With Halloween just around the corner, many SCHS staff and students participate in Halloween-themed activities, including watching horror movies. While some enjoy the fear and comedic aspects of it, others dislike the stimulation it evokes.
Social science teacher Emily Haven does not appreciate horror movies because of her overactive fight or flight response. Throughout her childhood, Haven did not celebrate Halloween as much, which led to her not liking horror.
“I don’t love when things get super graphic because my silly mirror neurons definitely process fight scenes and such as if they are happening to me,” Haven said.
According to Haven, there are different reasons for why some people would enjoy horror while others do not. From a general standpoint, introverts prefer less stimulation and therefore, do not enjoy horror movies as much. On the other hand, extroverted individuals would need more stimulation, which can be catered to by watching horror movies.
Additionally, Haven believes people enjoy horror movies because it allows them to learn how to deal with stressful situations without being in that situation.
“In a weird way, it (horror) also allows you to practice coping mechanisms in a ‘safe’ environment, so that could contribute to liking it as well,” Haven said.
Senior Josh Navarro was introduced to horror movies at a young age by his cousins. Navarro understands why other people enjoy watching horror movies because of the emotions that come with them.
“Just the surprise and how much it can shock you in a good way. For other people, just wanting to be scared or wanting to interact with the movie itself,” Navarro said.
English teacher Courtney Hayes would not actively seek out horror, but if a friend asked her to watch one, she would. While Hayes has a neutral stance about horror movies, she is able to understand why others enjoy them.
“The appeal of the genre is that you have to like being scared. You have to like that type of feeling, that suspenseful feeling,” Hayes said. “That’s what draws people to go to those types of movies. I think they like suspense and scariness.”
In addition to horror movies, there are other types of horror mediums, such as haunted houses, podcasts and horror-inspired trends. These various forms attain aspects that can be enjoyable for people.
Junior Sheila Begovic enjoys specific horror aspects in movies. She does not, however, appreciate horror inspired trends. Begovic thinks people who participate in those trends are using their online platform to receive more attention.
“I think for followers just trying to recreate it to get popular, but I don’t really think it’s funny,” Begovic said.
While watching horror movies, the amount or type of people one is watching with can impact the individual’s experience. Navarro feels uncomfortable when watching a movie that can cause fear, putting him in an awkward position, which is why he prefers watching horror movies in a group rather than by himself.
“The only reason I’d watch a horror movie (is) if my friends were with me to make the movie more funny instead of more scary,” Navarro said.
Hayes’s neutral perspective on horror movies is impacted from the story plot of the genre. One of her most enjoyable components of horror comes from Jordan Peele movies, which are more heavily creative and plot-based. Another aspect that comes with the horror genre is horror podcasts, which Hayes believes depend on the storytelling and interpretation of the listener.
“When you have the actors and you have the video production of it, there’s lighting, there’s effects, there’s this and that, but there’s not (that) in a podcast,” Hayes said. “It requires more of the listener to make it up in their head. It’s more challenging for the writers because it has to be scarier because it relies solely on the storytelling.”
Having an emotional impact when watching a horror movie is essential for a script writer, which Hayes uses with her reference of Jordan Peele, of him being a creative writer. There are many aspects to take into consideration when it comes to the viewer’s perception of the movie.
“Their goal should be, ‘I don’t want this person to walk out of the movie and say,’ “Oh it’s good” and never think about it again,” Hayes said. “I think that’s the key of good writing, that the viewer continues to circle back (and think), ‘What about that and what about that and oh, my gosh.’”