essay about horror genre

What is Horror? Definition and Examples in Film

W hy are humans drawn to the horror genre? From books to film, we can’t seem to get enough of what scares us most. In this article, we will look at the definition of horror and why we enjoy the genre so much. We will also look at a brief history of American cinema and how horror has evolved over the years. While this article will provide a general definition of horror, the genre is open to interpretation. After all, what is horror to you, is Child’s Play to me.

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Define Horror

The horror genre explained.

Horror is one of the most popular genres in storytelling. What began in literature can now be found in movies, television, theatre, and video games. The horror genre has been divided into many sub-genres with their own definitions and criteria. Before we get to those, let's define horror at a basic level:

HORROR DEFINITION

What is horror.

Horror is a genre of storytelling intended to scare, shock, and thrill its audience. Horror can be interpreted in many different ways, but there is often a central villain, monster, or threat that is often a reflection of the fears being experienced by society at the time. This person or creature is called the “other,” a term that refers to someone that is feared because they are different or misunderstood. This is also why the horror genre has changed so much over the years. As culture and fears change, so does horror.

What are some defining elements of the horror genre?

• Themes : The horror genre is often a reflection of the culture and what it fears at the time (invasion, disease, nuclear testing, etc.). 
• Character Types : Besides the killer, monster, or threat, the various sub-genres contain certain hero archetypes (e.g., the Final Girl in Slasher movies).
• Setting : Horror can have many settings, such as: a gothic castle, small town, outer space, or haunted house. It can take place in the past, present or future.
• Music : This is an important facet in the horror genre. It can be used with great effect to build atmosphere and suspense.

Horror Subgenres

Different types of horror movies.

The horror genre has given birth to many sub-genres and hybrids of these various types. Each has its own unique themes, but all of them share one common goal: FEAR.

Found Footage

The point-of-view takes place from the perspective of a camera. Famous titles include  The Blair Witch Project  and  Rec .  

Lovecraftian

Focuses on cosmic horror. Monsters are beings beyond our comprehension. Often incorporates science fiction, including horror classics like  Alien  and  The Thing . 

Psychological

This sub-genre focuses on the horror of the mind. What is real? What is madness? Two great psychological horror movies are  Silence of the Lambs  and  Jacob’s Ladder . 

Science Fiction

Focuses on the horror and consequences of technology. Monsters are often aliens or machines. Two great sci-fi horror movies are  The Blob   and  War of the Worlds .

The monster is a psychopath with a penchant for bloody murder. Often focuses on the punishment of promiscuous teenagers. Popular movies include  Halloween  and  A Nightmare on Elm Street .

Supernatural

Focuses on the afterlife. Primary creatures include ghosts and demons. Great titles include  Poltergeist   and  The Exorcist .

Similar to slasher; focuses on the punishment of people. The villain takes pleasure in the physical and psychological torment of victims. Famous movies include  Hostel  and  Saw . 

One of the oldest horror sub-genres in which icons like Dracula feed on human blood. Some of the best vampire movies include  Nosferatu and Interview with the Vampire . 

When a full moon is out, beware of these beastly shape-shifters. The best werewolf movies include  An American Werewolf in London  and  The Wolf Man . 

A group of survivors is usually attacked by a horde of flesh-eating undead.  Night of the Living Dead  is considered one of the best zombie movies along with  28 Days Later... and Shaun of the Dead .

A History of Horror Movies 1896-2018

Horror vs thriller, the relationship of horror and thriller.

While the two genres are often confused, there is a clear difference between horror and thriller movies. Horror movie rules demand violence and a monster that appears early and relatively frequently. The climax revolves around a final fight or an escape from the monster. The "monster" in horror is typically "unnatural" or even "supernatural," whereas thrillers tend to rely on human threats.

In a thriller, there is much more mystery and discovery. Tensions rise as the protagonist gets closer to discovering the evil threat. The climax revolves around a big reveal, such as the true intentions of the villain.

The two genres con blend, of course, such as the modern horror/thriller Get Out (2017). Something like  Halloween  might also be considered a crossover since the killer is human but he exhibits supernatural abilities — like how he never seems to die when he's "killed."

Now that we've covered our horror film definition, let's take a look back at a history of horror movies. Through the decades, the horror movie has evolved to reflect what we we fear the most, as explained in this video.

The Horror Genre and Cultural Fears

1930’s horror, horror and the depression.

The 1930s was a tough period for America. We were in the midst of the Great Depression and Americans were feeling more desperate than ever before.  Despite the economic turmoil, people spent what little they had on entertainment, like movies. One of the first great American horror films that garnered much popularity was Dracula (1931), based on the novel by Bram Stoker. And it set the standard for the  Best Vampire Movies thereafter.

But why was Dracula so terrifying? Americans were afraid of European influence. World War I ended only 13 years prior. The American mindset was still heavily influenced by the atrocities that took place. Combined with the influx of European immigrants, people were afraid of outsiders corrupting American culture. Someone had to be the scapegoat.

Another film that was a reflection of the fears of the time was  Frankenstein (1931), based on the novel by Mary Shelly. This movie created a more sympathetic monster; one that was fleeing from the oppression of his creator.

Below is the original disclaimer that ran before the movie began. It is a warning played up for dramatic effect ("...it might even horrify you!"). 

Frankenstein Disclaimer

Americans felt as though they that their government had failed them.  They blamed their leaders for their misfortune, much like how Dr. Frankenstein failed to protect his creation.

A recurring theme in horror is that the monster is often mankind itself. The villagers lashed out against something they didn’t understand, becoming monsters themselves.

What is Horror? Dracula (1931)

1950s horror, horror in the '50s.

World War II ended in 1945, but it left a huge mark on the world, both literally and figuratively. The use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki gave way to a new era of fear in the nuclear age. The consequences of mankind’s use of science and technology would become a common theme.

Often not thought of as horror, Godzilla (1954) is a Japanese film that came to America. It was a response to the bombs used by the U.S. In this story, an animal is transformed by nuclear radiation into a giant monster and terrorizes the country. With the advent of the nuclear age, many questions and fears were brought up with this powerful but dangerous energy source.

The monster movie has a rich tradition within the horror genre, dating back to the very first movies. Do yourself a favor and watch this documentary on the history of the monster movie.

History of the Horror Genre  •  Monster Movies

The 50’s also gave to the Red Scare and the fear of communism. The theme of invasion became prevalent in many monster movies. Science fiction would blend with the horror genre, giving birth to films such as   War of the Worlds (1953) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).

In the first film, aliens begin an invasion of earth in a small town, indicative of a communist attack. In the second film, humans are replaced with alien duplicates, which represents the fear of communism overtaking democracy.

What is Horror? War of the Worlds (1953)

1960s-'70s horror, when the monster became human.

The 1960s-'70s was a period of uncertainty and violence for America. We were in the midst of the Vietnam War, a conflict that caused much controversy. For the first time, the U.S. was no longer in the right for a global conflict. The violence committed by men led to the fear of what we as a species were capable of.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) came as a result of this fear and uncertainty. The monsters, which looked very human, would mercilessly attack, kill and devour people. What made the zombies most terrifying was that they could take on the appearance of our loved ones. If we cannot trust our fellow human, who can we trust?

Thanks to a copyright error,  Night of the Living Dead belongs in the public domain. That means you can watch it for free right now. Any self-respecting horror genre fan has to watch this movie.

Watch Night of the Living Dead in its entirety

The 70’s were also known for the increase in news coverage on serial killer murders. Media outlets reported on these maniacs as if they were celebrities. People were afraid of the monster next door coming by and killing them in their homes.

This gave rise to the first “slasher,” Halloween (1978). Despite appearing human, Michael Myers was  an unstoppable killer that stalked his victims with murderous intent. Slashers grew immensely in popularity, even affecting movies that are not slashers .

The slasher sub-genre would also explore the subject of morality. The sexually promiscuous would be punished and violently murdered, while the moral “Final Girl” would survive to the bitter end.

One would think that these human monsters would drive people away from horror. But the blood-soaked films would make the genre more popular than ever.

What is Horror? Halloween (1976)

1980s-'90s horror, what is self-aware horror.

Coming out of the serial killer era in the '70s, the '80s would continue the trend of slashers with a massive influx of these movies. Friday the 13th ,   A Nightmare on Elm Street   and even Halloween would spawn numerous sequels, each one more absurd than the last.

Hitting a breaking point, the horror genre became more "aware" of itself in the form of Scream (1996). Though very much still a slasher, this film acknowledged the well-worn tropes established by its predecessors, such as the Final Girl.

What is Horror? Scream (1996)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) would take the trope of the weak high school girl and turn her into a monster killer. While the protagonist, Buffy, was killing vampires and other monsters, she and her friends would still experience the woes of being a teenager.

The '90s would also pave the way for a new sub-genre: found footage. The Blair Witch Project   (1999) gave the audience the point-of-view of a camera, putting them in the shoes of the victims. This made the horror more personal for viewers, revitalizing the genre as a whole.

Horror Sub-genres  •  Found Footage

2000s horror, when the horror film took a dark turn.

After 9/11, the war on terror would spawn a generation of films that would redefine what horror is: torture. The prospect of psychos capturing and torturing their victims, both physically and psychologically proved to be a box office success.

Perhaps the most notorious of these is Saw (2004). In this film, a sociopath captures several people and forces them to play his sadistic games if they want to survive. This gruesome concept would spawn a plethora of sequels and copycats, flooding the market and coining a new term for the excess of violence: torture porn.

