene where Toni Colletteās character āswimsā through the air to sneak out of the sonās room that gets me every time. I put that film at the top of my list because it hits both categories.
Because the rules around the horror genre mean that the options are limited. There are tropes. So the challenge is, what can you do within that structure? So a good horror film is usually great.
Also I am sentimental and horror films often are. They also present a moral framework, which I value.
i like to freak myself out with something fake so that i can avoid stuff thatās real lmao. it also gives me an excuse to self-soothe with kids cartoons after haha
Itās the same reason that I like roller coasters or spicy food- itās an adrenaline boost. I have ADHD so itās probably also a bit of a dopamine hit for me.
I'm super sweet and outgoing and kind externally, but I have a darkness that is related to childhood trauma, existentialism, failures to reach self-actualization, craving for not being here that I live with privately, and this allows me to tap into that and feel somehow... good about it? Indulged in it in a safe way? Perhaps that's how I'd describe it... Almost like, flicking the bean, if you know what I mean.
Also, I'm extremely clumsy, so I don't like getting adrenaline from real-life things like snowboarding or jumping of a cliff, for example. I always hurt myself somehow, so in the physical world, I don't do a lot of risky moves. This is how I get my adrenaline, how I experience and explore adrenaline in the body through the mind. I also like spicy food.
I'm a sick bitch psychologically. I think there's something to be said for whistling past a graveyard. I have a morbid sense of humor. I like when a movie makes me feel something and I am not sure whether to laugh or cry or scream. I can relate to a protagonist in a horror film more than a beautiful lady in a rom com.
Because itās fun! My mom and aunts were the hands covering the face and screaming. And itās a comfort since my sis watched me as sheās 10 years older and it became a homely ritual that I nourished. So family?
TBH honest, Iām not sure. I remember being āintriguedā when I saw my first horror movies at age 9 or 10. Iāve loved them since. Canāt really explain why. I simply enjoy watching them. Like the other day, I decided at work when I got home I was gonna watch Halloween 2 š¤·š»āāļø.
I always felt drawn to horror because it offers such a contrast to the evil, terrible things about the real world. Those tend to be giant, bureaucratic tools meant to crush us - apathy, benign cruelty, ego, etc. Whereas horror (most horror) offers a succinct and agreeable evil thing or concept that people can see and agree is worth fighting against, so it kind of soothes me.
I also dove deeper into horror when my mom passed away - there are so many horror movies and tropes that are clearly tied to grief and processing death.
Is it weird to say I have no idea? I basically majored in horror film in college but I'm older now and I hate sadism, I hate wanton cruelty, and the main draw is still just "that exhilarating blend of adrenaline and the curiosity of exploring the unknown" as you put it. I hate terminally bad things happening to characters I like, but I love unraveling whatever terrible mysterious circumstances happened to other characters who are long gone, maybe? I'm a film major who realizes Event Horizon is not great and I unapologetically love it anyway. It does what I want for a space horror sci fi and I don't care if its science is now recognized as awful and mainstream critics think it sucks.
My parents divorced when I was a babyā¦ My alternate weekends with my goofy dad were spent watching old timey spookers over giant bowls of popcorn, protected by grandmaās handmade quilts. Or, we would have camp-outs in the yard and he would make up scary stories on the spot. Good god, I still remember some of those tales. He should have been a writer!
Consequently, today I find horror soothing. Everyone in my life thinks itās bizarre that I only ever want to experience horror in entertainment. Old radio shows, old tv shows, old and new moviesā¦ Anything dark, puts me at ease. I have zero negative emotional reactions to horror unless there is a realistic stabbing or a rape.
To look at me, you wouldnāt know it. Iām a typical white woman, zero tats, boring tan shorts and flip flops, nothing goth or dark about me except my Wendigo necklace (which looks like a deer pooping according to some cashier at Lowes). But inside Iām The Haunted Mansion 24/7.
I am a mental health therapist. I have been addicted to horror movies all my life. I did some research on the subject and found that watching horror movies can actually decrease anxiety. I grew up in a chaotic and toxic environment. I also deal with terrible, stressful issues with clients on a daily basis. When my husband asks why I love horror movies, my response is "at least I'm not being chased by an axe wielding maniac." I think watching horror movies releases adrenaline and allows me to escape reality. I do not like bloody, gory movies, but love ff, paranormal and psychological thrillers.
