How can horror movies make us experience the sensation of fear, even though there is no true threat?
In: Biology
I’m not allowed to use one word to give you an answer, so that’s why the long intro.
Empathy.
They take advantage of our imaginations. Your body doesn’t only react to “real” threats. It reacts to anything that it imagines *could* be a threat. It’s a useful instinct that kept humans safe in more dangerous times, and one that filmmakers utilize to make entertaining movies.
When watching a horror movie, it’s usually not ourselves that we’re afraid of, but for the characters in that situation. It’s an instinct to want to protect those around us, and if the character is finding themselves in a bad situation, we’re terrified and helpless.
An extra layer of fear lies in the relatability of the situation to ourselves. That’s why some people could laugh a bit at gore, but are spooked by psychological horrors.
Music and sound have a big impact on this, helping to build tension, make you feel unsettled, punctuate those jump scare moments.
Music and sound have the ability to affect emotions like nothing else.
To quote David Lynch, “Sound is Very important.”
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