What is it that people love about the horror genre? From the developing days of horror as exemplified by Edgar Allan Poe’s grotesque and creepy poems/short stories to thriller classics such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, horror has always enticed audiences. Whether it is the gory details or the psychological thrills, horror consistently proves to be a crowd favorite.
1. People love the suspense.
Let’s be honest here, there is something alluring about not actually knowing what happens next. It could be a complete plot twist, or it could be exactly what the audience suspects. Either way, during the entire duration of either the film, book, or TV episode, the audience is busy wondering what the next scene will be. The suspense causes the audience to not only want to think at a deeper level, but also feel consumed with solving the outcome. When the suspenseful climax finally falls, the emotional roller coaster takes off. The audience is either completely mind-blown, upset, mad, or in some cases, happy.
2. They keep you thinking.
While in the midst of a horror movie, you have two options. Option 1: be too afraid to even think of possible outcomes. Or, option 2: create possible scenarios and attempt to work out every possible angle (the anxiety of not knowing is probably eating you alive). The audience is influenced to attempt to think of the outcomes or plot twists or even create new theories and ways to ignite a conversation regarding the piece of horror.
3.The community fan base and their discussions that spark conversations and debates.
Take September 14th, the recent season premiere of American Horror Story. #ahs6 trended on Twitter for the entire day after the episode release, and the conversation fans were having on social media was jaw dropping. All over Twitter, fans were either raving about the show or hating on it. This is just one example, but the amount of circulation horror stories have in media is insane. There are so many topics fans can talk about, whether it is the plotline, the ending, the characters, the theories, or even the things they did not like.
4. The lasting impact on the audience.
If you have ever been to the screening of a scary movie, exiting the theater and looking at the faces of those around you quite possibly defines why horror is the best genre around. You can tell who the horror movie aficionados are and who the uncomfortable apprehensive “fans” are. These movies and other pieces of horror impact the audience by showing the cruel and disturbing ideas film writers create in order to influence the audience’s psyche.
All in all, horror movies are one of the biggest sites of revenue in the box offices. Fans are always hungry for new and creative horror stories, and once they come out the fans devour them.