Horror was always a part of growing up for me: campfire tales, *Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark*, *Goosebumps*, *Tales from the Crypt*, etc.
Just like pranks or magic tricks, there's enjoyment in being the one on the receiving end, but it's equally as enjoyable learning how it was created. Writing, acting, and special effects create this trick, evoking a universal response from the audience.
Watching the long drawn out lists of terrible sequels to classic horror masterpieces was what got me through the worst of my depression. There was always another sequel, another series to start.
TBH I'm not as into it as I once was it just happens to be one of the few Niche's on bigger box places e.g. you tube where independent content creators can do ok.
For me, itās the cinematic aspect of it. I always feel like I appreciate and value film for its ability to draw emotions from the viewer, especially when the viewer is fully aware that what they are watching is not real and completely fictional.
I enjoy being in control. I can stop or pause whatever I'm watching if it's too much. That being said, I also enjoy getting lost in a movie to the point I forgot I have the previously mentioned options.
I read The Stand at a way too young age, thought I had Captain Tripps while I was reading it because I was sick, absorbed that trauma and became an addict.
As a born nyctophile, one of my earliest memories was watching the intro to Tales From the Crypt that started up after some movie my folks were watching. I was entranced. Everything horror related has always brought me excitement and comfort. Severe ADHD since childhood made school rough for me and I didn't really have friends. Horror was an escape for me, and the 2000's era SciFi channel was like a nanny. Unfortunately, I also drew the monsters I saw and other I would come up, and created horror movie scenes for them. That worried a LOT of people. And yet. I've been told my dozens of people that I am one of the most genuenly kind hearted people they've ever known. It's just so happens this good natures guy also gets a kick out of fictional killers and monsters running people down.
After paranormal experiences that started as a kid, I was naturally drawn to trying to understand them but I like feeling that sense of uneasiness
I think I just like to entertain the darkness in a controlled manner
Thereās so many bad horror movies though that rely on gore & thatās not for me, I just want to be creeped out, intrigued & with a few jump scares to keep me on my toes
i wish i knew exactly. iāve literally always loved ādarkā things. early it was games, then music, then movies.
just always drawn to the more macabre stuff. just feels like home to me.
My parents started taking me to the drive in when I was less than a year old. The first movie I truly remember is Blood Sucking Freaks. Certainly not an award winning film but it captivated little 5 year old me. I have loved horror ever since. I read Carrie when I was seven and that started a decades long love of Stephen King.
And at the risk of sounding pitiful one thing that always appealed to me was I could watch these movies, read these books and know that no matter how bad my life was at least I wasnāt being chased by a werewolf across the English moors, having to fight off the undead or fighting demons in the middle of the night.
Growing up I was in a constant state of hypervigilance, I could tell who it was by the sound of their footsteps. Was taught "You DON'T have emotions/feelings ect. You plaster on that smile making it look good on the outside, pretend everything's ok, play your part be a damn near perfect chameleon" no peaking into the nightmares that went on behind closed doors!
I sincerely believe that this shii was the cause of my DID/Multiple personality my old psych doc thought so to. So my draw to horror, true crime an things of that nature akin to getting a reaction or maybe just maybe to feel something! It's taken yrs to get where I am today we're finally good
I always found creepy things to be interesting ever since I was a kid. I liked to pretend to be a witch and a vampire and hunt ghosts in the woods by my house. Thereās something about the thrill of looking for something scary and finding it, or as a kid at least pretending to. So horror movies are the perfect match for me. Though I will say Iāve been into horror so long itās very hard to scare me now.
I grew up watching movies WAY too mature for me my whole life. I saw gremlins at 4, Tremors at 7, Jaws at 6... Event Horizon in theaters at 10 lol. I became a stage actor later, no longer, but I'm still an artist.
Art is supposed to comfort the disturbed; but, also, disturb the comfortable. I LOVE pushing boundaries of sanity, pain, and resilience. Horror is one of the only mediums that just PUSHES envelopes.
