I can’t even begin to fathom how difficult it is to be a mother. I’ll say it’s a thankless job that many women absolutely thrive in, and I’ll leave it at that. It should come as no surprise then that the passion and pressure which comes with being a mom makes for great horror content.
We see it time and time again in the genre, these powerful women who – for better or worse – are just trying to be the best mother they can be.
We’ve compiled a batch of these iconic moms. Some are in protection/survival mode, some are motivated by revenge, and some are just pure helicopter parents. But they’ve all got one thing in common… Maternal instinct.
Can we all just admit that it’s totally intentional at this point? These popcorn buckets are well out of hand. From the Dune 2 monster p*ssy to the glory hole Deadpool & Wolverine, there’s no limit to what perverted vessel we’ll be eating out of these days.
With the latest installment of Annabelle’s story, The Conjuring: Last Rites hitting theaters on September 5th, studios had to up the ante.
Jessica Murdoch (Hayley Erin) is on the run. She thinks she’s accused of murder, but she’s actually wanted for something much, much worse.
So begins New Life, the debut feature film from director John Rosman. New Life features two intense leads and a harrowing chase through a brooding rural landscape—and the film’s high points mostly balance out a story with a few too many plot holes.
The film opens on Jess, her face splattered with blood, hurrying home to collect a few things before she begins a frantic trek to the Canadian border. At first, we know absolutely nothing about Jess’s predicament. We do know that a mysterious organization is out to get her, and that organization has sent its fixer Elsa (Sonya Walger) to bring her in. However, Elsa has her own secrets, and she’s forced to come to terms with a life-changing situation as she closes in on her target.
On the surface, New Life is a tense and creepy thriller. The trailer hints at what’s actually going on with Jessica—hazmat suits, a stray dog, and a few quick glimpses of body horror indicate that she’s spreading something truly nasty. The big reveal is pretty conventional, but the film does some interesting things with it, playing with the agony of lingering self-awareness amidst terrifying bodily transformations. The makeup is superb, and the over-the-top practical effects got at least one gasp out of me.
The main problem is that the plot hinges on highly trained professionals making bafflingly bad decisions, and once the lights come up and the story’s momentum wears off, you’ll start asking questions that don’t really have answers. For instance, the trailer shows a lightning-fast shot of Jess trapped in a dark, filthy prison cell. Why is she in there? You’ll never guess, because the answer doesn’t actually make any sense. Other movies manage to invoke the terror of unchecked disease while keeping their plots believable, and it’s a shame that New Life overcomplicates things.
What mostly saves New Life, though, is Elsa’s story. When we first see her, she’s limping, but she brushes it off. However, it turns out that Elsa has been diagnosed with the degenerative disease ALS. Another character warns her that she’ll go through all the stages of grief as the disease progresses, and we those stages play out during the film. Elsa’s grief and fear over her own body’s changes is an obvious parallel to the catastrophe she’s trying to prevent by capturing Jess, and it gives the story an emotional anchor. Jess’s character never gets the depth she deserves, but Elsa is a relatable and sympathetic heroine.
Body horror doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s rooted in primordial fears of everything from aging to terminal illness. The unexpected connection between Jess and Elsa touches on those fears, but it’s a shame New Life devotes much of its runtime to their cat-and-mouse chase. Eventually, Elsa and Jess get the confrontation the film spends two acts setting up, and it made me wish that the film had focused more on that connection and less on the convoluted circumstances that got the two women there.
New Life is now playing in theaters and on VOD.
(featured image: Brainstorm Media)
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One of the greatest horror movie tropes of all time has got to be the mindless stoner who’s pretty much oblivious to everything going on around them. It’s a screenwriting tactic that’s worked for decades, and it doesn’t seem to be leaving the horror genre any time soon.
We’ve compiled the 15 most lovable scary movie potheads from Chucky to Cabin Fever. All in celebration of those drug addicts that may or may not be gutted by the end of the film. Please enjoy.
