Every time I get close to someone new, whether that includes friends, coworkers, etc., I always end up sharing with them my love of horror movies, as it's a pretty prevalent part of my personality. However, it seems like it freaks some people out when I tell them that! Like, I tell people I enjoy watching 'Saw' movies and it feels like I just told them that I'm a sadist cannibal dominatrix that kicks puppies and goes around lighting old people's cars on fire. However, I am none of those things. At the end of the day, I'm just a girl who loves horror movies, and here's a little bit why:
The Themes & Stories
This might sound silly, but I love the thematic elements and stories that many horror movies tell. While romance movies are charming and sweet, comedy movies are fun and silly, and action movies are riveting and cool, horror movies are particularly meaningful to me. I love the questions and ideas that many provoke, especially the good ones. For example, the 'Saw' movies aren't just slashers, but allow the viewer to reflect on their own lives and the choices they make. Many horror movies provide viewers with thought-provoking moral reflections, if you're willing to look past the blood and guts.
The Craft of the Art
While not all horror movies are meaningful, some are simply beautiful. There's an art to making something disturbing and unsettling. Even the most graphic horror films, while disgusting to most, fascinate me because of how filmmakers emulate such disturbing scenes. If a movie can effectively scare a viewer or make them feel something intense, it has truly succeeded. Additionally, there's something wonderfully ironic about the juxtaposition of beauty and gore in some horror movies. For example, 'Midsommar' takes such a beautiful setting and makes it into something incredibly disturbing.
Horror Movies as a Distraction
I can't remember where I heard it, but there's a quote that says something about how horror movies distract us from the horrors of real life. Oddly enough, there's something relaxing about watching a movie where someone is being chased by a killer or haunted by a paranormal apparition. It makes me think, "Wow, maybe my bad day at work wasn't that bad after all."
My Father
My dad, Tom Ewart, was a horror fanatic. He loved scaring me by wearing his clown or monkey mask around the house. Halloween was his favorite, especially when it came to decorating our yard with fake gravestones and skeletons. He even dressed up as the Devil for our church's trunk-or-treat event—somewhat sacrilegious, but you have to laugh at the irony. He introduced me to horror movies at a young age. I remember watching 'The Shining' with him and his friend, and when his friend asked, "Should she be watching this?" I proudly responded, "Yeah, he lets me watch this stuff all the time!" My dad is the main reason I'm a film buff and avid horror fan today.
Thank you for reading this, and I hope this sheds some light on why I love horror movies so much. Do you like horror movies? If so, let me know why down below!
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