I actually made a YouTube video a few years ago explaining my love for horror. But in a nutshell it was bonding with me and my dad. I use to be terrified but a switch flipped and instead of being scared I was intrigued and wanted to understand the lore more
I grew up in a very troubling situation in a violent home, so I think when I was introduced to horror movies, it helped me understand and process my own experiences.
When I watched a movie and saw others encountering monsters or demons and choosing to survive and fight back rather than back down, it gave me confidence to keep fighting in my own situation. Seeing others face off against horrors that one should never encounter also made me feel less alone. Horror became a refuge.
In another sense, it allowed me to face my own fears in a safe space. As I would rewatch my favorite movies like Alien, Predator, or The Thingāmovies in which the protagonist is stuck, isolated, or powerless to fight backāI was able to discern my own choices is similar scenarios, so I donāt just freeze when things get bad but actually make the right decisions.
Good horror movies also discuss real trauma and real horrors in a way that let me explore different modes of thinking about traumatic situationsāmodes that were symbolic, emotional, or even imaginary.
In Annihilation, one quite that always stuck with me is āweāre all damaged goods hereā because itās true. We all have monsters; we all have fears, but movies help us face them alongside our protagonists
For me, much of horror represents the philosophy my grandfather taught me of āif you seek vengeance prepare two gravesā. It has a lot of people to whom bad things happen, and rather escaping with their life and letting the universe handle it, they either take revenge/justice/karma themselves or invoke some sort of bargain with the unknown to do it. This gives some satisfaction in the present moment but almost always comes with a price or sacrifice that might not be evident up front. It sets a pendulum in motion that may not be able to be avoided with too much momentum.
So like a lot of other horror loving people, Iāve just always loved things like Halloween, been fascinated by ghost and monsters, not to mention the special effects that can come with horror movies. So there was always a big love for it. But when I was 18 I had a traumatic experience with my ex boyfriend that involved him actually stalking me and setting my car on fire. It was a lot of fear to worry about him popping up and hurting me or my family. And horror has these final girls, and yeah my boyfriend was no Billy Loomis or Micheal Myers, but if Sidney Prescott and Laurie Strode could survive worse, then I was going to survive. And I did obviously. And you know, after being so scared like that, these movies allow me to feel fear I can control and it ends when the credit roll. Itās a form of controlled aneixty for me that also doubles as enjoyment.
It makes the horrors of real life feel a little less severe like...eh guess it could be worse. I could be possessed by a demon or horrifically murdered...etc. I also just find fear exciting and a lot of topics covered in horror are just interesting...the occult, the supernatural, serial killers, lovecraftian stuff etc
Iām very curious and I need to know whatās going to happen plus I like being afraid š± so Iāve always been attracted to horror in books and movies šæ
I look at horror movies like the aristocrats joke. Iām fascinated by the window into the writers mind about what is frightening and what is taboo. Horror is my favorite genre by a mile.
I've escaped a cult, was involved in one blood ritual, and lived in at least haunted houses. First one, a child burned to death in my closet, and I saw him every night when I was a kid (I wasn't told of his death until I was an adult. Sevond house, the former owner, shot up California Missouri, and the next one, my moms boyfriend, was followed by his mother, who was shot and killed execution style in a field in town.
Mom had me do try out for paranormal kids when I was young but I got really shy during the interview.
So yeah I'm fascinated with the supernatural lol
My older sister loves horror movies but refuses to watch them alone. She gets so worked up and scared watching even the stupid slashers.
I love to watch horror/thrillers with others to watch them react. I usually find most scary movies funny and watching people get scared and jump is entertaining to me. Have a female friend who jumps and screams at almost every scary movie. Taking her out to see em is like going to a comedy club for me and my son.
Outside of the fun and laughter I get from watching others, watch horror movies, I do enjoy the cat and mouse aspects of them. Watching the protagonist trying to live while being chased. Trying to figure out if the killer(s) are supernatural or just really super athletic humans. Getting to the third act and seeing the moment that the protagonist finally figures out how to stop/contain the killer.
I was a traumatized kid in a bad situation that i couldn't escape. Horror gave me an outlet of sorts. It was something worse than my life and I could tell myself, at least it's not like that. Now I appreciate horror for it's own sake. I enjoy the feeling of controlled fear. I enjoy the darkness and imagery.
