As much of Hollywood continues to reckon with the streaming industry and shifts in theatergoing interests, the horror genre is generally one that studios can count on for box office success. That’s often because movies cost less to make, generally because they cost less to make. But that’s also because a dedicated fanbase is more likely to seek out their horror experiences in theaters rather than at home.
Laura Patterson, a sociologist who teaches students about horror media at the University of Colorado Boulder, says the genre is popular in theaters because people prefer authentic scary experiences without real danger. He said watching his friends struggle is a great bonding activity.
“Some people argue that it’s just adrenaline. It’s feeling scared in a safe space,” she said.
Patterson’s class is titled “Gender, Race, and Chainsaw,” and will discuss how gender roles, politics, and social expectations continue to be reflected on the big screen through the genre. She also co-hosts Collective Nightmares, a podcast that explores how horror films reflect what’s happening in modern society.
“There’s an evolutionary biologist talking about horror movies and how they basically use horror movies as a practice,” Patterson says. “You’re trying to think – what would you do, where would you go, how would you navigate? And that could help you survive those situations in the real world.”
If you’re the type of person who tells characters on screen not to go down those dark stairs, you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon. Patterson said it’s a tendency people inherit from childhood and is reinforced by theatrical flying and fighting games such as hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo.
“Not only is it fun and practice for running away from a horde of zombies someday, but it also teaches you to empathize and understand what others are going through and what difficult situations they are facing. It’s also very good practice for,” Patterson said.
The horror genre also has a unique feature that helps us understand life from someone else’s perspective.
“I think there are a lot of really scary things in this world, and movies outside of the horror genre can talk about that,” Patterson said. “But if they actually drag you into fear and into pain, you’re missing out on part of the experience from an empathetic perspective.”
Patterson said that recent horror films have done much to break down the tropes found in classic horror from the 1970s and 1980s, which reflected the social expectations of that era.
“Remember ‘Halloween,’ of course Laurie Strode needs Dr. Loomis to come and save her,” Patterson said. “She can fight, and she can almost win against (Michael) Myers, but she can’t quite win. She needs a guy with a gun to come in at the end.”
Patterson compared the story to what happened in the 2022 film Flesh, which she said is told from a feminist perspective. The story is not about a woman in need of a savior, but about a protagonist who must outwit her boyfriend and escape his cannibalistic love interest.
“I think this movie is about what women face when dating in a patriarchal society through the horror genre,” she said.
Patterson said recent horror films such as “Talk to Me” (2022) and “Get Out” (2017) have discussed religion and racism, encouraging audiences to experience experiences in their own lives. He said that he tries to empathize with the themes that may be involved. She says the dangers the characters face make it even more visceral for viewers to empathize with them.
“You don’t get the full experience unless you actually feel that fear, that pain, that discomfort. So I think horror movies do a great job of letting us experience that,” Patterson said. said.
Beyond the thrills movies provide, Patterson said watching horror movies with friends can help strengthen relationships. Perhaps that’s why I have such a strong memory of the first time I saw a scary movie at a slumber party.
“It’s also a bonding experience,” Patterson said. “I think that no matter how stressful something is, if you overcome it together with your partner, your bond with each other will grow stronger.”
The connection between the characters on screen and the people watching the movie with them remains in people’s minds. And fans keep coming back because there’s nothing better than jumping out of your seat and sharing a nervous laugh afterwards.