Global fears and international terror attacks made the end of the world seem more plausible. People became more fascinated than ever over the prospect of a catastrophe like a zombie apocalypse.

As such, the horror genre would reflect this with shows such as The Walking Dead (2010-present). How would any of us survive? How can something so overwhelming ever be stopped? As zombie movies grew in popularity, so did the number of movies. And as this video explains, what we now call "zombies" began as something quite different.

Horror Sub-genres  •  Zombies

The future of horror, what is horror today.

To say we live in a new world would be an understatement. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we act, think and feel. Global culture as a whole has changed and it will continue to do so for some time. As such, expect the horror genre to reflect this evolution of fear. Don’t be surprised when an influx of movies revolving around isolation and global pandemics hits theaters.

There has been a sort of renaissance of horror movies in the last decade that has been quite excited to watch. Films like The Witch , It Follows and Hereditary have been dubbed "elevated horror" — a divisive term to say the least. Whatever we call them, they are all still really strong and effective horror movies. Here's a breakdown of Midsommar and how the shape of the horror genre continues to evolve.

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The best horror movies of all time.

We just covered a very broad horror genre definition and there is a lot more to explore. We've been talking a lot about the horror genre but now it's time to face our fears and actually watch some. Through the last century, across genre to sub-genre, from ghouls to goblins, here are the Best Horror Movies of All Time.

Up Next: Best Horror Movies →

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I would like to know the 5 elements of horror but I liked it

This was amazing!

On Facebook, many horror devotees stated decisively that "FREAKS" 1932 was the first horror movie with a female lead named Cleopatra. Cleopatra is transformed into a deformed duck in this famous movie. However, to my way of thinking and perhaps yours (Jonathan Scott), a deformed duck is not particularly horrifying nor does it fit your definition of an alien, monster or a human threat. What do you think? Does FREAKS somehow fit into the horror genre?

Wow… was that a ride or what?!?!… Thank you for that great knowledge. I just stepped onto the scene and into the Movie Industry with a wealth of knowledge. Thank You

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) is a fascinating movie I've seen many times. It's funny: the film stock is grainy, the acting is sketchy, black-and-white means you never see red blood, the music is generic potboiler they found somewhere and grafted it on. Yet it remains for me such an unnerving, iconic picture. Its very flaws actually seem to enhance the horror effect…

I like horror that emerges from very plausible, quotidian places… as with THE EXORCIST. In fact, I don't need ski-masks, gothic mansions or weird costumes… I love the horror that comes from being alive everyday, as with BLACK SWAN. JACOB'S LADDER works this way, too.

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Literary genius. Academic prowess

How The Horror Genre Reflects Societal Fears Throughout Time

February 24, 2021 by Emily Um Leave a Comment

Genre films, first emerging in 1895, have increased in popularity throughout history, beginning with just three genres: tragedy, comedy, and melodrama, to now countless others, including their subgenres like action and romantic comedy (Casper). However, horror genre films are uniquely distinct in their adaptability. They are produced within various horror genre cycles, such as slasher films or science fiction horror films, these cycles occurring as studios and filmmakers remix elements of the horror genre in order to keep up with and appeal to contemporary audiences. These cycles speak to the adaptability of the genre, as films were created within these cycles to reflect the real-life societal fears of audiences during the time at which the film was being made (Cherry 11). For example, the cycle of independent slasher films with movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) came at a time following the particularly bloody and brutal Vietnam War (Dewan). Audiences were seeing horrors of the war and subsequent riots in real life and on the news, as well as chaos and gore on screen in the film. As such, the horror genre works across time by constantly adapting to what events occur in the real world, attempting to both intensify the fear factor of its films, as well as help viewers process the societal fears they faced in reality by presenting them on screen. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968) are no exceptions to this, the former reflecting concerns of evilness of man as Hitler rose to power and the latter reflecting fears of the occult and satanic practices, each utilizing the iconographies of their respective horror genre cycle and practices of the eras of film they were made in to enhance these fears. 

With World War II beginning just two years prior and Adolf Hitler’s power and influence growing rapidly, the release of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came at a time when fear of dictatorship was at its height, despite it being a remake of the film of the same name released a decade earlier (“The 1930s”). In the film, Dr. Jekyll, a noble doctor, becomes Mr. Hyde, a violent criminal, when taking a self-invented serum, unleashing an evil and sinister side of himself. This duality of man, the sides of both good and evil in one person, seen in Jekyll/Hyde connect to the reality of Hitler’s rising of power. His extremely evil ways, despite his being a mortal human being, was similar to the evilness within Dr. Jekyll. In this way, the presentation and vilification of the Jekyll/Hyde character on-screen allowed audiences to process their fears of Hitler and the depravity of man. The iconography of the film as a part of the gothic horror genre cycle, as well as its use of the law of natural morality as a classical era genre film element both aid in emphasizing these fears by intensifying the chilling effects of the film, and therefore enhance the process of understanding and working through these real-life fears. 

Iconography, an element of genre films, “refers to particular objects, archetypal characters and even specific actors” (Grant 12) and settings are a part of a genre’s iconography as well (“Genre”). The iconography used in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is common in its gothic horror genre cycle. The inspiration behind early horror films was rooted in works of gothic horror literature, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and the basis for the film, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (Renée). These works of literature incorporated gothic settings such as dark, imposing, and decaying castles and mansions, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde subscribe to this tradition as well, as scenes are set in shadowy gothic locations. For example, the scene where Dr. Jekyll and his friend Dr. Lanyon first encounter Ivy and save her from being attacked is set in a dark and mysterious alleyway (17:25). The gothic setting is seen all throughout the film, from Dr. Jekyll’s lab with peculiar glass test tubes and bottles lining the walls and the dark park with ominous trees through which Dr. Jekyll walks home and transforms into Mr. Hyde (1:20:06), to outside of Beatrix’s home where Mr. Hyde beats her father to death (1:41:30). These shadowy settings accentuated with chiaroscuro lighting and heavily contrasting shadows aid in highlighting the chilling content of the film. Additionally, it nods to the real-life concerns and fears about evil lurking in the shadows, potentially in every ordinary person you meet and regularly interact with, like the grocery store clerk or even your family doctor. 

As a film of the classical era, it displays the era’s considerations of morality. While the modernist era, to come years later, considered morality to be situational, with different rules applied depending on the nature of the situation, the earlier classical era considered morality to be absolute and following the natural law ethic (Casper). Moral good and evil were dictated by the rule and law of nature, with good being good and evil being evil, no exceptions or changes made based on the situation at hand. This notion of absolute natural law morality is seen in the film through the characterizations of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is good, moral, and respectable in every way. He is professionally ambitious, striving towards innovation and discovery in his work as a doctor. He is romantically deferential, courting Beatrix and being respectful to her and her father in the process. And he is generally moral, stopping to save Ivy, who was a stranger at the time, from being attacked and not giving in to her advances afterward. By all accounts, he is an absolutely ethically sound man as Dr. Jekyll. Meanwhile, Mr. Hyde is bad, immoral, and depraved in every way. When seeing Ivy for the first time as Hyde at the club, he trips the waiter with his cane for no reason (47:55). He then decides to keep her hostage in her apartment, raping her whenever he pleases. Later in the film, he beats Beatrix’s father to death when he comes out in response to Beatrix’s cries. All three characters were innocent, having done nothing to Hyde to make him act that way towards them. In this way, the law of nature morality dictates that Hyde’s actions are immoral since he preyed on innocent individuals. There is no room in the film to interpret his actions as anything other than morally bad because there was no situation presented by which his actions could be interpreted in any other way. 

Through these elements, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shows the real-life fear of the evilness in man as Hitler’s rise to power occurred at the same time and attempts to help viewers process this fear as a result. The element of iconography in its gothic horror settings intensified this fear by emphasizing the evilness of Mr. Hyde by showing him against shadowy gothic backdrops and reinforcing his character as an evil villain. Moreover, the presentation of the law of natural morality as a facet of classical era films further differentiates and adds depth to the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, allowing the fear of evil within man to become more real and three-dimensional. As a result, viewers are able to process their fear by easily vilifying the Jekyll/Hyde character. 

Meanwhile, Rosemary’s Baby (1968), an adaptation of the novel by Ira Levin published one year prior, was of the occult horror genre cycle, associated with the likes of The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976). The release of the film reflected real-life fears of the devil and religious counterculture, as both the iconic April 1966 Time magazine cover asking, “Is God Dead?” in large red lettering and the month of June 1966, written as 6/66, “the number of the beast”, struck fear and anxiety in individuals (Counter). Additionally, the Church of Satan was forming in San Francisco at the time, a further source of fear of religious counterculture for audiences (Counter). The film’s iconography as it relates to the occult horror genre cycle and elements as a film made during the modernist era helped underscore these fears. 