I like that phrase, 'controlled fear', I think when you're reading horror it's taking back control in a way, you can always put the book down but it's satisfying and thrilling to go on that journey. I read all sorts of books, but when I don't really know what mood I'm in it's horror/sci-fi all the way.
You are absolutely right, I've never thought of it that way - of taking back control. I read a lot too so if you have any good horror books, throw them my way! I usually read fantasy/urban fantasy.
Urban fantasy series I really like are: MIdnight Mayor by Kate Griffin, or The Night Watch series by Sergey Lukyanenko is worth a go.
Really wish Twilight Watch would've had the movie treatment. Night Watch and Day Watch were great!
Taking back control is a huge part of my love of horror! I was raised really religiously, which teaches you to be scared of everything. So getting into horror was really helpful for healing some of my religious trauma after i deconstructed.
As a woman and a trauma survivor, it's the same reason we like true crime. It makes us feel like our hypervigilance might save our lives someday instead of just crippling us and making us suffer.
This š
Iām a morbid bitch. Really. Ask anyone.
My husband feels the same way about me lol
I am so glad I am not alone. :)
For me Its about escapism that other genres just dont do for me as well. Ive always described it as I love a cute rom com or action or drama as much as the next person but I can still be stress out about my day while watching that rom com. I can still be sad or depressed or busy in my mind thinking about my own reality shit. BUT with Horror movies and books its pure escapism for me. I think its that extra element of "fear" that completely gets me out of my own head and I can really immerse myself. I also think horror is my favorite genre because in my opinion its one of the most "creative" styles of movie making. I love anything with practical effects and just adore that with in the genre so much and it makes it really fun to dive into behind the scenes of whatever movie.
Agreed! A bad movie is usually bad, but there are many awful horror movies that I adore. I just watched Down(2001) for the first time recently and it was so much fun
A fixation on the dark corners of everything. The soul, the psyche, the dark superstitions of long dead societies (and some still living), the endless possibilities. The Dark is endless, and I am so utterly curious about what may lay within. Honestly, if I had the option I would become something akin to a lich, just to see how far down this dark rabbit hole goes.
I majored in English Literature in (a small, private) college and we had this absolutely fascinating professor. He loved horror novels and short stories and turned me on to a phenomenal British ghost story writer from the early 1900s named M.R. James. Anyway, one day, he said consuming horror stories, films, whatever, exorcizes fear. I thought that was an interesting take.
I absolutely love M.R. James! He really captured the haunting power that a place or objectās history can possess better than anyone before or since.
I grew up terrified of the dark. Weird shadows out my window and on my walls. The monster under my bed. The sounds of a house settling, pipes fluctuating and branches screeching against the house. That kind of stuff. Watching horror and paranormal movies helped me learn how to deal with fear and be brave/braver. Then it became kind of a quest to find what will scare me. Not much that isn't IRL situations.
Same! I was scared of EVERYTHING as a kid (a lot due to being raised religiously), and getting into horror helped me so much.
Mines not as deep as these and applies soley to horror films, not books- if theyāre good Iām scared and I love adrenaline, if theyāre bad theyāre normally funny to laugh at. Win win I like horror books because I find them an accessible mixture or realism so I can ground myself in it, and the fantastical. So I find them easy enough to read whilst also challenging my imagination in others.
I like mysteries, the more unpredictable the better. I pretty much only like sci-fi/ cosmic / paranormal / occult horror because any rules of the mediaās reality could be bent or broken at anytime. This lends itself to some great, unpredictable twists and endings.
I like horror movies. I noticed I especially in the daytime and when Iām having a bad day. It makes me feel like OK, so my car didnāt start. I missed an appointment and had to pay a fee anyway but at least I donāt have zombies after me or creatures trying to suck my blood(except for mosquitoes)š¦ or anything like that. Itās kind of, a contrast thing. I have issues like everyone else does, but at least Iām safe.
I feel that - horror really puts your priorities in order and makes you grateful for what you have.
Unfortunately, I have experienced a lot of anxiety, based off...stuff. Horror is a way where I am in complete control. I can fast forward, mute the sound, look away. It is a way that has allowed me to gain a better control over anxiety, if that makes any sense.
