Today I will be discussing the reasons why people hate horror movies. I will be using information to back up these reasons.
Thank you for following my blogging journey so far!
Have you been watching Freeform's "31 Nights Halloween" like me? If not then this blog is here to reassure you that you are not alone.
Reasons why people HATE horror movies:
Childhood experiences & the amygdala
The amygdala is the part of the brain that controls your fight-or-flight response. People that have a more developed amygdala tend to enjoy horror movies more than those who have a less developed amygdala.
The people that have a more developed one gained it from the trauma that person has experienced.
This includes but is not limited to; attachment and bonding deficits from early caregivers, birth trauma, neglect, malnutrition, poverty, substance abuse and etc.
2. Some people have had more experience with horror
Some people started watching horror movies at a young age. According to Hopkins-Alvarez, "I once had a client who shared with me that when they were young they used to watch scary movies alongside their mother, and this made them feel safe, and that sometimes they even laughed together at the scary scenes."
This shows that this person would have a more developed amygdala because of the experience they had with horror movies.
3. Increase in adrenaline to either negatively or positively to the brain
For those who experience it positively, they enjoy the raising heart rate. Those who experience it negatively, have the excess adrenaline which can trigger anxiety and panic attacks.
There are ways to manage these negative responses of anxiety and panic attacks. Check out this article for more!
4. Overactive amygdala known as the excitation-transfer theory
Examples of this theory are the feeling after watching a scary movie and hearing a song that triggers a specific memory.
These aggressive responses are intensified by arousal from other stimuli that aren't related to the original stimulus that started the aggression.
The clip above gives an entertaining explanation from someone who doesn't like horror movies.
She says how she doesn't like purposefully exposing herself to scary images that will make her feel bad. She watches movies to feel good and doesn't think she wants to add any more scary things into her life.
The ghostface character trying to scare her says he thinks horror movies provide a way to explore our scary inner thoughts.
He also discusses how horror is parallel to comedy through its building of tension, releasing of tension, shows what makes us tick, what makes us good and bad.
Putting Horror to the Test
Emma Ledger, a certified horror movie hater, was part of an experiment led by Dr. Jon Simons and PhD student Michael Siena of Cambridge University's Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute.
They found that her "adrenal gland can't tell real danger from fake danger."
He says that her brain's reaction is that of the flight response from the fight-or-flight response.
This is similar to the more developed amygdala we discussed earlier. Emma must not have as much experience with horror movies.
If you hate them, I have some recommendations that might help you change your mind...
5. Julia's Eyes
The Spanish film directed by Guillem Morales, followers Julia as she handles her sisters sudden death and her inevitable blindness. As she loses her sight, the audience is forced to see through her eyes to see something following her.
The reason it will change your mind is because it has you invested in the character because of her struggle. While rooting for Julia, you will want to know what happened to her sister, who is following her, and what will happen when she loses her sight.
4. Veronica
The film based off of a real case in Madrid, Spain is directed by Paco Plaza. It tells a story of a girl and her family and how they are visited by an unknown demon after playing a game of Ouija. They wanted to contact their deceased father, and now have bit off more than they can chew.
The movie is a short scare that will leave you wanting to know what happens to the brothers and sisters of Veronica as they face whatever demon Veronica unleashed on their family.
3. Annabelle: Creation
This movie is part of a long series of movie branching from The Conjuring to The Nun. In the Annabelle series, this is the second film, which tells the story of where the doll came from. Directed by David Sandberg, this film leaves you worried knowing that the Annabelle doll actually still exists.
This movie set the foundation for all of the other movies involved in The Conjuring Universe.
The Conjuring Universe is the timeline of movies if they were placed in the chronological order of the events that happen in the films.
You can see that the release date is not how they are placed in order.
2. A Quiet Place
Directed by John Krasinski, he and his wife Emily Blunt act in a world of silence and at the attack of aliens.
The use of little sound, makes you pay more attention to whats on the screen. It captivates you throughout the entire film by creating an anxious feeling for the survival of the characters.
The Conjuring 2
The second of The Conjuring films, follows a the Warrens to a family in London where a girl has been seeing things. The girl becomes possessed and the Warrens must help the family before it's too late.
The Conjuring films include real life characters, Ed and Lorraine Warren. They were demonologists who studied cases of paranormal activity throughout the 1950s. This connection to real life characters in the films makes you invested in the story so much more.
These are some recommendations that people who don't normally enjoy horror movie might want to take a moment to test themselves.
Thanks for reading and I hope if you a part of the hate horror movie club that you try at least one of the movies on the list!
Next week I will be discussing what the best horror movies to watch are (in my opinion).
I will be showing it as an infographic with some information to back up my opinions.