The Sydney Sweeney train keeps chugging along, as the actress takes command of the box office one movie genre at a time. Anyone But You, the silly Much Ado About Nothing redo she did with that pretty boy from Top Gun: Maverick, shocked the hell out of everyone by making more than $200 million worldwide. What wasn’t shocking was how much Madame Web, the sisterly superhero movie she co-starred in with Dakota Johnson, was reviled by critics and audiences. (It wasn’t her fault; it was another installment of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, in which a studio stubbornly continues to keep a comic-book franchise going by just doing half-assed origin stories about the antiheroes.)
This month’s Sydney Sweeney movie has her stepping away from the audience-friendly confines of rom-coms and action blockbusters and diving deep into some gory, ghoulish, R-rated shit with Immaculate. Sweeney gets chaste as hell as Sister Cecilia, an aspiring American nun who arrives in a convent in the Italian countryside. Even before she gets the hang of things, our virginal heroine soon discovers she will be the mother of an immaculately conceived child.
Clocking in at 89 minutes — for which I am downright appreciative — Immaculate gets the down-and-dirty danger going at a pleasantly swift pace. Sweeney (who also serves as a producer) and director Michael Mohan (who also directed her in the Amazon Prime erotic thriller The Voyeurs) continue their union as a director-star team out to make 21st-century exploitation thrillers. Using a script from first-time screenwriter Andrew Lobel, they create a nasty, nutty addition to the nunsploitation genre.
You don’t have to be a diehard fan of Italian horror to know that everyone involved in this is clearly getting their giallo on. (Even composer Will Bates goes all Ennio Morricone in the score, throwing in full-bodied but foreboding harpsichords and church organs.) Sweeney’s sister-in-trouble is surrounded by supporting characters you’d regularly find in a sordid scarefest set in Dario Argento country. There’s the studly but shady father (Alvaro Morte); Cecilia’s fellow sister and confidant (Benedetta Porcaroli), who immediately starts getting suspicious; the staunch sister (Simona Tabasco) who keeps looking at Cecilia sideways. We also got a crew of masked nuns with holes in their hands, slinking around and making sure secrets stay hidden by taking out those who wanna break out and talk.
Immaculate unfortunately doesn’t indulge in any kinky, erotic freakiness (although we do get titillating shots of Sweeney and Tabasco wearing sheer nightgowns and bathing in a huge-ass tub). The movie makes up for it with wall-to-wall macabre madness. It seems like the sort of batshit psycho-thriller Lucio Fulci used to drop all the time in the ’70s. I’m surprised there isn’t a scene — a Fulci staple — where a dummy that’s supposed to be one of the characters falls off a cliff, getting facially fucked up by jagged rocks all the way down.
It’s kinda fascinating, even admirable, seeing Sweeney and company make a horror flick that proudly embraces its lurid lunacy. Even when the story goes down predictable avenues, Mohan still keeps everything creepy and suspenseful. And I must say Sweeney has the whole babe-in-the-woods thing down pat. Her protagonist comes into this clueless, goes through several stages of hell, and eventually chooses violence in the chaotic climax — and that’s even before she gives birth to the supposed second coming of Jesus. (Yeah, that scene is bonkers!)
Considering how Sweeney literally ends up bloody and screaming, I’m deeply impressed that this actress — who’s consistently objectified online since her role as Cassie on Euphoria — is ready and willing to freak out audiences with Immaculate, and look like a gotdamn mess in the process. Sweeney may be a movie star after all.
Los Angeles, CA – Iconic Events Releasing and Sunny Oak Films is excited to release the spine-tingling sensation of the year “Malibu Horror Story,” the latest bone-chilling masterpiece from the visionary filmmaker, Scott Slone. This highly anticipated horror film is set to haunt theaters nationwide, promising an unforgettable and terrifying experience that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.
“Malibu Horror Story” is a cinematic triumph that will captivate viewers with its compelling narrative, unmatched cinematography, and outstanding performances from its cast. This heart-pounding horror film is poised to become a genre-defining landmark, reaffirming Scott Slone’s reputation as a true master of suspense and terror.
Set in the eerie hills of Malibu, California, “Malibu Horror Story” follows a team of amateur paranormal investigators as they venture into an unresolved ten-year-old case involving the mysterious disappearance of four popular high school boys on their graduation night. As they explore a sacred cave in the region, the team encounters bone-chilling paranormal occurrences that will send shivers down your spine. As they meticulously analyze footage recovered from the missing teens’ camera, they stumble upon a horrifying discovery—an ancient curse that forces them to confront their deepest fears and unravel the sinister truth behind the boys’ vanishing.