The film incorporates various common iconographies of the occult horror genre. Throughout the film, there are numerous references made to Catholicism. When Rosemary and Guy go to the Castevets’ apartment for the first time (26:26), they discuss the Pope at the dinner table, Roman and Minnie asserting that he is a hypocrite as a religious figure because of the amount of money spent on his lavish robes and criticizing organized religion as a whole. Furthermore, the rape scene in which Rosemary is impregnated by the devil is full of Catholic symbolism, from Rosemary being put on an altar-like bed to images of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (42:30). The iconography in this scene in particular is strikingly fearsome, as images related to religion are juxtaposed with images of satanic ritual and the devil, making the scene all the more terrifying. Additionally, at the end of the film when the baby is in the crib in the Castevets’ apartment, there is a silver upside down cross hanging from atop. As a common symbol of satanic practices, the upside-down cross is unmistakable and aligns well within the iconography of the occult horror genre cycle. With public fears swirling around about resistance to traditional organized religions like Catholicism, the iconography of the film, with its references to Catholicism and use of the upsidedown cross symbol helps to magnify this fright and helps audiences process it by presenting it on screen. 

As a film made during the modernist era of genre films, Rosemary’s Baby shows various elements or commonalities seen in films of the era, like the use of situational ethics and a non-closure ending. In contrast to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , the content of Rosemary’s Baby is presented in moral shades of grey. For instance, Minnie Castevet bringing Rosemary vitamin smoothies and cakes every day throughout her pregnancy could be open to moral interpretation. Some may interpret this action as Minnie just being a friendly and motherly neighbor, trying to be as helpful to Rosemary as possible. Others may interpret it as her being suspicious and covertly sinister, with ulterior motives. There is no formal, absolute right or wrong determination of her actions, audiences instead left to their own devices to judge the morality of the situation depending on their own interpretations of the circumstances. 

This also connects to one of the era’s basic tenets in being self-conscious in questioning social and moral values. The modernist movement emphasized the protagonist’s journey in searching to figure out modern society and whether or not norms should be blindly accepted (Casper). Throughout the second half of the film, Rosemary is willfully determined to figure out the truth about the Castevets and whether or not she is being used as a part of their witchcraft. She strives to find her answer and refuses to simply accept what everyone around her, from her husband to her doctor, is telling her. Therefore, she subscribes to this feature of the modernist genre film as she searches for the truth. 

Furthermore, the non-closure ending is another characteristic of modernist films used in this film. While Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde had a nice, resolute, and finite ending with Jekyll/Hyde being arrested, Rosemary’s Baby had an unsettling and non-closure ending. The film ends eerily with Rosemary rocking her half-devil baby after uncovering and verifying the terrifying truth, and viewers are unsure of what will happen to them both. Will she give in and help the satanic cult in order to be with her child? Will she think up a ploy to save the baby and raise it as a normal human? Or will something else entirely different happen? No one will ever truly know Rosemary’s fate and the film’s ending is unsatisfying and disconcerting in that way, not providing a clear closed ending.

These elements in Rosemary’s Baby , from the iconography to the modernist characteristics, reinforce the dismay of audiences concerning the occult at the film’s time of release. The modernist characteristics especially relate to the audience’s fears because religion as an institution is open to interpretation, as countless religions and its subsects declare different beliefs regarding humanity and what happens to humans when they die. No one truly knows the nature of the afterlife except those who have passed away, and the modernist elements of situational morality and non-closure ending reinforce this notion. Moreover, the iconography and modernist elements of the film serve to enhance the broader societal fears of the occult and establish the film’s position in the occult horror genre cycle and subsequently, the cycle’s place within the greater landscape of the general horror genre as well. 

In conclusion, the horror genre has worked throughout time, in an ever-changing culture, by adapting to reflect the common societal fears of US audiences during the films’ times of release. This is done by utilizing different iconographies of the various genre cycles as they emerge within the horror genre, and by incorporating characteristics of the genre film era during which the film was made. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde addressed fears of evilness found in mortal men, as Hitler was rising to power at the time. A part of the gothic horror cycle, the film employed the iconographic element of shadowy, gothic settings. Also a part of the classical genre film era, the film clearly applied natural law morality in its characterization of Jekyll/Hyde. These elements served to reflect the good vs. evil fears audiences faced in reality and attempted to aid in audiences’ processing of these fears. Similarly, Rosemary’s Baby reflected audience fears of religious counterculture and satanic ritual by utilizing iconography common in the occult horror genre cycle, such as references to Catholicism and upside-down crosses. Additionally, as a film made in the modernist era, it presented situational morality, self-conscious questioning of social and moral values, and a non-closure ending, using these to enhance Rosemary’s assumed paranoia and resultantly make the film that much scarier. All in all, horror genre films throughout time have served as a way for audiences to process the scary situations that are happening in real-life by adapting to present similar situations on screen. 

Works Cited

Casper, Drew. “Genre Lecture.” CTCS 190. University of Southern California, California. 7 Nov. 2018. 

Cherry, Brigid. Routledge Film Guidebooks: Horror . Routledge, 2009. Counter,

Rosemary. “The Most Cursed Hit Movie Ever Made.” Vanity Fair , Vanity Fair, 30 June 2017, www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/06/the-most-curs ed-hit-movie-ever-made-rosemarys-baby. 

Dewan, Shaila K. “Do Horror Films Filter The Horrors of History?” The New York

Times , The New York Times, 14 Oct. 2000, www.nytimes.com/2000/10/1 4/movies/do-horror-films-filter-the-horr ors-of-histor y.html. 

Fleming, Victor, director. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde . Dailymotion , MGM, 1941, www.dailymotion.com/video/x209b0i. 

“Genre.” Edited by Film Reference, Film Reference , www.filmreference.com/encyclope dia/Criticis m-Ideology/Genre-MYTH-AND-H ISTORY.html. 

Grant, Barry Keith. Film Genre: from Iconography to Ideology . Wallflower, 2011.

History.com Editors. “The 1930s.” History , A&E Television Networks, 16 Sept. 2010, www.history.com/topics/great-depression/1930s.

Polanski, Roman, director. Rosemary’s Baby . William Castle Productions, 1968, archive.org/details/S23TB. 

Renée, V. “From Nosferatu to Jigsaw: a Look at the History of Horror Films.” No Film School , 4 Nov. 2014, nofilmschool.com/2013/10/a-look-at-th e-history-of-horror-films.

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The Exorcist (1973) directed by William Friedkin. Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures/Getty Images

You might think that horror movies are a delicious, trashy pleasure. But watching them has surprisingly wholesome effects

by Mathias Clasen   + BIO

I’m a full-time horror researcher with my own lab. I read Stephen King novels at bedtime, watch slasher movies on the weekends, and play survival horror video games whenever I have a spare moment.

But it wasn’t always like that. The first time I saw a horror film at the movie theatre, I left halfway through. It was too much for 14-year-old me. There I was, in the darkness of the cinema, staring at monsters cavorting on the screen and listening to the other teenagers screaming in delight around me. Anxious excitement had turned to heart-stopping horror as those on-screen monsters unfolded their full potential for death and grisly dismemberment.

It was a loss of face from which I have never fully recovered. The burning shame of leaving early is about as vivid in my memory as the metallic terror of witnessing the gory acts of those homicidal monsters.

One particular scene is etched in my mind. Just as the main character – a sympathetic and attractive young woman – is about to kiss her charming date, his handsome face contorts and transforms into the visage of a cat-like monstrosity, with a mouth full of sharp fangs. She manages to fight him off and runs into the arms of a policeman, who helps the sobbing woman into his patrol car. Phew! But then, the cat-man-monster shows up behind the cop with a pencil in his hand. He slams it, pointy end first, into the unfortunate lawman’s ear with a squishy-crunchy sound. The cop then falls over, landing on the side of his head from which the pencil protrudes… with another squishy-crunchy sound to follow.

For all its visceral and violent unpleasantness, the experience of watching this movie – some of it, anyway – ignited a curiosity in me. Why did all the other teenagers around me seem to enjoy this grotesque flick – Sleepwalkers (1992), if you’d been wondering. Indeed, why do so many people voluntarily seek out entertainment that is designed to shock and scare them? What do they get out of it? A thrill, a jolt to the nervous system – or is there something deeper going on?

Horror movies come in various forms, which can be divided into two main subgenres: supernatural ones (think of wailing ghosts, rotting zombies or mind-shattering abominations from forbidden dimensions), and the more psychological (your masked-serial-killers and giant-reptiles varieties). Common to them all is that they aim to evoke negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, disgust and dread. They also tend to be enormously popular. According to a survey my colleagues and I conducted a few years ago, more than half of US respondents – about 55 per cent – say they enjoy ‘scary media’, including movies such as The Exorcist (1973), books such as King’s Salem’s Lot (1975) and video games such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010) .

What’s more, people who say they enjoy scary media really mean it. We also asked our respondents how frightening they wanted their horror to be. It might sound like a weird thing to ask – like asking how funny they want their comedies to be – but we wanted to test an old Freudian idea that the negative emotions elicited by the genre are unfortunate byproducts; a price that audiences are willing to pay in order to watch movies that allow them to confront their own repressed desires in monstrous disguise. But that’s not what we found. About 80 per cent of our respondents said they wanted their horror entertainment to be in the moderate-to-highly frightening range. By contrast, a measly 3.9 per cent said that they prefer horror that’s not scary at all.

So, fear and the other negative emotions are central to the appeal of horror, a fact not lost on the creators of horror entertainment. Surely you’ve seen movie trailers claiming to be ‘The scariest movie of all time!’ or promising to make you sleep with the lights on for weeks afterwards. More inventively, the US filmmaker William Castle once took out life insurance on his audience. If any audience member died from fear as they watched his movie Macabre (1958), their bereaved ones would receive $1,000 from Lloyd’s of London. (Nobody did die. But the gimmick surely drew more horror hounds to the picture.)

