The Science of Fear: Why Do We Like Scary Movies?

By Mark Miller

Do you like to watch creature features like War of the Worlds or gore fests like Evil Dead? How about a post-apocalyptic zombie flick like 28 Days Later?

No matter which horror title or genre you prefer, you’ll probably react to these types of films with emotions that aren’t desirable in real life: fear, dread, revulsion, anxiety, disgust, or a combination of these feelings. Now, scientists are trying to understand why we enjoy these types of reactions when they’re associated with watching scary movies.

Feel-Good Fear

According to the NBC News report “A Fondness for Fear: Why Do We Like to Be Scared?” fear releases dopamine in some people. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter and hormone that helps us experience pleasure or happiness, which may be why frightening experiences have a positive effect.

Christopher Bader, PhD, a sociology professor at Chapman University in California, added in the report that “fear responses produce endorphins, which can be a sort of natural high.” Endorphins are another type of hormone. They can be increased in the brain by exercising or completing other activities and help relieve pain and improve mood.

Focus Factor

Fans of horror films may also enjoy being frightened because it makes them feel alive. This is because fear focuses our attention and puts us in closer touch with our bodies. When you’re terrified that an axe murderer is about to claim another victim, you’re enthralled by what’s happening on the screen. You’ve forgotten about real-life concerns, relationships, and responsibilities.

This focus offers a form of escapism and can even create the sense that we’ve faced and conquered our fears and anxieties. “You’re in the moment, and afterwards you feel like you overcame a challenge, so you feel more confident…” Margee Kerr, PhD, a sociologist and fear researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, told NBC News.

Types of Fans

In trying to explain why people enjoy horror films, a team directed by Mathias Clasen from the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark conducted surveys that revealed three types of horror fans and why they watch:

Adrenaline junkies reported immediate enjoyment, but, according to the article “What’s the fun in fear? Science explores the appeal of scary movies” from Science News Explores, they didn’t feel they had gained anything else from their experience.

White knucklers seemed to endure rather than enjoy their horror encounters, “but they were much more likely to report feeling like they had learned something about themselves,” said Clasen in the article.

Dark copers combined these two responses; they received immediate enjoyment and felt like they had learned or grown.

Never Fear

Regardless of what fan category you may fit into, one of the overarching conclusions of the research is that horror movies aren’t for everybody—and nobody reacts to them in the exact same way. You should never be afraid to express that you don’t enjoy scary movies, and if you see something in a horror film that disturbs you, talk to someone about the experience if you think it will help.