Summary Of Stephen King Why We Crave Horror Movies

Why We Crave Horror Movies--By Stephen King

From the brutal murder scenes to the bloodthirsty zombies, horror films have attracted viewers for years. But why? We watch scary movies to prove to ourselves that we are brave. According to Stephen King, we watch these movies for fun. King even goes on to say that watching scary movies allows us to release “bad emotions” that we have within us and that we have had to hold back due to what people consider normal. To King, we are all mentally ill and horror movies allow the “bad emotions” we have in a healthy way. Furthermore, King argues that releasing these emotions is not only healthy, but also necessary in order to keep our “good emotions” at surface. Horror Films are defined as unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, or awaken our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a

According to king, we all have a part in us that craves horror films for many reasons. we watch for the pure enjoyment, entertainment, and excitement that they bring. King even goes on to say that we all have a dark side and that we have evil fantasies and that by watching this genre of films, we have a healthy way to release those feelings. According to him, we crave horror movies because, “we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums hide it a little bit better-and maybe not that much better after all”

King argues that people watch horror movies in order to keep their inner demons from coming out but I think that people watch horror movies more for the fun of it. What I most disagree with in the essay is the idea that watching violence prevents violence. The increase in public violence, including almost monthly accounts of school shootings, makes me wonder if, in fact, watching violence on the screen actually makes some people more prone to acting it