Ever since I was a kid I've liked monsters and I enjoy delving into the darker depths of the human imagination. I like my happy endings but some times you just want some gloom and misery.
The sort of horror that Iām drawn to has an enchanted quality to it, and it often depicts a world that is radically outside the control of present day civilization. Ghosts, faeries, demons, and ancient gods are all too happy to exploit the hubris of modernity and remind their victims that the spirits of history and the natural world are not so conquered as they may have thought. In that sense, I think that horror introduces a sense of uncertainty about the world that I find appealing, as well as a certain reverence toward it.
I used to get scared easily as a kid and got nightmares easily. I think when it changed because I wasn't the best reader due to learning disabilities (dysgraphia) and the series I really started reading on my own was Goosebumps. Then I got into Stephen King, Wes Craven and so on. I feel horror really tested humanity and what is wrong with society. Horror was the first outlet for many minority groups or the LGBTQ community. Because if there is one thing that can unite people is fear.
For consuming: I have crippling OCD, being afraid of something in a book/movie/whatever distracts me from being afraid of one of my obsessions. Basically I live in a state of Constant Fear that I can't turn off, but I CAN change what I'm scared ABOUT. Can't get intrusive thoughts about getting a disease, too busy scared that the girl from The Ring will crawl out of my TV For creating: great, constructive way to explore & express my fears/obsessions
Its cathartic. Sometimes you just need to watch stupid people die. Someone gets on my last nerve, i go watch jason kill some dumb teenagers and i feel better. The worse i feel the more gore it takes to relieve that stress, i know i need to talk to someone when watching a serbian film again starts sounding like a good idea.
My mom was always watching horror growing up, especially the 50s and 60s Vincent Price era. That stuff's like comfort food to me. She also got me into reading through Goosebumps, then Christopher Pike, then Stephen King, and we bonded over horror books. For her birthday every year I got her the latest King book (or Joe Hill) and a Yankee Candle. She'd read it in 2 days, give it to me to read, then we'd talk about it. One day she brought me her whole collection because her eye sight wasn't good enough to read anymore. I bought her an audible subscription that birthday so we could still have our book club. Fairy Tale was the last one we covered before she passed and I miss her every time he announces a new one.
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Variety of reasons, i suppose. Most notably is that it seems to be among the last genres that are still genuinely inventive or capable of generating that "What the..." response. That's not to say that horror doesn't have its own steel core-ed tropes and cliches, but i find horror can still be surprising. Or more able to surprise. The other thing is that there is still a touch of taboo to horror. Which i confess does have an edgy appeal even if i personally stay away from the more gory or lewd horrors.
Because it makes me stop thinking about the horrors of real life.
I grew up in a house with an LEO father who was a detective as a kid. I used to help him organize and identify crime scene photos when Iād go to his office to help him. It was a small city and I was up at the PD almost everyday. Anywho, I learned about all the evil in the world from a young age. Itās nice to watch stuff like that play out on film and it not be an actual human who has to go through whatever happens in the movie. I think I may just be desensitized at this point though.
I like seeing someoneās creative vision brought to life in an unexpected way. Iāve seen so many horror movies that they donāt really scare me much or shock me at all. I love creatively spooky or gory moments that catch me off guard. Most of my favorite horror films can be broken down into two categories: entertainment value picks and good quality exploration of thematics. Sometimes they fall into both. Hereditary is a good example of a film that explores loss. Itās much more interesting than āsomeone died and now theyāre a ghost;ā the mysterious matriarch passes away and pieces of her life become uncovered over the course of the film. Thereās also that unforgettable scene where Toni Colletteās character āswimsā through the air to sneak out of the sonās room that gets me every time. I put that film at the top of my list because it hits both categories.
Because the rules around the horror genre mean that the options are limited. There are tropes. So the challenge is, what can you do within that structure? So a good horror film is usually great. Also I am sentimental and horror films often are. They also present a moral framework, which I value.
i like to freak myself out with something fake so that i can avoid stuff thatās real lmao. it also gives me an excuse to self-soothe with kids cartoons after haha
Mostly just because Iām a twisted bastard, but also because Iāve always been drawn to the strange and the macabre.
I'm into the haunted house genre of Horror. If it's done well, there's a frisson that you can't find anywhere else.
