Why We Crave Horror Movies

Horror movies of the 1970s and early 1980s reflect several social issues of the time, as noted on the website Horror Film History. These include feminism and gender equality, the role of science and technology, fears about changing family values, the decreasing role of organized religion in people’s lives, and the fear of children (a byproduct of the advent of the birth control pill and abortion debates during that period). Examples of films with these themes include The Exorcist (1973), The Stepford Wives (1975), The Omen (1976), and film adaptations of Stephen King’s The Shining (1980) and Carrie (1976). Monster movies and slasher movies also appeared during this period, such as Dawn of the Dead (1979), Jaws (1975), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and Halloween (1978). Films of the early 1980s featured new special effects and plots related to aliens, ghosts, and materialism.

Addressing the role of horror movies in society, writer and story consultant Karina Wilson notes the following:

Horror offers us a fictional space in which we can share and evaluate our collective fears—whatever they may be at the time. Scary movies allow us to stare down whichever one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—is currently leading the charge.