Director, writer, and producer Scott Slone embarked on a decade-long journey to create “Malibu Horror Story,” using over 30 different cameras and various codecs to craft a visually stunning and narratively gripping experience. Slone drew inspiration from iconic films like “Paranormal Activity” and “Cloverfield” to deliver a fresh and immersive take on the horror genre.
The film features an exceptional ensemble cast, including Dylan Sprayberry (“Teen Wolf,” “Sick”), Robert Bailey Jr. (“Nightshift,” “Emergence”), Valentina de Angelis (“Gossip Girl”), and Rebecca Forsythe (“Replace,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”). Notably, the film showcases the extraordinary talents of contortionist and creature actor, “Twisty” Troy James (“Nightmare Alley,” “Hellboy,” “Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark”), as well as actor and stunt performer Douglas Tait (“Annabelle Comes Home,” “Hellboy,” “Halloween Kills”). The ensemble also includes Tommy Cramer, Veno Miller, Jacob Hughes, and Hector Gomez Jr.
Scott Slone shared his vision for the film, saying, “I am a big fan of the found footage sub-genre and wanted to try and do something different with the format and structure of how a traditional found footage film is presented. Our story is told through different perspectives, timelines, and layers of media that were compiled over several years. The goal was to incorporate all of those elements and place them inside of a conventional horror movie structure that would not only appeal to found footage enthusiasts but to a broader horror audience as well.”
Producer Andrew Williams expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled with the positive reception from fans and critics during our film festival run this past year, and the success has demonstrated that this is a horror movie made to be experienced in theaters. We couldn’t be happier that we finally found the right partner with Iconic Events Releasing to help us bring it to the big screen.”
Early reviews have praised Slone’s unique structural approach, zippy pacing, and remarkable creature work, noting that “Malibu Horror Story” pushes the boundaries of the found footage genre’s evolution.
Prepare yourself for a terrifying journey into the unknown as “Malibu Horror Story” descends upon theaters nationwide. Iconic Events Releasing invites horror enthusiasts and cinephiles alike to experience the chilling and heart-pounding tale of horror that will leave you breathless. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of cinematic history when “Malibu Horror Story” hits the big screen.
Iconic Events Releasing is a renowned film distribution company committed to bringing captivating and innovative cinematic experiences to audiences worldwide. With a passion for storytelling and a dedication to excellence, Iconic Events Releasing partners with visionary filmmakers to deliver groundbreaking films that leave a lasting impact on the industry.
It’s time to get freaky deaky! The Covid-19 pandemic definitely slowed down the film and TV industries for a time, and we’re still feeling those effects, of course. But luckily, the last year we’ve gotten a bounty of imaginative and provocative genre films ready to give us some much-needed catharsis.
Independent films (and especially independent horror films) have been a part of the movies from the very beginning of the history of film. Indie horror has been a thriving sub-genre for those who want to push boundaries, the limits of “good taste,” and find unique creative visions. Recently, the rise of “prestige horror” (whatever you think about the term), coincided with the glut of streaming services. And with the popularity of some trendy, name-recognizable independent studios (like A24 and Neon), indie horror is back at the cultural forefront in a major way.
The last two years have been hard on just about everyone, and since, sometimes, the best way to process the horrors of the world is to sit down, turn the lights off, and scream—I decided to make a list of the best indie horror films of the 2020s so far, with everything from zombies, to ghosts, to serial killers, to aliens! I capped the list at seventeen provocative genre gems from 2020 to the present (with two exceptions that technically premiered in 2019 but weren’t released until 2020), because there are just too many good options to choose from. If you have a favorite that missed the list, add your recommendation in the comments!
Barbarian (2022)
(Image: 20th Century Studios)
Barbarian came into close out 2022 with a bash! Written and directed by Zach Cregger (from the sketch comedy group ‘Whitest Kids U’Know’), Barbarian is one of the most entertaining and intelligent horror films to come out this decade. The less you know about it going in, the better, so let me just say that the performances from Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long as the unfortunate guests of an eerie AirBnB in Detroit are fantastic and surprising. The film tackles everything from gentrification, vacation rentals, “cancel culture,” to toxic masculinity, but it always in the way you least expect! It’s currently streaming on HBOMax and I can not recommend it enough!