Itās the same reason that I like roller coasters or spicy food- itās an adrenaline boost. I have ADHD so itās probably also a bit of a dopamine hit for me.
I'm super sweet and outgoing and kind externally, but I have a darkness that is related to childhood trauma, existentialism, failures to reach self-actualization, craving for not being here that I live with privately, and this allows me to tap into that and feel somehow... good about it? Indulged in it in a safe way? Perhaps that's how I'd describe it... Almost like, flicking the bean, if you know what I mean. Also, I'm extremely clumsy, so I don't like getting adrenaline from real-life things like snowboarding or jumping of a cliff, for example. I always hurt myself somehow, so in the physical world, I don't do a lot of risky moves. This is how I get my adrenaline, how I experience and explore adrenaline in the body through the mind. I also like spicy food.
I'm a sick bitch psychologically. I think there's something to be said for whistling past a graveyard. I have a morbid sense of humor. I like when a movie makes me feel something and I am not sure whether to laugh or cry or scream. I can relate to a protagonist in a horror film more than a beautiful lady in a rom com.
Because itās fun! My mom and aunts were the hands covering the face and screaming. And itās a comfort since my sis watched me as sheās 10 years older and it became a homely ritual that I nourished. So family?
TBH honest, Iām not sure. I remember being āintriguedā when I saw my first horror movies at age 9 or 10. Iāve loved them since. Canāt really explain why. I simply enjoy watching them. Like the other day, I decided at work when I got home I was gonna watch Halloween 2 š¤·š»āāļø.
I always felt drawn to horror because it offers such a contrast to the evil, terrible things about the real world. Those tend to be giant, bureaucratic tools meant to crush us - apathy, benign cruelty, ego, etc. Whereas horror (most horror) offers a succinct and agreeable evil thing or concept that people can see and agree is worth fighting against, so it kind of soothes me. I also dove deeper into horror when my mom passed away - there are so many horror movies and tropes that are clearly tied to grief and processing death.
It's fun to watch spooky things. Makes me realize my life isn't so bad. I love Halloween. Those reasons
Is it weird to say I have no idea? I basically majored in horror film in college but I'm older now and I hate sadism, I hate wanton cruelty, and the main draw is still just "that exhilarating blend of adrenaline and the curiosity of exploring the unknown" as you put it. I hate terminally bad things happening to characters I like, but I love unraveling whatever terrible mysterious circumstances happened to other characters who are long gone, maybe? I'm a film major who realizes Event Horizon is not great and I unapologetically love it anyway. It does what I want for a space horror sci fi and I don't care if its science is now recognized as awful and mainstream critics think it sucks.
My parents divorced when I was a babyā¦ My alternate weekends with my goofy dad were spent watching old timey spookers over giant bowls of popcorn, protected by grandmaās handmade quilts. Or, we would have camp-outs in the yard and he would make up scary stories on the spot. Good god, I still remember some of those tales. He should have been a writer! Consequently, today I find horror soothing. Everyone in my life thinks itās bizarre that I only ever want to experience horror in entertainment. Old radio shows, old tv shows, old and new moviesā¦ Anything dark, puts me at ease. I have zero negative emotional reactions to horror unless there is a realistic stabbing or a rape. To look at me, you wouldnāt know it. Iām a typical white woman, zero tats, boring tan shorts and flip flops, nothing goth or dark about me except my Wendigo necklace (which looks like a deer pooping according to some cashier at Lowes). But inside Iām The Haunted Mansion 24/7.
I am a mental health therapist. I have been addicted to horror movies all my life. I did some research on the subject and found that watching horror movies can actually decrease anxiety. I grew up in a chaotic and toxic environment. I also deal with terrible, stressful issues with clients on a daily basis. When my husband asks why I love horror movies, my response is "at least I'm not being chased by an axe wielding maniac." I think watching horror movies releases adrenaline and allows me to escape reality. I do not like bloody, gory movies, but love ff, paranormal and psychological thrillers.
Horror was always a part of growing up for me: campfire tales, *Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark*, *Goosebumps*, *Tales from the Crypt*, etc. Just like pranks or magic tricks, there's enjoyment in being the one on the receiving end, but it's equally as enjoyable learning how it was created. Writing, acting, and special effects create this trick, evoking a universal response from the audience.
