Macon, GA
Why do scary movies have such enduring appeal with movie audiences? Just in time for Halloween, we explore that question and others with Dr. Patrick Brennan, film scholar and MGA professor of English. After reading this, you might want to register for his spring 2025 upper-division film class, Hybrid Film Theory NMAC 4482. If you dare.
Why do you think people are so drawn to scary movies? What is it about the horror genre that keeps audiences coming back for more?
I think that people like scary movies for a few reasons. They provide excitement. We identify with a character, and when this character gets stabbed, chased, or tormented, our adrenaline pumps as if it were happening to us. But of course it is not. We are safely situated outside of the movie. Horror movies can also provide comfort. No matter how bad our day has gone, at least we are not having our intestines ripped out by zombies like that character onscreen. In addition, horror movies can help us get rid of bad feelings. A horror movie gives us a place to put our anxieties. We can project them onto the situation in the movie, leave them there, and feel cleansed when the movie is done…