I am an extreme horror fan. I live and breathe scary cinema. There are people like that for every genre, but I think as much as it is loved, horror is just as much hated. It could be because of the content, the blood. Or maybe the (sometimes) excessive nudity in some films. Perhaps it’s that horror makes people come face to face with the realities and problems of the world. Either way, I know people that refuse to watch scary movies for whatever reason. I want to put a stop to that. Here are a few ways to cleverly sneak a little spook into your friends’ movie-watching schedule.
Start with “Intros” to Horror
Ask any hallogeek — they can remember their first entry into the realm of horror. It doesn’t matter the age, a person always remembers their first scary movie. For those who don’t like the scares, there are certain films that deal with lighter subjects, kids horror for example. Hocus Pocus, Coraline, Monster House, and many more like them are easy entryways into the genre because they don’t leave any lingering hard feelings like dread or anxiousness. If kids horror is a little too young, movies like Psycho, Poltergeist, or Sleepy Hollow might do the trick. Energetic, low blood, sometimes goofy films are great characteristics to look for.
Find a Subgenre they might like
Horror is a great genre because of the many, many subgenres under it. If you like funny stuff, there are horror comedies. More of a ghost lover? Supernatural and paranormal movies work best. If someone is into realism, there are plenty of those. People might have these outrageous ideas about what horror movies are and will often lump them under one big tent. The truth is, horror is expansive and covers many different ideas and techniques for scaring audiences. If someone doesn’t like slashers, they would never have to see a slasher and still be a fan of horror because there are infinite subgenres to choose from.
“It’s not horror, it’s a thriller.”
Speaking of specific subgenres, we (the horror community) have this little thing called a “thriller.” This could be anything from a true crime flick, to a psychological movie, or even an old Castle film. A lot of the time, these types of films aren’t automatically labelled as horror, usually because they can be partly attributed to another genre (like police procedurals à la Seven) or are too “high brow” to be considered something as “crude” as horror (like Parasite). What people don’t realize is that these films often have major horror plot points and overtones. There is absolutely death and there may even be a jumpscare or two. At the end of the day, it’s still a horror movie. People who may not like slashers or spectres may enjoy something they don’t think of as a scary movie.
Trade Offs
My husband and I have very different ideas when it comes to movie preferences. I am clearly a horror super fan. He watches a bit of everything, mainly action and sci-fi. In any relationship — be it marriage, dating, friendships, or familial ties — there are compromises. For us, we trade off movies. If we watch a movie together, he’ll pick one night and I’ll pick the next. Not only is it nice to enjoy something you like with another person, it makes you closer and you can learn something about each other. Plus, it makes me appreciate my preferred genre even more (can’t miss something if it’s not gone, right?). As much as I’d like to watch nothing but scary movies for all of eternity, I know it’s only helping me to go outside of my comfort zone a little; the same can be said for horror haters. Just remember to be kind if someone truly doesn’t want to see a certain type of movie.
Behind the Scenes, Lore, technology
Like any movie, there are loads of behind the scenes tidbits, technical achievements, lore, and more fun facts that surround every aspect of horror movies. For example, the tracking shots that Stanley Kubrick is known for were done with the Steadicam, invented by Garrett Brown, who worked on The Shining. Final Destination was originally a proposed episode for The X-Files. Tony Todd had real bees in his mouth in Candyman. These fun little facts help those who are weary of scary things find the reality in them: they’re just movies. If anything helps cut the scares and make a movie more enjoyable, it’s knowing that the fake blood used in Ready or Not tasted similar to caramel sauce.
Did you know?
… that there are benefits to watching horror movies? Of course, the number one benefit is that horror is awesome and fun to watch. But watching such suspense can burn calories, reduce anxiety (or give a release for it), and strengthen relationships! In the same way that people can trauma bond, those who watch horror movies together feel closer.
In my ideal world, we’d watch nothing but horror movies and everyone would be a fan. But this is the real world, and that’s not ever gonna happen. The best I could wish for is for more people to attempt to understand the genre and give it a try. As I said before, there is something for everyone!
How did you convert the horror hater in your life? Let us know in the comments!
