Why I Love Horror

One of the biggest reasons why I love everything horror is because I’m an adrenaline junkie. I like to be scared, I’m fond of the feeling of being afraid. My heart beating hard inside my chest, my palms getting sweaty and cold, and I start to breathe hard. All of those feelings make me feel more alive. And watching a horror movie is really a very cheap way to get my adrenaline fix. 😀 But there are of course a few other reasons too.

First is morbid curiosity. I’ve read somewhere that it is one of our basic impulses, like sleeping, eating and having sex. I am endlessly fascinated by the darker side of human nature, and I never quite get bored of listening, watching and reading stories that the human mind is capable of creating. I’m also interested in true crime although I’m usually too lazy to explore myself, I rather listen to retold stories or watch movies and shows based on true stories. I am very into finding out what is considered taboo and forbidden and thus shrouded in mystery. I guess maybe part of my kinky tendencies have something to do with my obsession with horror too, but that’s another topic to discuss some other day.

Another reason is my devote obsession of fear – the strongest, most primal of emotions, and I argue, even more so than love. Cos love is hardly ever unconditional, but fear can be all-powerful, uncontrollable and utterly irrational. Sure, you can conquer it but only temporarily. Fear is ever-present and ever-lasting. It’s not really a battle you can ever win, but I am a firm believer that you can learn to embrace it and not let fear rule your life. And loving horror is one of my methods to embrace fear, and at least it’s not dangerous to my health. I think. 😀

And last but not least, the horror genre is full of hidden gems. For some reason, this particular genre is shunned critics and general awards, just because of the horror factors. But some of the time, hidden underneath all of that fake blood and practical effects of guts and gore are great stories with fascinating characters and all of that done with very small budgets. And horror would always find their audience, that’s why studios would always keep making them cos they do make a decent profit. But as a horror fan, I am disheartened that horror movies aren’t more recognized by the general public. I do see a subtle shift happening in recent years with high-publicity horror like ‘It’, ‘Get Out’, ‘A Quiet Place’ and ‘Us’. Keep them coming, I say.