Unsurprisingly, given their appeal, horror movies are big business. In 2019, 40 new horror movies were released in North America, grossing more than $800 million in the domestic theatrical market alone. Likewise, the US haunted attractions industry is growing steadily, in 2019 generating up to $500 million in ticket sales. The following year, 2020, naturally saw lower numbers, but even in that year of COVID-19 lockdowns and empty movie theatres, horror movies broke all previous records in terms of market share. That development continued into 2021, with the horror genre now accounting for almost 20 per cent of the market share at the US box office. Evidently, people want scary entertainment, even when you’d think the real world was scary enough.

D espite the broad appeal of the horror genre, it is haunted by bias and prejudice. Many people, apparently, think that horror movies are dumb, dangerous or both – artistically unsophisticated, morally corrosive, and psychologically harmful, with a dubious appeal primarily for maladjusted teenage boys. But what does the science say?

Firstly, horror is not a particularly male genre. While boys and men are slightly more likely than girls and women to say that they enjoy horror, the difference is much smaller than many people seem to think. In our aforementioned survey, when we asked to what extent respondents agree with the statement ‘I tend to enjoy horror media’, on a scale from 1 to 5, men averaged at 3.50, whereas women averaged at 3.29.

Secondly, horror movies are not only watched by teenagers. Yes, the movies are often marketed to that audience, and the appetite for horror does seem to peak in late adolescence, but it doesn’t emerge out of the blue the day that kids turn 13, and it doesn’t disappear in older people either. An ongoing research project of ours is finding that the desire to derive pleasure from fear is evident even in toddlers, who universally enjoy mildly scary activities, such as chase play and hide-and-seek. Even old folks seem to enjoy the occasional thrill provided by mildly frightening media such as crime shows. The British crime drama Midsomer Murders (1997-) always seemed to me like light horror for seniors, with its eerie theremin theme tune and the inexplicably abundant, often startlingly grisly murders in the otherwise peaceful fictional Midsomer County.

The ‘monkey see, monkey do’ model of media psychology now seems to have been abandoned by most experts

Thirdly, there is no evidence that horror fans are particularly maladjusted, depraved or unempathetic. When my colleagues and I looked into the personality profile of horror fans, we found that they are about as conscientious, agreeable and emotionally stable as the average person, while also scoring higher than average on openness to experience (meaning that they enjoy intellectual stimulation and adventure). It’s true they do tend to score fairly highly on sensation seeking , which suggests that they tend to be easily bored and on the lookout for excitement. Maladjusted or depraved, though? Nope, no evidence.

If horror movies do not attract the maladjusted and the depraved, do they then create psychotic monsters? One might think so, judging from the moral panics that have surrounded the horror genre throughout its recent history, from Victorian-era concern over ‘penny dreadfuls’ – sensationalist, often spooky or grisly stories sold in cheap (one-penny) instalments – to modern-day media meltdowns over slasher movies.

Most recently, pundits have worried about the effects of so-called ‘torture porn’ movies; films such as Eli Roth’s Hostel franchise (2005-11), about a shadowy organisation that charges people for the opportunity to torture and murder innocents. In the first Hostel movie, we follow a trio of backpackers who are captured by the organisation and sold for torture. The limbs of one backpacker are subjected to a chainsaw; the torso of another to a power drill. Only one of the backpackers makes it out alive (if not completely whole). The film depicts these insidious assaults in all their bloody nastiness, prompting media commentators to rally against the film and its ilk, arguing that their focus on torture and gore stoke unhealthy, sadistic drives in the audience.

There is no substantial evidence to support that concern – audiences know that what they are watching is fiction. The psychological effects of violent media are still discussed by scholars and scientists, but the ‘monkey see, monkey do’ model of media psychology has been severely criticised on methodological and empirical grounds, and now seems to have been abandoned by most experts. In fact, one recent study covering the period 1960-2012 in the US found that, as movie violence went up, real-world violence actually went down.

T his is not to say that horror movies cannot have negative effects. Indeed, media psychologists have documented that most people have some kind of ‘traumatic’ experience with horror movies. I use the quotation marks because we are not really talking about clinical trauma here. For the vast majority of people, such experiences consist of mild behavioural disturbances – nightmares, or sleeping with the lights on, or increased vigilance for a few days. For instance, one study found that around 90 per cent of US college students had had such experiences, including some who had refused to go camping after watching The Blair Witch Project (1999), a movie about three young people getting lost and dying horribly in the woods.

These mild and temporary hangover effects are just one side of the coin. Long ignored by the scientific world, it’s now clear that horror consumption has many positive effects. Moreover, a taste for horror is natural and should not be seen as pathological. Kids who are attracted to monster comics such as Tales from the Crypt (1950-55) and The Walking Dead (2003-19) are perfectly normal, as are teenagers who love slasher movies or adults who enjoy haunted attractions. That taste makes good sense from an evolutionary perspective. People evolved to be curious about danger, and they use stories to learn about the world and themselves. Horror stories specifically allow them to imaginatively simulate worst-case scenarios and teach them about the dark sides of the world, and about the dark spectrum of their own emotional lives.

This morbid curiosity has helped our ancestors stay alive in a dangerous world by learning about it

The behavioural scientist Coltan Scrivner at the University of Chicago calls this appetite ‘morbid curiosity’. Some people have lots of it, and some very little, but most of us are fairly morbidly curious – we have a hard time looking away from an accident, and we occasionally feel the pull of a true crime show, a horror movie or a documentary about the paranormal.

This fascination with the gruesome is adaptive, says Scrivner; it is a learning mechanism that allows us to collect information about the Grim Reaper and his modes of operation, and it underpins the widespread interest in horror. Stephen King tells the story of how, when he was 10 years old, his mother discovered a scrapbook he had been keeping on the spree killer Charles Starkweather, who was at that time at large. ‘Why?’ asked his mother, concerned. King’s answer: ‘I need to look out for this guy. I need to know everything about him, so that if I ever meet him or anybody like him, I can go around.’

So, when we are drawn to horror movies, we are basically giving in to a deep-seated instinct, a morbid curiosity that has helped our ancestors stay alive in a dangerous world by learning about it at a distance, or even vicariously. Horror satisfies this instinct and allows us to engage playfully with made-up worlds that brim with danger, but at no real risk.

T o test this hypothesis, my lab conducted an empirical study , led by my colleague Marc Malmdorf Andersen, at a Danish commercial visitor attraction, Dystopia Haunted House, that’s located in an abandoned factory out in the woods. Every October, the factory comes alive with the groans of zombies and the roar of chainsaws, punctuated every few minutes by screams of joyful terror. We recruited more than 100 paying guests, fitted them with lightweight heartrate monitors and asked them to fill out several questionnaires. We also recorded their behaviour with surveillance cameras at key points inside the haunt, such as the moment when an actor in a lab coat distracted the guests with a crazy-scientist rant, setting up another actor in zombie make-up to jump out from under a table, scaring the guests witless and providing us with wonderful data on behavioural and physiological responses to acute threat events.

Supporting the evolutionary function of horror, we found that there is a sweet spot between fear and enjoyment. People who seek out horror want just the right amount of it. Too scary, and it is unpleasantly overwhelming; not scary enough, and it is boring. But just the right amount of fear, and you are in the zone of recreational horror – a zone in which you are enjoying yourself and might just be learning important things in the process, such as how to regulate your negative emotions.

Emotional regulation is key to recreational horror because we all differ in the intensity of fear that we find tolerable or even pleasurable. As horror researchers have known for a while, not every horror fan is an adrenaline junkie. We explored these emotional dynamics in another study we conducted at Dystopia Haunted House. This time, we recruited several hundred guests and gave them a choice of challenges: either try to become as scared as possible, or try to keep your fear at an absolute minimum as you go through the haunted attraction. As it happened, half the guests chose the maximum-fear challenge and the other half chose the minimum-fear challenge.

People actively use a range of psychological, behavioural and social strategies to achieve their optimum fear level

Our participants reported remarkably different fear levels. Those guests who had chosen to minimise their fear reported, on average, a fear level of 4.3 on a scale from 0 to 9. Those who chose to maximise their fear, on the other hand, reported an average fear level of 7.6. Strikingly, though, both groups reported similar (and very high) levels of satisfaction.

In other words: there are several ways in which people can derive pleasure from recreational horror, whether in a haunted attraction or in front of the screen. For some, it is about maximum stimulation; those people are the adrenaline junkies. But for others, it is about keeping fear at a tolerable level – a challenge in self-control; they have been called ‘white-knucklers’. Common to both groups is that they actively use a range of psychological, behavioural and social strategies to achieve the optimum fear level.

In another recent study , we shed more light on the possible benefits and appeal of horror entertainment and made a surprising discovery in the process: there are three categories of horror fan. Alongside the adrenaline junkies and white-knucklers are what we called the ‘dark copers’. We discovered that the adrenaline junkies experience a mood boost when they seek out horror; the intense stimulation puts them in a better mood. The white-knucklers do not experience that mood boost in response to horror, but they do feel that they learn something about themselves and that they develop as a person. They might discover how much fear they can take, what dread feels like, how they respond to intense stress, and how to regulate their own anxiety – all vital survival skills.