Terrifier 2 (2022)
(Image: Dark Age Cinema)
A true indie horror film in every sense of the term, Terrifier 2 (written, directed, produced, and edited by Damien Leone), was made on a budget of only $250,000 but it has proven to be an undeniable hit at the box office (earning over $11million). Following up on the adventures of its antagonist in the first Terrifier, we see Art the Clown resurrect and find a new batch of young people to slaughter in increasingly gruesome ways. It is light on plot but heavy on splatter, violence, and incredible practical effects. It is not for the faint of heart, but the gore is impressively achieved and the film feels authentic to the slasher video nasties of the 1980s. It is currently available for streaming on Screambox.
Blood Quantum (2019)
(Image: Shudder)
Zombie flicks aren’t just about blood, guts, and the undead. The best of the genre are also pointed socio-political commentaries (see: Dawn of the Dead and its critique of American consumerism), and Blood Quantum is no different. A subversion of the “Blood Quantum” laws imposed upon Indigenous people in North America, First Nations writer/director Jeff Barnaby tells the story of a virus that is turning white people into flesh-eating zombies. The film is darkly funny, violent, and bleak—and a scathing commentary on American history, capitalism, and “manifest destiny.” Here, you can see violent, all-consuming monsters who have done terrible things to the Indigenous populations in the Americas—and now they’re zombies, too! You can watch it on Shudder.
The Vigil (2019)
(Image: Blumhouse/IFC Midnight)
The Vigil is an intimate haunted house story steeped in Orthodox Jewish Mysticism. The directorial debut of Keith Thomas, it tells the story of Yakov Ronen, a man who left his Orthodox community in Brooklyn behind, but returns to be a hired Shomer (a man paid to sit Shiva after a death—if no one in the family is able to) for an elderly man who has died. But he soon begins to be haunted by a Mazzik, a malevolent spirit that had been feeding off of the pain and guilt of the deceased man. Yakov must now break his link to the demon, and face his own guilt, before sunrise or he will be linked to the Mazzik forever.
The Vigil is a terrifying and claustrophobic ghost story, helmed by a very strong performance from Dave Davis in what is, nearly, a one-man movie. And it’s packed full of some legitimate jump scares and truly creepy moments. The inventive twist of never being able to see the Mazzik’s face heightens the eeriness of the film. After all, there’s nothing scarier than catching something just out of the corner of your eye. You can watch it now on Hulu.
Possessor (2020)
(Image: Neon)
The breakout hit from Sundance 2020, Possessor is a dystopian, sci-fi body horror film from Brandon Cronenberg (yes, the son of David Cronenberg). In a world where corporate assassins can hack into people’s brains and control their bodies to take out nearby targets, no one is safe. Not even the assassins themselves. Things go badly for Tasya Vos, an assassin, when she loses control of her assigned body, with disastrously bloody results. A mix of low-fi tech and horrifying visuals (the moment when Colin Tate jumps into Vos’s mind is particularly upsetting), Possessor is a lesson in paranoia (with a very high body count). It’s available for streaming on Hulu.
His House (2020)
(Image: Netflix)
One of the few truly great movies on Netflix right now (I said what I said), His House was another breakout hit from Sundance 2020. It is both terrifying and heart-wrenching—telling the story of Sudan refugees trying to make their home in the UK, while, at the same time, awaiting the official approval of their asylum application. As they deal with several different forms of racism and xenophobia from their neighbors, they are also plagued by the ghosts of their past, and attacks from an “apeth” (a night witch). The ghosts are terrifying and the jump scares are intense, and the emotional performances from Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu are incredible. You can stream it now on Netflix.
Relic (2020)
(Image: IFC Midnight)
Relic is part haunted house story, part monster movie. But at its heart, it’s a story about family, and the ways that we become (or repeat) our mothers. When Kay (Emily Mortimer) and her daughter Sam, move in with her ailing mother, Edna, things begin to go poorly. Edna is being consumed by a black mold, and she wanders in and out of secret, ever-changing passages in her spooky home. Inspired in part by the iconic horror-art novel House of Leaves and by her own grandmother’s struggles with dementia, writer-director Natalie Erika James has crafted a haunting look at family legacy, decay, and the terrors of age. You can rent it on Direct TV or buy it from Apple and Amazon.
