Horror movies are something that have been loved for centuries, with the first known horror short film coming out in 1896 called the Le Manoir du Diable but better known in English as “The Haunted Castle.” Since then many different types of horror categories have come out, including psychological, thriller, gore and more. Popular movie series that people might know are “Saw,” “Scream” and “The Conjuring.” Along with movie series, there are also popular stand-alone movies like “Hereditary”, “Midsommar” and “The Blair Witch Project.” Junior Brynn Glauser gives her opinion on why she thinks horror movies are popular.
“I believe horror movies are popular because they give people adrenaline and excitement that other movies cannot,” Glauser said.
Some people might use watching movies or reading books as a means to escape from reality and find a way to experience something that they otherwise would not get the chance to. This could be a reason why there is such an interest in them.
With horror movies constantly coming out, there is a wide variety of older and newer movies to pick from. Each person has a personal feel for what they like. The older movies have their ups and downs, such as less advanced CGI, but between the 1970s and early 1990s there was a spike in crime so the writers could get ideas from those ceases to implement in their story. Some might say that horror movies now are repetitive and boring. Sophomore Angela Ortiz gave her opinion on what she thinks is more popular.
“Probably the older [movies] because [they have] better actors,” Ortiz said.
The “Saw” film series is something people either love or hate. They follow a criminally insane man whose whole point in kidnapping these people and holding them hostage in extreme circumstances is to show people to live life to the fullest. The characters end up in unhinged, out-of-the-box idea traps that no sane person could come up with. These films are extremely gravitating and the audience is constantly kept on their toes. If gore is something a person fancies then they are bound to enjoy these films.
On the other hand, “Midsommar” is less on the gore side of things and instead has more of a hallucinatory aspect. It follows a group of friends going on a trip to Sweden to visit one of their group mates’ families. Right from the start, viewers can tell something is going on but never fully know what to expect until it is happening. Junior Sam Roffle is a horror movie lover and
“The way [Midsommar] shows you glimpses of the climax before you even get to the climax was done extremely well,” Roffle said. “The use of hidden background shapes [and] rees make the misleading paintings and even their food all lead to the climax throughout the whole film without even knowing it.”
Some people enjoy going to watch movies, however that is not always available. With a high supply of streaming services, no matter which ones someone may have, there is always something to find.
“I’d have to say the big three…HBO Max, Netflix and probably Hulu, though Hulu is always hit or miss when trying to find a genuinely good horror film,” Roffle said. “The others are usually very good with their selection, maintaining the Classic films, as well as promoting new films that are getting good reviews.”
While horror movies are not for everyone, with Halloween just around the corner now is the perfect time to start watching okay.