The third kind, the dark copers, had not been previously identified in the scientific literature, and they are intriguing. They reap all the benefits: a mood boost, as well as feeling that they learn something about themselves and how to confront the real scary world, perhaps by simulating frightening encounters – for them, it’s a kind of practice. Maybe the dark copers are the ones that the horror movie industry should be targeting, and not just the adrenaline junkies, who seem to be the intended audience of those ‘Scariest movie ever!’ taglines.

S ceptics might remain unconvinced by the idea that people could learn anything of value from movies about demonic possession, deranged chainsaw killers and homicidal puppets. It might seem outrageous. Well, in the early months of the pandemic, we decided to investigate whether horror fans had any edge over non-fans in terms of psychological resilience. Our thinking was that, if people do indeed practise emotional regulation skills when they watch horror movies, they might be able to use those skills in real-world situations.

That is indeed what we found. People who watched many horror movies reported less psychological distress in response to COVID-19 lockdowns than those who avoid horror movies. Moreover, fans of ‘prepper movies’ – zombie-apocalypse movies, alien-invasion movies, that sort of thing – felt more prepared for the consequences of the pandemic. They had seen similar things in the movies. They had imaginatively rehearsed for such scenarios, and were less overwhelmed by the repercussions of the crisis. A fictional scenario about the undead overturning the social order – with healthcare systems collapsing, law and order deteriorating, and infrastructure toppling – might not be that different from a real-world situation of great social and institutional turmoil.

Horror movies, then, can function as inoculation against the stresses and terrors of the world. They help us improve our coping skills, and they might function as a kind of enjoyable exposure therapy. There is also some preliminary evidence to suggest that people who suffer from anxiety disorders can find comfort in horror movies, presumably because these movies allow them to experience negative emotions in controlled and controllable doses, practise regulation strategies, and ultimately build resilience.

People go in with strangers; 50 minutes later, they stumble out, chatting and laughing like old friends

In addition to those psychological benefits, there might be social benefits of watching horror movies. Consider how scientists of religion have puzzled over the prevalence of painful religious rituals. Why do people fire-walk and pierce themselves with sharp objects in religious contexts? Apparently, one major function is that such psychologically and/or physically painful behaviours strengthen group identity and make group members more altruistic toward each other. You go through a painful experience together , which reinforces group bonds. It’s a similar story for horror entertainment.

Even some non-fans let themselves be talked into watching a horror movie with friends, presumably because watching horror films together can be a lot of fun, whether you enjoy the movies themselves or not. Recall that about 55 per cent of Americans in our survey said that they enjoy horror. Well, almost 90 per cent of the individuals sampled in our more recent study had sought out horror at least once in the prior year. Evidently, it is not just horror fans who watch horror movies.

When you face a frightening situation together, and make it through that situation together, you feel that you have mastered it, not unlike the dysphoric religious rituals observed around the world. My colleagues and I see this all the time in our haunted house research. People go through the attraction with strangers. They seem nervous and fidgety before they enter; 50 minutes later, they come stumbling out of the haunted house, sweating, chatting and laughing like old friends.

For many viewers, perhaps most, horror movies provide meaningful entertainment that can have positive psychological and social effects. The genre is still steeped in stigma, maybe because it seems to appeal to ‘primitive’ emotions such as fear, anxiety and disgust. Horror movies rarely receive prestigious accolades, such as Academy Awards, and horror writers, such as Stephen King, have struggled to gain critical recognition. This prejudice is silly. The literary canon brims with frightening material – check your Shakespeare, or your Melville – and besides, horror movies do not appeal just to emotions. Many of them also appeal to the intellect, and prompt reflection and maybe even introspection.

If you don’t believe me, find a horror movie to watch tonight, and see for yourself. The trick will be to chose a movie that hits your sweet spot. You don’t want something that overwhelms you with horror, as happened to me in 1992, but you also don’t want something too tame. Once you have found something that seems to fit the bill, invite a couple of friends over so you also reap the social benefits of collective horror-movie watching. And rest assured that, while you might suffer a few mild side-effects, such as a nightmare or a compulsion to sweep the bedroom for monsters before bedtime, there is a real chance that you will feel closer to your friends, learn something about yourself, and perhaps even emerge more resilient than before.

To read more about emotional regulation, visit Psyche , a digital magazine from Aeon that illuminates the human condition through psychology, philosophy and the arts.

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Make tonight's evil dead marathon more literary with our best writing about the genre.

It’s the spookiest day of the spookiest season, but you already had your party last weekend, and now you have to stay home and either hand out candy to grabby children or turn out all lights visible from the street and pretend you’re not home. What makes a night in both fun and seasonally appropriate? Horror movies, of course! So while you’re waiting for, or hiding from, trick-or-treaters tonight, put on a Nightmare on Elm Street marathon and make your way through some of the best stuff we’ve published about scary films.

“ There’s Nothing Scarier Than a Hungry Woman ” by Laura Maw

Maybe you haven’t noticed this, but horror movies contain a lot of scenes of women eating—and not only eating, but eating voraciously. Laura Maw has noticed, and she thinks she understands. This essay is both a sensitive cultural analysis of a horror movie trope and a beautiful personal narrative of coming to terms with both the threat and the banality of hunger.

As a woman, to say that you have found eating uncomfortable at times is not particularly groundbreaking. The anxiety has become mundane because it is so common for women, but isn’t that in itself noteworthy? Horror invites us to sit with this disgust, this anxiety, to acknowledge our appetite, to refuse to let us suppress it. There is something uncomfortable and enthralling about watching a woman devour what she likes with intent.

“ Horror Lives in the Body ” by Meg Pillow Davis

This Best American Essays notable is about the physical experience of horror—both horror films, and the familiar horrors we encounter in our normal lives, the ways we brush up against mortality and violation and fear. Why do we seek out this physical experience—”the pupil dilation, the quickening heart, the sweat forming on your upper lip and the surface of your palms, and the nearly overwhelming urge to cover your eyes or run from the room”?

If those other viewers are anything like me, they watch horror movies because they recognize the horror, because its familiarity is strange and terrifying and unavoidable. It is the lure of the uncanny filtering into the cracks and crevices of the cinematic landscape and drawing us in.

“ What ‘Halloween’ Taught Me About Queerness ” by Richard Scott Larson

Michael Myers wears a mask to hide his face while he kills—but is that the only mask he wears? Richard Scott Larson talks about watching Halloween obsessively as an adolescent, while he was starting to understand that his own desires were also considered monstrous.

The experience of adolescence as a closeted queer boy is one of constantly attempting to imitate the expression of a desire that you do not feel. Identification with a bogeyman, then, shouldn’t be so surprising when you imagine the bogeyman as unfit for society, his true nature having been rejected and deemed horrific.

“ If My Mother Was the Final Girl ” by Michelle Ross

The “final girl” is the one who’s left standing at the end of the film, the one who survives the carnage. But what do you call someone who’s still standing after childhood trauma? This short story is about horror films, but more than that, it’s about mother-daughter relationships—a deeper and more mundane form of horror than the kind in slasher flicks.

The one thing my mother and I share is a love for slasher films. When the first girl gets hacked up or sawed in half or stabbed in the breast, my mother says, “Now there’s real life for you.” And I glance at her sideways and think, you can say that again.

“ A Love Letter to the Girls Who Die First in Horror Films ” by Lindsay King-Miller

Unlike the “final girl,” the girl who dies first doesn’t have a catchy title. Lindsay King-Miller writes about the lost friend who taught her that we don’t all have it in us to be a final girl—and that we should celebrate the girl who dies first, because she’s not living in fear.

To survive a horror story you have to realize you’re in one. The girl who dies thinks she’s in a different kind of story, one that’s about her and what she wants: to dance, to party, to fuck, to feel good. She thinks she is the subject of this story, the one who watches, desires, sees, the one who acts upon the world. She does not feel the eyes on her, does not know she is being observed, that her fate is not to reshape the world but to be reshaped by it.

“ Nothing Has Prepared Me For The Reality of Womanhood Better Than ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’ ” by Sarah Kurchak

Yes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a cheesy horror-comedy hybrid in which women are menaced and their bodies are treated as set dressing. But so is adolescence. Sarah Kurchak writes about the many ways in which this movie taught her what to expect from the world.

Sure, this was, on many levels, a schlocky B-movie with so many of the expected hallmarks of the time — women in hot pants and peril, over-the-top gore. But it was a schlocky B-movie in which a woman faced men’s threats, both implicit and explicit, and was left breathing but almost unrecognizable at the end of it. That felt familiar.

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The Horror Genre: Novels and Stories Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Horror novels and stories are a dying brand of media in today’s world. Once so popular, they now are somewhat of a rarity. While the horror publication has lost its acclaim, it has given way to the rise of the horror movie. It is a shame that films with amateur acting and shoddy writing are replacing these works of art. The classics are forgotten, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, diverting our attention to these inferior film pieces. Therefore, the once exorbitant quantity of horror writers is starting to become a dying breed. Unfortunately it has become quite a dilemma to find quality horror writing and authors. However, there is one story “Holiday” by M. Rickert, which encompasses all of the true elements of a horror story. This story fits the genre of horror due to the display of serious intense fear and unease. It is not similar to the horror pieces of today that revolve around gore and violence, but it sticks to the principles of an original horror story.