Swallow (2020)
(Image: IFC)
A subversion of the Stepford Wives trope (that examines the tortured interior of a “perfect” housewife), Swallow follows a pregnant woman who develops pica—a psychological disorder that makes her feel compelled to swallow inedible objects. As her world becomes more and more tightly controlled by her husband’s wealthy family, Hunter swallows more and more dangerous objects. A sharp commentary on gender roles, class, and femininity, Swallow is not one to miss! Watch it now on AMC+ or buy it on Amazon.
In the Earth (2021)
Image: Neon
My personal favorite from Sundance 2021 is the darkly comedic, Lovecraftian folk-horror film, In The Earth—from director Ben Wheatley. Refusing to ignore the pandemic while making the film, Wheatley incorporated it in subtle ways. In the film,scientists and trackers have just finished quarantining from an unnamed virus. They then enter an isolated forest, intent on tracking down a missing member of the larger team. While on the trails, the tracker and scientist encounter the mysterious Zach (played by the amazing Reece Shearsmith), who quickly captures them and uses them for strange rites in worship of a sacred stone. In the Earth is violent, strange, horrifying and hilarious. You can stream it now on Hulu.
Censor (2021)
(Image: MGM)
Inspired by the real-life “video nasty” controversies of the 1980s, Censor follows Enid Baines—an employee of the British Board of Film Classification. Incredibly rigid and strict, Enid is responsible for watching horror movies that are ready for release, and then recommending that all inappropriate or violent content be cut or banned. However, she loses her grip on reality when one of the films has an actress that looks like her long missing (potentially dead) sister. As she attempts to track down the actress, and the elusive director of the film, things get weird. Niamh Algar is terrific as Enid and the film feels like a pointed commentary on the cycles of public uproar over what is considered “indecent” or “inappropriate.” You can stream it on Hulu!
A Glitch in the Matrix (2021)
(Image: Magnolia Pictures)
If you love documentaries and want a wild, unsettling ride, then A Glitch in the Matrix is perfect. From director Rodney Ascher, A Glitch in the Matrix is about several people who believe that we are all living in a simulation. The film follows their stories, how they learned about this theory and fell down the rabbit hole, but also about the terrifyingly fluid nature of reality. The film gives the men CGI video game avatars instead of showing their faces, which only becomes more haunting when you see the violent repercussions of one man’s belief that reality isn’t real. You can watch it now on Hulu.
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched (2021)
(Image: Shudder)
Another documentary, this one for my history and film buffs! Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched, from director Kier-La Jannisse, traces the history of the folk horror sub-genre. From fairy tales, to the seventies, to today, Woodlands looks at the fears that inspire folk horror and the cultural archetypes (and stereotypes) that populate these movies. It dives deep into classics like The Wicker Man and TheWitchfinder General, it dissects our now decades old cultural anxieties about climate change, and the tensions that arise when colonizers and outsiders take over land that they don’t understand. It’s an incredible documentary, but the broad scope means that it has a running time of over three hours. You can watch it now on Shudder.
Psycho Goreman (2020)
(Image: Shudder)
What happens when two kids accidentally awaken a powerful, alien warlord? They make him their new BFF and take him on adventures! Psycho Goreman is a delightfully sweet, ridiculous, coming-of-age, horror-comedy. The practical effects and monster makeup are imaginative and fun (and make me nostalgic for the demons of Buffy and Angel). If you’re looking for something twisted, but lighthearted, Psycho Goreman is sure to delight. You can stream it now on Shudder.
Titane (2021)
(Image: Neon)
The wildest feature out of the Cannes Film Festival this year, Titane is the sophmore film from French director Julia Ducournau (her first feature, Raw, is also incredible). I don’t want to spoil the film too much for those who haven’t seen it, because going in blind is part of the fun, but think of it this way: what if one of the car show girls from The Fast and The Furious was a serial killer? And also, was impregnated by a car? Yes, really. Titane goes 100 miles per hour from start to finish, with an incredible sense of play, questioning everything from gender, toxic masculinity, to parenthood, and leaving the audience to find the answers for themselves. You can stream it now on Hulu.