For me, it's the desire to \*want to know.\* No matter how awful the truth is, just being eager to learn about something, warts and all.
Dunno just always have been since I was 2. My parents tried to scare me into being good. Didn't work. I just became more and more fascinated with it.
Watching the long drawn out lists of terrible sequels to classic horror masterpieces was what got me through the worst of my depression. There was always another sequel, another series to start.
TBH I'm not as into it as I once was it just happens to be one of the few Niche's on bigger box places e.g. you tube where independent content creators can do ok.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3135424/?ref_=ext_shr
For me, itās the cinematic aspect of it. I always feel like I appreciate and value film for its ability to draw emotions from the viewer, especially when the viewer is fully aware that what they are watching is not real and completely fictional.
I enjoy being in control. I can stop or pause whatever I'm watching if it's too much. That being said, I also enjoy getting lost in a movie to the point I forgot I have the previously mentioned options.
I read The Stand at a way too young age, thought I had Captain Tripps while I was reading it because I was sick, absorbed that trauma and became an addict.
As a born nyctophile, one of my earliest memories was watching the intro to Tales From the Crypt that started up after some movie my folks were watching. I was entranced. Everything horror related has always brought me excitement and comfort. Severe ADHD since childhood made school rough for me and I didn't really have friends. Horror was an escape for me, and the 2000's era SciFi channel was like a nanny. Unfortunately, I also drew the monsters I saw and other I would come up, and created horror movie scenes for them. That worried a LOT of people. And yet. I've been told my dozens of people that I am one of the most genuenly kind hearted people they've ever known. It's just so happens this good natures guy also gets a kick out of fictional killers and monsters running people down.
I just like to laugh.
After paranormal experiences that started as a kid, I was naturally drawn to trying to understand them but I like feeling that sense of uneasiness I think I just like to entertain the darkness in a controlled manner Thereās so many bad horror movies though that rely on gore & thatās not for me, I just want to be creeped out, intrigued & with a few jump scares to keep me on my toes
i wish i knew exactly. iāve literally always loved ādarkā things. early it was games, then music, then movies. just always drawn to the more macabre stuff. just feels like home to me.
My parents started taking me to the drive in when I was less than a year old. The first movie I truly remember is Blood Sucking Freaks. Certainly not an award winning film but it captivated little 5 year old me. I have loved horror ever since. I read Carrie when I was seven and that started a decades long love of Stephen King. And at the risk of sounding pitiful one thing that always appealed to me was I could watch these movies, read these books and know that no matter how bad my life was at least I wasnāt being chased by a werewolf across the English moors, having to fight off the undead or fighting demons in the middle of the night.
Growing up I was in a constant state of hypervigilance, I could tell who it was by the sound of their footsteps. Was taught "You DON'T have emotions/feelings ect. You plaster on that smile making it look good on the outside, pretend everything's ok, play your part be a damn near perfect chameleon" no peaking into the nightmares that went on behind closed doors! I sincerely believe that this shii was the cause of my DID/Multiple personality my old psych doc thought so to. So my draw to horror, true crime an things of that nature akin to getting a reaction or maybe just maybe to feel something! It's taken yrs to get where I am today we're finally good
I have always been drawn to the darker and more spooky things in life. Also horror movies give me an adrenaline rush like no other.
I always found creepy things to be interesting ever since I was a kid. I liked to pretend to be a witch and a vampire and hunt ghosts in the woods by my house. Thereās something about the thrill of looking for something scary and finding it, or as a kid at least pretending to. So horror movies are the perfect match for me. Though I will say Iāve been into horror so long itās very hard to scare me now.
You can say a lot of subversive things with horror as an allegory. Thatās part of the reason I keep coming back.
I grew up watching movies WAY too mature for me my whole life. I saw gremlins at 4, Tremors at 7, Jaws at 6... Event Horizon in theaters at 10 lol. I became a stage actor later, no longer, but I'm still an artist. Art is supposed to comfort the disturbed; but, also, disturb the comfortable. I LOVE pushing boundaries of sanity, pain, and resilience. Horror is one of the only mediums that just PUSHES envelopes.
