I honestly feel that there isn't a genre that splits audiences more.
Either you love them or you hate them.
Or the way I would put it: either you understand them, or you don't.
Now not understanding a genre of movies is not a bad thing, so if you don't like horror movies,
I'm not mad at you or anything.
For instance, I've never been a fan of the sub-genre that is "Gangster Movies".
Why you may ask?
Well it's not just simply the fact that it's about gangsters, that would be far too simplistic of a reason, no the truth is that there's nothing there for me to relate to or better yet, appreciate. Now you may be thinking that there's nothing to appreciate or relate to in horror movies, and I would have to respectfully disagree. If the characters are enticing and based in reality, I can most certainly relate to their problems, drama or personalities. But I find that with the majority of the "gangster movie", all the characters care about themselves and only themselves and are redeemed only by finding out what an asshole they are at the end of the movie, and even then they hardly ever change. And I for one cannot relate to this lifestyle or the majority of the choices that these characters make.
But, it's not a crime not to like certain genres of movies.
It's simply a matter of stating a preference.
'THE "HORROR"'
But I've always been a fan of scary movies. There's just something about being scared in a safe and controlled way that can be very exciting, and fun.
I've seen many theories about why people love horror movies, for instance I read this article, which you can check out HERE. The article basically suggests that we actually enjoy the concept of being scared, as well as the relief from the threat at the end. The article brings up a good point. One that I've been fascinated by for a very long time.
I believe that this love of being scared in a controlled way stems back to the early days of our species as Neanderthals. Back then, our systems/bodies were equipped with a defense mechanism now commonly known as the "fight-or-flight" response. Basically, if there was a very large animal staring you down, your blood starts pumping faster, you're more alert and you're ready to respond. At this point you would have two choices, you can either stay and fight, or take the more logical choice and get the hell out of there.
Suffice it to say, this defense mechanism was very useful for our cavemen buddies.
But the problem is that we still have this defense mechanism to this very day.
But we don't really have an outlet for this anymore, it's been mostly ruled out (probably due to the fact that we don't have lions in our backyards waiting to kill us every day).
I believe this is a core reason that we enjoy doing things that are potentially dangerous, but are also controlled and safe, allowing for a sane outlet for this seemingly bizarre behavior. ( i.e. roller coasters, skydiving, bungee jumping, and of course scary movies ).
Now this theory isn't true for every human being on the planet of course. Like I mentioned earlier, and I'm sure you're very much aware of, some people straight up hate scary movies. They'd rather die than be exposed to a dark auditorium full of ghosts, monsters or whatever may go bump in the...um...theater.
Neither group is wrong or right, necessarily.
And neither group is crazy, no matter how many times you might hear that from your friend who absolutely refuses to see Paranormal Activity with you.
Now besides the reason that dates back to our ancestors, horror movies have the ability to transcend their given genre and become much more than just "scary" movies. The great horror movies, or the horror movies that top my list are the ones that make you think, and really have an emotional core driving the experience.
As opposed to just some crazy guy killing drunken, sex-crazed teenagers for no reason. I'm not a huge fan of these movies, but there's a couple that I have caught myself being entertained by. Like something like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Hey they're called guilty pleasures, people.
Don't judge.
But for the most part, I enjoy the psychological element of horror movies more than anything else.
Which is why I think that "scary" movies for the most part, get a bad rap.
They're not all "slasher" movies.
Remember the difference between "movies" and "films"?
Well the same rules apply here.
Not all "scary" movies are "slashers", that has its own separate sub-genre.
'THE "SLASHER"'
Take for instance movies like "The Sixth Sense" or "The Ring".
These are actually two of my favorite movies.
These movies are brilliant for their way of creating a thick, brooding atmosphere and experience unlike any other. They make you think and emote, as well as having the ability to provide damn good scares.
There's also:
The Shining
1408
The Others
Shutter Island
The Blair Witch Project
The Silence of the Lambs (Best Picture Winner - 1991)
Oh.
And say what you want about "Paranormal Activity", but those movies do what they were intended to do, scare the s*** out of me, and they do it very well.
The same could be said for something like "The Grudge".
Now this movie got a bad rap, but I understand that it's not for everyone.
I mean I wouldn't take your great-grandma to see it for her 109th birthday,
but if seen with the right understanding of what the movie is supposed to achieve,
and allowing it to take you in and be along for the ride,
I believe that it could surprise you with its level of atmosphere and decent scares.
'THE "PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER"'
Now I could go on forever in defense of the psychological horror genre to people that don't like horror
movies, but to do that would be the equivalent of trying to talk a vegetarian into a hearty bowl of beef stew.
I understand that they're not for everyone, but all I'm asking is to give them a chance.
They're not all "slasher" movies.
And you may actually enjoy them!
I realize that that concept might seem very foreign to someone who is scared to death of watching horror movies, but if you don't have a reason (like my strong dislike of gangster movies, due to the inability to relate to those characters) than you should give them a try!
I know you may have heard this a million times, but you really never know what you like until you try.
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