Nanny (2022)
(Image: Blumhouse Productions/Amazon Studios)
Part ghost story, part fairy tale, Nanny tells the story of Aisha, an immigrant who becomes the nanny of a wealthy, New York couple. She begins to be plagued by visions of spiders and mermaids. Are they hauntings? Or trying to send her a warning? Nanny won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year and is led by the incredible performance of Anna Diop as Aisha. Nanny will be coming soon to Amazon Prime.
Resurrection (2022) – Shudder
(Image: IFC Films/Shudder)
A Cronenbergian, psychological horror film, Resurrection is surreal, nerve wracking, and deeply disturbing. Rebecca Hall stars as Margaret: a successful single mom who leads a seemingly ordered and predictable life. However, when her ex David (Tim Roth) comes back into her life, things begin to unravel. Margaret becomes increasingly paranoid, and we learn about David’s abusive, cult-like control of her when she was a young woman.
Hall’s performance as Margaret is extraordinary, as her all-business “boss queen” unravels into someone who can no longer trust any of her senses. It starts out as a slow-burn thriller but ramps up into a gory spectacle that is both shocking and satisfying. Resurrection is available to stream on AMC+ and Shudder.
Hatching (2022)
(Image: IFC Midnight)
I have to say, my second favorite (behind Barbarian) of all of these movies has to be the Finnish, creature feature meets coming of age story, Hatching. A satirical commentary on puberty, girlhood, and the pressures placed on girls by their family (and by society), Hatching tells the story of Tinja—a young girl struggling to live up to her mother’s (a popular mommy blogger) strict expectations.
One day Tinja finds an egg in the forest and nurtures it until it hatches. The creature that emerges becomes a mirror of her darker, more turbulent emotions and wish-fulfillment. The humor is dark and twisted. The production design is pink and frilly. But most importantly, Alli, the creature that Tinja hatches, is incredible. Horrifying and yet fragile, the design and special effects makeup create a monster that is both repellent, and yet, easy to love. And it is available to stream on Hulu!
circa 1963: British film director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) poses with a seagull and a raven … [+] perched on either arm in a promotional still for his film, ‘The Birds’. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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Right in time for Halloween, Lupita Nyong’o shared an Instagram Reel of the films producer Jordan Peele suggested she watch prior to filming 2019’s horror thriller Us.
The films range from classics like Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds to newer levels of introspective terror in Let The Right One In, a 2008 adaptation of a Swedish novel focusing on the romance-horror relationship between a bullied kid and his vampire next-door-neighbor.
The other films in the lineup include The Shining, Dead Again, The Sixth Sense, A Tale of Two Sisters, Funny Games, Martyrs, It Follows and art-horror’s newest cult classic The Babadook.
Each of these films are standouts in the genre of modern horror paired with psychological thriller. A Tale of Two Sisters, for example, was the first South Korean film to be screened in American theaters. Director Kim Jee-Woon won major accolades for the Joseon Dynasty-era folktale about two sisters, one of whom was hospitalized in a mental institution and came home to discover a step-mother was abusing her sister. (There are twists of course, but no spoilers here.) At one time, it was lauded for being South Korea’s highest-grossing horror film. It’s also oft-
Jack Nicholson peering through axed in door in lobby card for the film ‘The Shining’, 1980. (Photo … [+] by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
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lauded as one of the top ten horror films to come out of the nation.
On the other side of things, The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick and adapted by Diane Johnson from a novel of the same name by Stephen King, remains one of the most-watched psych-horror films of all time. In 2018, the United States National Film Registry, which is part of the Library of Congress, selected The Shining to be preserved forevermore due it being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The films aren’t for everyone though, as many viewers of 2007’s Funny Games, a film about the casual torture of a nice family who let the wrong neighbors in while on vacation in the country, oft attest. The film smashes storytelling conventions and is one that leaves some people unable to finish the viewing due to the subject matter, but again, no spoilers.