I actually made a YouTube video a few years ago explaining my love for horror. But in a nutshell it was bonding with me and my dad. I use to be terrified but a switch flipped and instead of being scared I was intrigued and wanted to understand the lore more
I grew up in a very troubling situation in a violent home, so I think when I was introduced to horror movies, it helped me understand and process my own experiences. When I watched a movie and saw others encountering monsters or demons and choosing to survive and fight back rather than back down, it gave me confidence to keep fighting in my own situation. Seeing others face off against horrors that one should never encounter also made me feel less alone. Horror became a refuge. In another sense, it allowed me to face my own fears in a safe space. As I would rewatch my favorite movies like Alien, Predator, or The Thingāmovies in which the protagonist is stuck, isolated, or powerless to fight backāI was able to discern my own choices is similar scenarios, so I donāt just freeze when things get bad but actually make the right decisions. Good horror movies also discuss real trauma and real horrors in a way that let me explore different modes of thinking about traumatic situationsāmodes that were symbolic, emotional, or even imaginary. In Annihilation, one quite that always stuck with me is āweāre all damaged goods hereā because itās true. We all have monsters; we all have fears, but movies help us face them alongside our protagonists
For me, much of horror represents the philosophy my grandfather taught me of āif you seek vengeance prepare two gravesā. It has a lot of people to whom bad things happen, and rather escaping with their life and letting the universe handle it, they either take revenge/justice/karma themselves or invoke some sort of bargain with the unknown to do it. This gives some satisfaction in the present moment but almost always comes with a price or sacrifice that might not be evident up front. It sets a pendulum in motion that may not be able to be avoided with too much momentum.
So like a lot of other horror loving people, Iāve just always loved things like Halloween, been fascinated by ghost and monsters, not to mention the special effects that can come with horror movies. So there was always a big love for it. But when I was 18 I had a traumatic experience with my ex boyfriend that involved him actually stalking me and setting my car on fire. It was a lot of fear to worry about him popping up and hurting me or my family. And horror has these final girls, and yeah my boyfriend was no Billy Loomis or Micheal Myers, but if Sidney Prescott and Laurie Strode could survive worse, then I was going to survive. And I did obviously. And you know, after being so scared like that, these movies allow me to feel fear I can control and it ends when the credit roll. Itās a form of controlled aneixty for me that also doubles as enjoyment.
It makes the horrors of real life feel a little less severe like...eh guess it could be worse. I could be possessed by a demon or horrifically murdered...etc. I also just find fear exciting and a lot of topics covered in horror are just interesting...the occult, the supernatural, serial killers, lovecraftian stuff etc
Because Compared to real life horrors, atrocities and depravity, horror movies are like Disneyland
Iām very curious and I need to know whatās going to happen plus I like being afraid š± so Iāve always been attracted to horror in books and movies šæ
I like Bruce Campbell movies they are fun to watch.
It actually reminds me of my childhood. My parents would watch horror movies on weekend nights.
I look at horror movies like the aristocrats joke. Iām fascinated by the window into the writers mind about what is frightening and what is taboo. Horror is my favorite genre by a mile.
I've escaped a cult, was involved in one blood ritual, and lived in at least haunted houses. First one, a child burned to death in my closet, and I saw him every night when I was a kid (I wasn't told of his death until I was an adult. Sevond house, the former owner, shot up California Missouri, and the next one, my moms boyfriend, was followed by his mother, who was shot and killed execution style in a field in town. Mom had me do try out for paranormal kids when I was young but I got really shy during the interview. So yeah I'm fascinated with the supernatural lol
My older sister loves horror movies but refuses to watch them alone. She gets so worked up and scared watching even the stupid slashers. I love to watch horror/thrillers with others to watch them react. I usually find most scary movies funny and watching people get scared and jump is entertaining to me. Have a female friend who jumps and screams at almost every scary movie. Taking her out to see em is like going to a comedy club for me and my son. Outside of the fun and laughter I get from watching others, watch horror movies, I do enjoy the cat and mouse aspects of them. Watching the protagonist trying to live while being chased. Trying to figure out if the killer(s) are supernatural or just really super athletic humans. Getting to the third act and seeing the moment that the protagonist finally figures out how to stop/contain the killer.