First of all, this story is considered a horror story because it has many of the elements of classic scary pieces. In essence it is a ghost story, but deals with much more than the average novels of this type. This narrative revolves around a writer who is visited by a ghost of a small girl around the age of six. As time passes he starts to form a relationship with her, as well as other ghosts of children that have begun to appear. The author’s father was a child molester and he is attempting to write a novel about his father’s life. This story utilizes this revolting back-story to incite fear into the audience. Although the author is not a pedophile like his father, nearly everyone that he interacts with in the story believes him to be one. This is due to the fact that he is attempting to entertain all these ghost children, and thus has to keep buying items for them, such as Shirley Temple DVDs. It is as if only the children know of the author’s innocent nature. Fear is generated in the audience because one concludes that since the author’s father was an abuser of children, he will have to pay for what atrocities his parent committed. It really keeps the reader on edge. This is an excellent feature of the story and a staple of an effective horror piece. “’Horror is not a genre, like the mystery or science fiction or the western. It is not a kind of fiction, meant to be confined to the ghetto of a special shelf in libraries of bookstores. Horror is an emotion.” (Horror Writer, 2009, p. 1). I whole-heartedly agree with this statement and this story does a fantastic job of galvanizing apprehension and fear into the audience. Additionally, the author sets the mood of the story very well. This is a very dark narrative. The elements of a house full of ghost children, a disturbed father, a drug addict brother, and a greedy publisher make it nearly impossible to feel any positive feelings when reading this piece. This is the strength of the work and another effective aspect of the horror genre that is portrayed.

Another substantial feature of this story is the descriptive writing. It puts very creepy and fearful imagery into your head. One passage that really stuck with me was when the main character sees the ghost for the first time. “Her body starts jerking in a strange way as she moves across my bedroom floor, her arms out”. (Rickert, 2009, p. 27). This depiction really was one of the parts that encouraged fear and unease. Another description that was effective and demonstrative of the aspects of the horror genre was when the protagonist decides to research the ghost girl’s story and the reason for her death. “When I read about how her father found her, wrapped in a blanket, as though someone was worried she would be cold, but with that rope around her neck”. (Rickert, 2009, p. 28). That is a terrifying depiction of nearly the worst occurrence that can happen to someone. It was memorable, yet disheartening A third passage that aids in supporting the elements of a horror story is when the main character begins to find that the ghost girl is bringing more ghost children into his house. “’And today is her birthday.’ I turn to the girl who looks up at me with her beautiful black eyes. ‘Your birthday?’ Both girls nod solemnly. This description really does a great job of setting the scene and extenuating a hair-raising vibe. This story goes for unease rather than in your face violence or heart-pounding excitement. It is a consistent depiction of a chilling atmosphere.

Although this story is quite hair-raising, it does have some novelty moments that make it somewhat comical. There are many lines and depictions that stand out for their novelty, rather than their terrifying nature. One in particular was the passage at the beginning. It did an amazing job of instilling intrigue into the reader; as well as urging them read more. “She says her name is Holiday, but I know she’s lying. I remember her face. It was all over the news for weeks, years, even but of course she doesn’t know that. I briefly consider telling her ‘Hey, did you know you’re a star?’ But that would necessitate bringing up the subject of her death, and I’m not clear if she knows that she’s a ghost, or that almost everyone thinks her parents killed her.” (Rickert, 2009, p. 27). This was just great writing by the author, and has to be considered as one of the most effective passages in the story. Another striking depiction was actually one of the few comical occurrences in the piece. It takes place after the protagonist has begun to care for all these ghost children. “Suddenly it’s like I’m running some kind of day care center for dead kids. She keeps bring them to me, I don’t know why. We watch Shirley Temple movies”. (Rickert, 2009, p. 31). This just is a humorous happening within the story, which is one of the few happy elements that occur. The last thing that an individual would expect in a ghost story is that the main character would be running a ghost day care. The last memorable depiction is near the end of the narrative. The protagonist decides to throw a party for the ghost children that he has been taking care of. He also purchases a clown costume for this gathering. “The doorbell rings and I run to answer it, laughing because it’s very funny the way she’s hidden outside but when I open the door, my brother is standing there. ‘Oh, fuck,’ he says. ‘It’s not the way it looks.’” (Rickert, 2009, p. 34). This is a humorous coincidence that occurs in the novel due to these ghost characters. Although the main character attempts to care for them they end up getting him into trouble. In fact, the protagonist is beginning to get the same reputation as his father, except for the fact that he is not abusing anyone. It is possible that the main character feels that he has to take care of these ghost children to make up for the fact that his father was so horrible to adolescents. He may have reasoned that there has to be some type of repentance.

Rickert’s story “Holiday” is a horror story that is chilling and hair-raising. The author does a great job of setting a dark and gloomy mood, by covering disgusting and scary subject matter. There also is effective utilization of the English language, making the piece ripe with memorable passages. The author clearly has a substantial grasp on what is high quality writing. Furthermore, there is clear and efficacious understanding of the elements that should make up a horror story and they are convincingly employed in this piece. Rickert is a rarity in today’s generic and untalented author pool. It is comforting to see that some still value the classic elements of the horror genre and in “Holiday” this is forcefully demonstrated.

Horror Writers. (2009) What is Horror Fiction? Web.

Rickert, M. (2009). Holiday. Urbana, IL: Golden Gryphon Press.

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Essays on Horror

The importance of writing an essay on horror.

Writing an essay on horror is essential for several reasons, as it allows individuals to explore the genre's significance, impact, and cultural relevance. Horror literature, films, and art have long been integral parts of human culture, reflecting societal fears, anxieties, and taboos. By delving into the genre through essays, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of its complexities and contributions to literature, cinema, and art.

One of the primary reasons for writing an essay on horror is to explore fear and its profound effect on human psychology and society. Horror confronts us with our deepest fears and forces us to confront the darker aspects of human nature. By analyzing horror works, individuals can gain insights into human behavior, emotions, and the human condition itself.

Furthermore, essays on horror allow us to understand the cultural and social dynamics that shape the genre. Horror often reflects the fears and anxieties prevalent in society during specific historical periods. By examining horror works within their cultural contexts, individuals can gain valuable insights into societal norms, values, and concerns.

Moreover, writing essays on horror provides an opportunity to examine the literary and cinematic techniques used to evoke fear and suspense. From Gothic literature to contemporary horror films, the genre employs a wide range of stylistic devices, symbolism, and narrative structures to create chilling experiences for audiences. By analyzing these techniques, individuals can deepen their appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship behind horror works.

Essays on horror also challenge assumptions and stereotypes associated with the genre. While horror is often dismissed as mere entertainment or dismissed as lowbrow, it encompasses a diverse range of themes, styles, and perspectives. By critically evaluating horror works, individuals can challenge preconceived notions and recognize the genre's artistic and intellectual merits.

Finally, writing essays on horror encourages individuals to engage in meaningful discussions about important societal issues. Horror often addresses topics such as power dynamics, gender roles, identity, and morality in thought-provoking ways. By analyzing these themes in horror works, individuals can contribute to broader conversations about culture, politics, and human nature.

Writing essays on horror is essential for gaining insights into the genre's significance, exploring fear and humanity, understanding cultural dynamics, examining artistic techniques, challenging stereotypes, and engaging in meaningful discussions. Through thoughtful analysis and reflection, individuals can appreciate the richness and complexity of horror as a genre and its enduring impact on literature, cinema, and art.

What makes a good Horror essay topic

When it comes to choosing a horror essay topic, it's important to consider what will captivate and engage your audience. To brainstorm and choose an essay topic, start by considering your own interests and fears. What scares you? What keeps you up at night? These personal experiences can serve as a great starting point for a horror essay topic. Additionally, consider the cultural and societal fears that are prevalent in today's world. What are people afraid of? These considerations can help you choose a horror essay topic that is relevant and thought-provoking. A good horror essay topic should be intriguing, thought-provoking, and capable of eliciting strong emotions from the reader.

Best Horror essay topics

• The psychological impact of isolation in horror films
• The role of the supernatural in modern horror literature
• The evolution of the zombie in popular culture
• The use of sound and music in creating horror in film
• The portrayal of mental illness in horror movies
• The significance of setting in gothic horror literature
• The cultural significance of urban legends in modern society
• The symbolism of monsters in horror literature
• The impact of technology on the horror genre
• The intersection of horror and comedy in film
• The role of gender in horror storytelling
• The influence of folklore on modern horror narratives
• The portrayal of fear in contemporary horror literature
• The impact of censorship on the horror genre
• The representation of trauma in horror films
• The use of suspense in horror storytelling
• The depiction of evil in horror literature
• The role of religion in horror narratives
• The use of body horror in contemporary cinema
• The impact of social media on horror storytelling

Horror essay topics Prompts

• Write a horror story from the perspective of the monster.
• Imagine a world where everyone's deepest fears come to life - what would this look like?
• Write a horror essay exploring the concept of "survival horror" in video games.
• Create a horror story set in a haunted house, but with a unique twist.
• Write an essay analyzing the role of the final girl in slasher films and its impact on gender representation in horror.

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Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.

Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apocalyptic events, and religious or folk beliefs. Cinematic techniques used in horror films have been shown to provoke psychological reactions in an audience.

Body horror, Comedy horror, Folk horror, Found footage horror, Gothic horror, Natural horror, Slasher film, Supernatural horror, Teen horror, Psychological horror.

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• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use Horror

I. What is Horror?

In literature, horror (pronounced hawr-er)  is a genre of fiction whose purpose is to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion, and terror in the audience—in other words, it develops an atmosphere of horror . The term’s definition emphasizes the reaction caused by horror, stemming from the Old French orror , meaning “to shudder or to bristle.”