What’s interesting here is that Peele didn’t recommend your typical scary slasher films or typical monster films or typical ghost stories that bring in the most money at the box office. Each of these films listed is scary not solely because of a monster or a ghost. They are fearsome thrillers because a character’s humanity – and sometimes their soul – is challenged. And most times, it’s the human on film that is the scariest character of all. Sounds like Us, doesn’t it?
Halloween is nigh, and along with the parade of adorable elves and fairies knocking on your door come some more disturbing phenomena: scary haunted houses, wild parties and, perhaps most jarringly, a new onslaught of ghastly horror films.
If you’re not a horror movie fan, you may be puzzled about why some people love watching such movies. Behavioral researchers even coined a phrase for it: the “horror paradox.”
“No doubt, there’s something really powerful that brings people to watch these things, because it’s not logical,” says Joanne Cantor, PhD, director of the Center for Communication Research at University of Wisconsin, Madison. “Most people like to experience pleasant emotions.”
Defenders of these movies may say they’re just harmless entertainment. But if their attraction is powerful, Cantor says, so is their impact.
Scary Movies: The Fear Is Real
Is the fear you feel when you watch someone being chased by an axe-wielding murderer any different from the fear you might feel if you were actually being chased by an axe-wielding murderer?
You’re not really in danger when the violence is on a screen. But your body does get jittery.
When people watch horrific images, their heartbeat increases as much as 15 beats per minute, Sparks says. Their palms sweat, their skin temperature drops several degrees, their muscles tense, and their blood pressure spikes.
“The brain hasn’t really adapted to the new technology [of movies],” Sparks says. “We can tell ourselves the images on the screen are not real, but emotionally our brain reacts as if they are.”
When Sparks studied the physical effects of violent movies on young men, he noticed a strange pattern: The more fear they felt, the more they claimed to enjoy the movie. Why? Sparks believes scary movies may be one of the last vestiges of a rite of passage.
“There’s a motivation [that] males have in our culture to master threatening situations,” Sparks says. “It goes back to the initiation rites of our tribal ancestors, where the entrance to manhood was associated with hardship. We’ve lost that in modern society, and we may have found ways to replace it in our entertainment preferences.”
In this context, Sparks says, the gorier the movie, the more justified the young man feels in boasting that he endured it.
Morbid Fascination
There are other theories to explain the appeal of scary movies. James B. Weaver III, PhD, says many young people may be attracted to them merely because adults frown on them. For adults, morbid curiosity may be at play — the same kind that causes us to stare at crashes on the highway, suggests Cantor. Humans may have an innate need to stay aware of dangers in our environment, especially the kind that could do us bodily harm, she says.
Yet another theory suggests that people may seek out violent entertainment as a way of coping with actual fears or violence. Sparks points to a study that showed that shortly after the murder of a college student in a community, interest in a movie showing a cold-blooded murder increased, both among women in the student’s dormitory and in the community at large.
One popular explanation for the appeal of scary movies, expressed by novelist Stephen King, is that they act as a sort of safety valve for our cruel or aggressive impulses. The implication of this idea, which academics dub “symbolic catharsis,” is that watching violence forestalls the need to act it out.
Media researchers disagree. They point out that violent media is more likely to make people feel more hostile, to view the world that way, and to be haunted by violent ideas and images.
In an experiment, Weaver showed violent films (with stars like Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal) to college students for several nights in a row. The next day, while the students took a simple test, a research assistant treated them rudely. Those who had watched the violent films suggested a harsher punishment for the rude assistant than students who had watched nonviolent films.
“Watching these films actually made people more callous and more punitive,” says Weaver, a researcher at Emory University’s department of behavioral sciences and health education. “You can actually prime the idea that aggression or violence is the way to resolve conflict.”
Lingering Effects
For some people, scary movies are just too much – especially children.
In surveys of her students, Cantor found that nearly 60% reported that something they had watched before age 14 had upset their sleep or waking life. Cantor has collected hundreds of essays by students who became afraid of water or clowns, who had obsessive thoughts of horrible images, or who became disturbed even at the mention of certain movies, such as Nightmare on Elm Street. More than a quarter of the students said they were still fearful.
Cantor suspects that the brain may store memories of these films in the amygdala, which plays an important role in generating emotions. She says these film memories may produce similar reactions to those produced by actual trauma — and may be just as hard to erase.
