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Why do people enjoy watching horror movies?

Per www.the-numbers.com, here's a breakdown of gross revenues generated by movie genre from 1995 to 2015:

  1. Comedy - $39.4 billion (22.1% market share)
  2. Adventure - $38.9 billion (21.8% market share)
  3. Action - $30.6 billion (17.1% market share)
  4. Drama - $30.2 billion (16.9% market share)
  5. Thriller/Suspense - $15.2 billion (8.58% market share)
  6. Romantic Comedy - $9.2 billion (5.18% market share)
  7. Horror - $8.0 billion (4.50% market share)
  8. Musical - $1.9 billion (1.07% market share)
  9. Documentary - $1.8 billion (1.06% market share)
I'm so glad to see Comedy atop the list, as it's far and away my favorite movie genre. My second choice would be Action, which sits comfortably in third place with a hefty $30 billion.

What I found most surprising is that the Horror category has taken in $8 billion over the 20-year span. 

"Why?" you might ask.

Going back to my early childhood, I have never been a fan of gory movies, and that includes even the most popular slasher films (Friday the 13th, Michael Myers, Freddy, etc.) Not only do I become squeamish at the sight of blood, head-chopping, and anything remotely pertaining to demons, but I find watching such movies serves little purpose.

As I see it, there are enough murders and rapes taking place in the world we live. Why must I witness such content on film when my whole purpose for going to the movies is to escape reality?

I suppose some people just get a kick out of seeing serial killers go at it and eventually witnessing good prevail over evil (as is the case with action- and adventure-based movies). 

Still, I would much rather go to the movies to turn of my brain and watch a goofball comedy. It's been said that laughing helps you live longer, and there's nothing like cracking to the point of shedding tears. I would think that Horror movies have the opposite effect, causing one's blood pressure to go up, not letting a person sleep at night, etc.  

What's your take on this? 

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James Mason said…
Loved this. Perhaps gluttons for punishment? :-) Touching their fears, feeling them for a while. The aphobic seeker. What is the psychological value of Halloween? Great stuff here. Glad to have found you. Thanks for the follow Jeff. Got you bookmarked. :-)
May 6, 2015 at 10:25 AM
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