The Psychology Behind Why We Love Horror

What draws us to horror movies and why do we keep coming back for more? In this video, our team of experts explores the fascinating psychology behind our love for all things horror. From the thrill of being scared to the adrenaline rush of a jump scare, we delve into the science of fear and why it's so appealing to our minds.

Through research and analysis, we uncover the deep-rooted psychological factors that make horror movies so irresistible to us. From our innate curiosity about the unknown to the cathartic release of our fears, we provide an in-depth understanding of the human psyche and its relationship with horror. If you're a horror fan or simply curious about the science behind our fascination with the macabre, this video is for you.

Writer/ Researcher: Se Joon Park
Script Editor: Caitlin McColl
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
Voice Over: Brandon @LittleGhostyOfficialTM
Animator: Tris Canimo
Music & Sound Design: Gower Sun @MidnightCityMusic
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

References
Apter, M. J. (1992). The dangerous edge: The psychology of excitement. Free Press.
Carroll Noël. (1989). The philosophy of Horror. Routledge.

[Psychgo]

Do you know the name of the game at 1:22? Tell us in the comments below!

[meliagre]

As a horror movie fan, I explain the reason behind my passion like this: There are so many real scary things happening all around the world or even around us; but in the movies I know that it's fiction and I kinda like the relief of it being just a movie instead of real life. It feels like an escape from all other things I generally worry about irl.

[zaynmalik-vodd]

Psychological horror is the superior genre ever, especially when the fear just builts up and there is no jumpscare to release that fear and at the end you are just left with that built up immense amount of fear

[beautifuldreamer]

When I was emotionally numb, Horror was the only movie type that could bring about some feelings in me.

[Legowhizkid]

I’m an actor at boo crew haunted house and I can confirm that the fight or flight response comes in many ways, such as, running, crying, screaming, cursing, jumping, (like way higher than thought possible) and many more, and in my experience it’s often more fun being behind the mask

[Nito-San]

It's weird, I'm so bad when it comes to handling I always loved the aesthetic of horror. The way it looks and the way it's presented.

[movie]

Horror also gives us a sense of catharsis. It allows us to face our fears while watching them in a safe environment. If the characters are going through the same (or "symbolically" relate to our same) problems/scenarios in real life, then it can teach us that "if they can overcome their problems, then so can we".

[kerricoulter]

It's to experience the thrill of being petrified without the consequences.

[TKZells]

I have General Anxiety Disorder, had it my whole life and somehow horror is one of the few things that actually helps the anxiety. For me, it’s like relieving a pressure cooker, there’s somewhere for the scared feelings to go. And it’s alright because I know, as scary as the movie might be, there’s an end to it. Plus horror movies tend to follow certain tropes and patterns, so while I love a good twist, sometimes you want a sure thing.
Like knowing that the Final Girl is gonna survive (mostly).
I love horror, ever since I read Frankenstein as a kid. It’s been my muse ever since 😊

[chocolatequente]

i also really like that there's certain stories that can only be told through horror, without horror we'd miss a loooot of story opportunities. and i love supernatural stuff and horror is the main genre for this type of stuff

[Embeeech]

Horror movies are my happy place, my comfort zone. Most people that I say that to think that it’s crazy and I explain that it’s because paranormal horror takes my mind off of the real-life anxiety and stress that I deal with every day. Plus I just love good horror story telling and really terrifying looking monsters and special effects that make your skin crawl. Film making is an art form in my opinion and the horror genre is the most interesting and entertaining to me. I also don’t really believe in or not believe in anything paranormal or supernatural so that helps me to be able to not carry the fear with me when they’re over. I totally understand that some people can’t handle it though, that it can take them to a dark place mentally or that they don’t like feeling fear or can’t shake it off later and feel scared and uncomfortable.

[Aan]

Timestamps
1). The rush 0:31
2). Safety net 1:21
3). Age and gender 2:29
4). Narrative 3:20

Hope this helps you out. Hope you have a nice day. 💙💙💙💙💙💙

[derekholman]

I’ve been a lifelong fan of horror and I can say it’s the dark wonder of creepy things and the differentiation of the norm I love. Things in horror are usually shunned by society at large, are embraced in the genre. The safety net one is very true for my case. That’s why I love cosmic horror because it goes beyond what normal horror is to a more existential one; I find figuring out our place in this universe is far more terrifying. Junji Ito imo has some of the greatest horror stories out there. Uzumaki I believe to be the peak of visual horror

[yatox]

Cry of fear one of the best horror games out there it has such a great Story/Atmosphäre and gameplay (survival horror)

[kimifw]

In my favorite horror stories, I relate to the victims and enjoy the creative visuals. I also like when the villains are funny. We need more horror comedy.

[AlexCrystal]

I'm a 34 year old woman and I've loved horror since my early teen years. I can't quite explain why I jumped in, maybe because my BIL had me join him in watching horror movies and play horror games when I was little. My sister was not pleased when I came crying about nightmares 😂
But I love book and movies and games. I read Stephen King and Ito Junji, and my favorite horror game is Fatal Frame 2.
I've always loved japanese horror, they feel more tragic and imaginative.
But yeah, horror is great ❤

[quests]

I love the new voice over! It’s perfect for a genre such as this!

[nickdow]

At a very young age I quickly became intrigued by the horror genre. By the time I got to middle school I was pretty well versed and then the greatest teacher I've ever had entered my life. He introduced me to a whole new world and love for horror sending me down the rabbit hole of classics. Here I am almost 23 years old and still no other genre gets me as excited as I do for horror. The story telling, the metaphors, visuals, creativity, horror stories do it best. Horror firsr person games genuinely scare the piss out of since you're the one in control of everything, it gets the anxiety high and the blood pumping but for me that makes it all the more fun. Great video and I love all the references you dropped In here!

[carowolff]

Hello! A horror fan here. I mostly love the genre for how visually, musically, and conceptually creative it can get. My all time favourite horror franchise is the Hellraiser series. What I find most fascinating about the horror genre is that it takes a topic we typically avoid in daily life and shoves it in our face. I don't mean gore, but for example, the familial tension in Hereditary, or the lack of womanly autonomy in Rosemary's baby. It really forces us to face our fears

[deannal.newton]

I'm not a fan of the horror genre, but I want to learn about it after doing research on them at my junior year of high school around the time of Halloween. It's mostly so that I won't get tricked into playing a video game that is a horror game, but it's disguised as a different game genre. Recently, I've heard of a game called Mr. TomatoS and Ms. LemonS that you could get for free on the PC. With Mr. Tomato you feed him different foods while you solve math problems with Ms. Lemon, it doesn't seem to be horror at first until you realize that Mr. Tomato wants to eat severed limbs and Ms. Lemon would kill you if you get any of the answers wrong. That's the hidden horror element I'm talking about and I'm not about to be tricked into playing a horror game if I already know what it is.