Horror literature has roots in religion, folklore, and history; focusing on topics, fears, and curiosities that have continuously bothered humans in both the 12 th and 21 st centuries alike. Horror feeds on audience’s deepest terrors by putting life’s most frightening and perplexing things—death, evil, supernatural powers or creatures, the afterlife, witchcraft—at the center of attention.

II. Example of Horror

  Horror should make the reader feel afraid through imagery and language.

As the teenage boy stepped into the old mansion, his friends cackling behind him, he thought he could hear things that, he forced himself to believe, were in his head—rattling bones, scurrying rats, hushed whispers…and the slow drip, drip, drip, coming from a spot he told himself wasn’t really there; the red, oozing stain in the ceiling boards above. He only had to spend one hour in the house and he would prove to his friends that he wasn’t afraid. Just one hour. He took one last glance out the door before shutting out the light of the full moon, enclosing himself in complete darkness, with only the sound of his racing, terrified thoughts.

  First, example above uses words and phrases that create a creepy, unsettling air— rattling bones, rats, whispers, oozing, and so on. Second, there is an emphasis on the fact that the main character will be continuing his task alone, which is never comforting. Lastly, the setting—an old and likely haunted mansion, darkness, the full moon—helps to accomplish the feeling of foreboding in the situation.

III. Types of Horror

A.   gothic horror.

Gothic horror, also known as gothic fiction or gothic fantasy, is a dark style of fiction that combines horror and Romanticism. Its style combines the artistic pleasures of Romantic literature with the frightening elements of horror, making it terrifying in a seductive and pleasing way. Gothic horrors stories are written both with and without supernatural elements, but are always mysterious in nature. Examples include novels like Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde .

b. Supernatural Horror

A supernatural horror is work of fiction that relies heavily on supernatural or paranormal elements to drive the story, featuring things like ghosts, monsters, demons, aliens, witchcraft, zombies, and so on. The main source of terror in supernatural horrors is the human reaction to being faced with the unknown, usually in the midst of a serious conflict—i.e. a haunting, a possession, an invasion, a curse or omen, etc.

c. Non-supernatural Horror

A non-supernatural horror is a work of fiction that does not include supernatural elements, The terror of non-supernatural horror comes from the idea that what is happening in the story could plausibly occur in real life—usually involving the possibility of death—making it the ideal style for frightening crime or mystery stories.

IV. Importance of Horror

In what is often considered the most important essay on the horror genre ever written, “Supernatural Horror in Literature,” horror fiction author H.P Lovecraft begins by stating, “the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Accordingly, horror is important because it unearths an audience’s deepest nightmares and anxieties and truly pushes the limits of human emotion and fear. Appreciably, horror writers often employ topics and ideas that the everyday person would be apprehensive of addressing.

V.  Examples of Horror in Literature

Short stories are an ideal and widely used form for horror literature, and Edgar Alan Poe is one of literature’s greatest Gothic horror story writers. His short stories are quintessential pieces of the genre and have been inspiring horror authors for decades. Below is a selection from his famous work, “The Tell Tale Heart”:

There came a light tap at the library door—and, pale as the tenant of a tomb, a menial entered upon tiptoe. His looks were wild with terror, and he spoke to me in a voice tremulous, husky, and very low. What said he?—some broken sentences I heard. He told of a wild cry disturbing the silence of the night—of the gathering together of the household—of a search in the direction of the sound; and then his tones grew thrillingly distinct as he whispered me of a violated grave—of a disfigured body enshrouded, yet still breathing—still palpitating—still alive!

  Poe expertly chooses his words to develop an air of terror, shock, and mystery. To learn more about the victim—the disfigured but still breathing body—the reader will have to continue, though they fear to find out who or what is responsible for this gory scene.

Not all horror has to be directly bloody or violent with its language. For example, William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” uses subtle cues and an air of mystery throughout the plotline, without truly revealing Emily’s dark side until the end of the tale—

The man himself lay in the bed. For a long while we just stood there, looking down at the profound and fleshless grin. The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace, but now the long sleep that outlasts love, that conquers even the grimace of love, had cuckolded him. What was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt, had become inextricable from the bed in which he lay; and upon him and upon the pillow beside him lay that even coating of the patient and biding dust.

  In this passage, Faulkner tells the audience what happened to a man that disappeared from Emily’s town (and the story) years before. He has been found—or rather, his skeleton, which is subtly revealed through the language: a “fleshless grin.” With this short passage, the reader learns that there has been a murder, who the murderer is, and that Emily is more disturbed than anyone ever could have imagined.

VI.  Examples of Horror in Pop Culture

Present day author Stephen King is a giant in contemporary horror fiction. For 40 years his works have been dominating the horror market in literature and have had a huge presence in film and television—in fact, hundreds of his works have been adapted for the screen. Below is a clip from the icon horror novel and movie of the same name, The Shining:

This clip exhibits a scene from the film that has been a symbol of the horror genre for decades, including the infamous and often repreated phrase, “Here’s Johnny!”

Many pieces of horror literature have become cult classic horror films, for example, William Peter Blatty’s supernatural horror novel The Exorcist and the subsequent film, for which he also wrote the screenplay. Below is a clip of a well-known scene from the film, in which the priests perform an exorcism on Regan, a young girl whose body it has been possessed by a demon:

The horrifying nature of this scene is obvious—a possessed child with a grotesque appearance, the presence of a supernatural spirit or demon, the use of religious power or magic to solve the situation, and so on. Though its visual effects may now be outdated, The Exorcist remains one of the most notoriously terrifying and disturbing horror movies to date.

VII. Related Terms

A thriller is a genre of whose primary feature is that it induces strong feelings of excitement, anxiety, tension, suspense, fear, and other similar emotions in its readers or viewers—in other words, media that thrills the audience. Essentially all horrors are thrillers because of the nature of their content; however, not all thrillers are horrors.

VIII. Conclusion

In conclusion, horror is a genre of literature designed for readers who want to be frightened and have their imaginations expanded through fear of the unknown and unexpected. It can be combined with other genres and styles to develop creative and frightening tales that leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

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What is Horror genre

Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and supernatural fears. It often explores themes of death, decay, and other aspects of the human condition.The genre has ancient origins with roots in folklore and literature. Many horror stories have been passed down through oral tradition, and the genre has evolved over time to include different subgenres and cross over into other genres.The classic horror story is often about a monster or evil force that threatens to harm or kill the protagonist. The protagonist is often helpless and must rely on outside help to defeat the monster.The horror genre can be divided into different subgenres, each with its own set of conventions and rules. The most common subgenres are slasher, zombie, and paranormal.Slasher films are a subgenre of horror that focus on graphic violence and gore. They are often inspired by real-life events, such as the murders committed by the Manson Family.Zombie films are another subgenre of horror that focus on the undead. These films often explore themes of infection and contagion.Paranormal films are a subgenre of horror that focus on the supernatural. These films often explore themes of the afterlife and the existence of otherworldly beings.The horror genre has long been a staple of the film industry. Some of the most iconic and influential films in history are horror films. The genre has also spawned a wide variety of merchandise, including books, comics, toys, and video games.

10 most popular books Horror genre

• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft
• The Shining by Stephen King
• The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
• Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
• The Omen by David Seltzer
• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
• Jaws by Peter Benchley
• IT by Stephen King

How to Write Horror genre Essays

Horror is a genre that is often misunderstood. It is often lumped in with genres like mystery and suspense, when in reality it is its own distinct genre. Horror is a genre that is designed to evoke a feeling of fear, dread, and terror in the reader. It is a genre that is often misunderstood. It is often lumped in with genres like mystery and suspense, when in reality it is its own distinct genre. Horror is a genre that is designed to evoke a feeling of fear, dread, and terror in the reader. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind when you are writing a horror essay. The first is that you need to understand the difference between horror and other genres. Horror is designed to elicit a feeling of fear, while other genres may be designed to elicit a feeling of suspense or mystery. If you are unsure of the difference, it may be helpful to read a few horror novels or watch a few horror movies to get a feel for the genre. The second thing to keep in mind is that horror is all about atmosphere. A good horror story will create an atmosphere of fear and dread that will linger with the reader long after they have finished reading. To create this atmosphere, you will need to use descriptive language. Paint a picture with your words that will allow the reader to feel the fear that the characters in your story are feeling. Third, you need to remember that horror is often about the unknown. A good horror story will leave the reader guessing about what is going to happen next. Use suspenseful language to keep the reader guessing. And don’t forget to include a few twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Finally, remember that a good horror story is one that will stay with the reader long after they have finished reading. A good way to do this is to end your story with a cliffhanger. This will leave the reader wanting more and will ensure that your story is remembered long after it has been read.

32 Horror Movies That Are Great For Beginners Into The Genre

There's so many great choices.

Alright, let’s have a chat. Say that you’re on a date, hanging out with friends, or maybe you’re just on your own, and the desire to watch a horror movie arises. You’re scared at first because you’ve never watched a horror movie; you don’t know how you’ll react to them. Are they all as terrifying as Midsommar and Hereditary seem to be?

Rest assured, readers, we have the solution to that. Today, I’ll review several great picks for horror movies for beginners, whether you want something with a little less horror or maybe a little more. Let’s get into it. 

