The Horror Genre
During this informative article, Hailie describes how the horror genre has grown over the years, and explores the popularity it has obtained while doing so.
History Of Horror: Was the Genre ever Popular?
By Hailie Zintzun
Did you feel that chill? The genre of horror is best known for making its audience jump out of their seats in fright. From Jaws to W.W Jacobs, there has yet to be a shortage of material to bring us the terror we crave. As time has gone on, the genre of horror has never wavered in developing new content fit for each era. Focus has greatly shifted from spine-- tingling literature to films in recent years, following our progression in technology. Tales of horror have always managed to capture an audience, but one might wonder how large that audience may be. It is possible that we could have underestimated the fanbase the horror genre brings with it.
The beginning of the horror genre started out with gothic literature, which dates back to the eighteenth century. According to the American International Journal of Contemporary Research, most stories featured mysterious locations that intrigued the reader, such as an empty castle shrouded in mist. The genre became independent and started to break away from the gothic style of writing in the nineteenth century. This is when stories such as Polidori’s The Vampyre: A Tale, and Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein brought a new light to horror literature. In the United States of America, the genre of horror was becoming quite popular with stories like The Black Cat and The House of the Seven Gables. However, not everyone was pleased with having to read in order to feel terrified. This is where horror films come in.
The horror genre was greatly developed throughout the filming industry. The American Journal of Contemporary Research states that “The early horror films can be dated almost to the beginning of the film industry.” The films were usually inspired by folk stories, witchcraft, magic and fables. Thus, the main characters often being other-wordly and far from human. It was in the twentieth century that the films started to grow and spread. In 1920, works of literature such as Stephenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Phantom of the Opera were adapted into films. These films were so well-received that they were remade multiple times.
It is evident that the genre of horror has had a fair amount of popularity over the years, but some might be asking themselves when was it the most popular. Data from The Numbers shows that horror films have become more popular than ever, currently at a peaking point of popularity that started to incline from the year 2019. This is an interesting development, as other genres of film have recently declined. Variety highlights a Movio study in their article, “Diverse Audiences Are Driving the Horror Box Office Boom.” This study indicates that forty-four percent of the people who attend a screening of a horror film go to the movies more than twelve times a year. Is this taste for horror the key to success? It seems that, if one’s passion lies in the film industry, then it might just be.
It has been proven that the horror genre has a high demand, but what makes it so appealing? Believe it or not, some claim it is because people find the stories “comforting.” Yes, you heard that right. Despite the genre being described by Literary Terms as “a genre of fiction whose purpose is to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion, and terror in an audience,” a Bustle article states otherwise. According to the article, “... people watch scary movies for three main reasons: tension, relevance, and unrealism.” It is stated in the article that people either want to have the feeling of mystery and shock, want to relate to the material, or they wish to enjoy the fact that it isn’t real and therefore has no real risk. The article features an interview with Dr. Katherine Brownlowe. During this interview, she says, “The experience of your brain calming itself down after watching a scary movie is actually neuro-chemically very pleasurable. That’s because the dopamine release related to the ‘rest and digest’ brain response causes an increased sense of well-being.” Bustle explains that “... it also feels good to go into an experience that seems scary or ‘risky’ and then come out feeling safe and OK.” Therefore, it is not the feelings a person receives while watching a horror movie that is comforting, but the feelings one gets afterwards. Nautilus elaborates on this, revealing that horror movies are a good option for dealing with anxiety. It states that “Someone who is feeling anxious will be more easily sucked into the plot of a horror film, constantly surveilling the scene for the threat.” Nautilus explains that this is helpful as, “Importantly, you are now choosing to feel anxious rather than anxiety being something that just happens to you outside of your control.”
It seems as though the horror genre has always been and will continue to be popular. With such an impressive range of literature and films cultivated over centuries, it should come with no surprise that the works of the horror genre are appreciated by many. Few things compare to the experience of diving into a horrific tale. Whether that be on page or on a screen, the enjoyment of horror can reach many different personalities. People looking for a fright, or for comfort, can find what they seek by letting themselves slip away into a world where threat is imminent and danger lurks in every corner.