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a classic horror movie from the 1980s that Steven Spielberg co-wrote. The film follows a family who has to find a way to save their daughter when vengeful spirits kidnap her in their own home. Out of most horror movies, this one is very light on the jumpscares and mainly builds fright through suspense – mixed in with some pretty okay-ish CGI. 

Halloween (1978)

You can’t get more of a classic horror movie villain than Michael Myers. Halloween was released back in 1978 and told the story of a young woman acting as a babysitter the night of Halloween and how she has to survive the wrath of Michael Myers, an escaped killer from a mental facility. Halloween isn’t gorey but has excellent music, suspense, and an unforgettable villain. Out of all the Halloween movies , this one is still the best. 

The Fog (1980)

The Fog is a horror movie directed by John Carpenter that makes you question what you see in the fog. It focuses on a group of strangers who all have to survive this strange fog that takes over their town, which seems to contain evil forces. The movie isn’t scary, but it is a nice entrance into a more suspenseful horror. 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies often involve some horror, and The Sixth Sense follows that. The film mainly focuses on a child psychologist with a patient who can see dead people, but of course, the classic Shyamalan twist makes this movie all the better. It’s not scary, per se – just exciting . 

Psycho (1960)

I mean, yes. I have to put Psycho on here. Directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock , Psycho is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of an investigator looking into the strange life of Norman Bates at the Bates Motel and how one interaction with a young woman and her disappearance changes everything. It’s black and white with no gore, but it's a great horror movie to start on. Trust me. 

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Friday The 13th (1980)

The Friday the 13th movies were essentially some of the films that began the subgenre of slasher within horror, but the first movie isn’t even that bad. It focuses on a group of teenage counselors trying to survive a serial killer at their summer camp after a tragedy occurred years prior. While there are some messier scenes, it’s not that bad and has some great music. 

Beetlejuice (1988)

With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing , it’s the perfect time to watch the first film. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a “bio-exorcist” contacted by two ghosts to get humans to leave their home – but he has tricks up his sleeves. Look, Beetlejuice, truthfully, is probably the best entrance into horror. This movie is way more funny than scary, but it has enough creepy moments to dip your toes in horror. 

The Black Phone (2022)

Starring Ethan Hawke , The Black Phone is an excellent horror film that follows the story of a teenager who is abducted by a child murderer and can use a rotary dial phone to speak to past victims to find a way out. This film has a few gorier moments, but they’re pretty tame. And truthfully, the plot alone is so creative you’ll be sucked in. 

Happy Death Day (2017)

There are plenty of fantastic horror comedies, and Happy Death Day is one of them. The film follows a young woman who, when she is killed, is forced to relive the day over and over again to find the murderer. Yes, this is a horror version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the best. 

Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins is a comedy horror film that everyone has seen at least once. The film follows the story of a man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai. At first, it seems fine, but once they get fed past midnight, they turn into monsters that wreak havoc. The movie isn’t scary, but it has some good makeup and will make you chuckle at the monsters. 

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is a classic comedy zombie movie directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg . The film follows a salesman who must survive the zombie apocalypse with his friends when the entirety of London falls. The zombies can sometimes be creepy, but trust me when I say you’ll be laughing a heck of a lot more than screaming. 

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead essentially created the zombie genre as a whole. This classic horror film from the 1960s, directed by George A. Romero, follows a group of survivors in Pennsylvania who must try to survive when they are all attacked by corpses that have come back to life. The movie features the slowest zombies ever, but they’re still pretty creepy – and powerfully told. 

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s movies are always hits; Get Out was his first big one. The movie follows a young Black man who travels to his Caucasian girlfriend’s house for the first time to meet her family, only to discover that they hold much darker secrets than ever before. There’s barely any gore in here—all the horror is in the storytelling and how evil humans can be. 

The Ring (2002)

Have you ever heard the phrase “Seven days?” Because it comes from here. Directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Japanese horror film and novel of the same name, this movie follows the story of a journalist who discovers that when she watches a cursed tape, she will die in seven days—and now she must find a way to survive. Yes, the girl can be a little creepy, but truthfully, the movie isn’t that bad.

Insidious (2010)

When it comes to horror movies about demons , Insidious is pretty much the best you can get because it’s not “poop your pants” scary, but it’s effective in the way it scares. Directed by James Wan, the film follows a married couple who must find a way to save their son when he enters into a coma, and his body becomes host to several vengeful spirits and demons. There are a few jumpscares, but it’s nothing an average person can’t handle. 

Scream (1996)

This film isn’t scary, and I stand by it. Scream is the first in the Scream franchise , and it follows Sidney Prescott as she tries to avoid getting killed by Ghostface, a serial killer in her town. This movie is just a trope city, and there are undoubtedly bloody moments, but not enough to truly scare you. If anything, it’s a love letter to horror movies from decades before. 

Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland was one of the first zombie movies I ever watched, and I think it’s a great horror comedy for first-time viewers. It mainly follows four survivors as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse, but it’s the comedy that keeps you coming back for more. It’s so funny, and some of the ways the zombies are killed are hilarious. It’s one of Emma Stone’s best films . 

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Starring David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf. One of them gets bitten, turning him into a werewolf when the moon rises. The scariest thing about this film is the realistic werewolf transformation, but other than that, it’s a great horror movie to start on. 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

While the found-footage horror genre has only gotten bigger, I often credit The Blair Witch Project as the first to really set it off. The film focuses on a group of film students who are trying to make a documentary about a local legend, only to vanish. Their footage is found a year later—hence the name, “found footage.” The movie has a few scary movies but builds its scares on suspense. 

Jaws (1975)

Will you be scared of sharks a little after this? Sure, but Jaws is iconic for a reason. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a marine biologist and a shark hunter working together to take down a man-eating great white shark. Yes, the score is as iconic as you think it is.

Alien (1979)

To me, the original sci-fi horror movie was always Alien. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the space crew as they have to survive aliens that make their way into their vessel. Truthfully, I don’t see the aliens as too creepy—the only thing that’s truly scary is the alien popping out of someone’s chest, but it’s not that bad. 

The Shining (1980)

One of the best Stephen King adaptations is The Shining. Based on the novel of the same name, The Shining follows a family in which a writer takes on the position of off-season caretaker in a hotel, only for him to lose his mind while he’s there. The movie itself is built on suspense and doesn’t really have that many gory or scary moments—it’s just a greatly shot film.

Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of vacationers who realize that they are aging inexplicably quicker on a beach, to the point where they grow closer and closer to death with each passing hour. I enjoy this film a decent amount and think it’s excellent for first-time horror viewers, mainly because there’s barely any gore, and it’s an exciting concept. 

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)

For all my PG-13 peeps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a great first-time horror movie. Based on novels of the same name, the film follows how horror stories written in an ancient book come to life, and it’s up to three teenagers to figure out how. The movie is creepy, eerie, and so much more – but it doesn’t quite cross the line of unwatchable. I love it. 

Carrie (1976)

Carrie is hands-down one of the best horror films to start watching. The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, follows a young woman who is bullied at school. She later finds out that she has telekinetic powers—ones she uses to exact revenge when she’s pushed too far. The film isn’t gory but expertly acted and brilliantly told. 

The Cabin In The Woods (2013)

This sci-fi comedy is everything. The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of close friends who go away to a remote cabin for a weekend. There, they all fall victim to different kinds of killers—only to find out that these killers aren’t who they thought they were. The twist is excellent; you have to watch it. It’s not scary at all. 

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is a great horror movie to start on. The film follows a family who are trying to live in a world where man-eating but blind monsters have taken out much of humanity. They have incredible hearing, and you're dead if you make a sound. The monsters can be a little creepy, but there’s so much more that makes this movie so good. 

Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps is an excellent PG-13 pick on here. Based on the R.L. Stine books of the same name, the film follows a group of kids and a fictionalized Stine as they struggle to capture all the monsters in the Goosebumps books when they come to live and terrorize their town. It stars Jack Black and is silly, goofy, and just a little scary – perfect for first-timers. 

The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds follows the sudden invasion and attack of birds that look to kill in California and how it came to be. Yes, I know the premise sounds goofy, but it’s a well-shot film and a classic for a reason. 

Child’s Play (1988)

Child’s Play may sound like it’s for children, but it’s not. The film follows a widowed mother who gifts a doll to her son, unaware that a serial killer’s spirit possesses it and is looking to kill again. Look, this movie is goofy as heck. It is. It’s about a doll killing people – you’re not going to have nightmares after. Just make sure the kids don’t see it. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Everyone needs a horror musical sometimes. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, is based on the musical of the same name and follows an engaged couple who take refuge in a castle when their car breaks down, only to see that it’s occupied by several interesting and enigmatic people. That’s all I’ll say. Now, let’s do the Time Warp!

Mama (2013)

Starring Jessica Chastain, Mama tells the story of two girls who are brought home by their uncle after their parents die and are haunted by a strange entity. The spirit follows them to their new house. The film certainly focuses more on the love a mother can bring than anything else, but it’s perfect for first-time horror fans. 

With all these options, now I feel like watching some of the best horror movies ever – I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon. 

A self-proclaimed nerd and lover of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, Alexandra Ramos is a Content Producer at CinemaBlend. She first started off working in December 2020 as a Freelance Writer after graduating from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in English. She primarily works in features for movies, TV, and sometimes video games. (Please don't debate her on The Last of Us 2, it was amazing!) She is also the main person who runs both our daily newsletter, The CinemaBlend Daily, and our ReelBlend newsletter. 

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