Why I Love Horror: An Essay
Horror is one of the most complex genres out there. There’s so much that, in a way, doesn’t make sense about it. Why would people create a genre specifically to scare the living daylights out of them? Why do I want to watch an evil clown terrorize a group of kids, or watch a priest exercise a demon from a young girl? Horror is for my favorite genre of books and films, and I intend to explain why that is.
The first reason as to why horror is my favorite genre is because it allows you to see how light the human soul can be. Be honest: you expected me to say dark, didn’t you? The darker the villain character, the more light and powerful your hero must be. For example, you have Art the Clown, one of the newest paragons in slasher film history. In most cases, in slasher films, you find yourself rooting for the villain, wanting to see the idiots meet their comeuppance in whatever way the killer decides. It’s rare when a slasher character that isn’t the villain is written as intelligent. It seems, often, the “final girl” is the final girl by mere luck rather than basic intelligence. This has been parodied several times, most notable the GEICO commercial that shows the young folks at a killer’s house. As they make their way across the yard, one of them asks, “Why can’t we just get in the running car?” One of her friend replies, “Are you nuts? Let’s hide behind the chainsaws!” Not very bright, are they?
Let’s circle back to my example. Art the Clown is one of the most brutal characters I’ve seen in a slasher movie. He faces off against Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera), and she breaks the mold of the idiotic slasher character stereotype. Instead, she uses her brain- and her sword- to fight against Art in a prophesized battle. Art is a dark, pure evil character, which makes you root for Sienna even more. To see a character overcome such darkness provides hope to those and could inspire them to act against their own set of difficult circumstances. “If they can do it, why not me?”
In recent years, zombie fiction and the like has become increasingly popular, especially with franchises like The Walking Dead. For me, one of my favorite video games is Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series. Set in a dystopian United States, the first game follows Joel Miller (Troy Baker), who must escort Ellie Williams (Ashley Johnson) across the country, as Ellie is immune from the infected, zombie-like epidemic that’s destroyed the world. Joel, at the beginning of the game, loses his own daughter and, over time, becomes a cold, hardened individual, forced to do so to survive.
As he and Ellie travel, they slowly build a relationship that I didn’t expect. Ellie is a phenomenal character, reminding us through her humor that she is a child in a dark world, that there can be light in a dark world. Joel sees this, too, and risks everything, once he’s learned a possible cure would kill Ellie, to save her, going so far as to massacre the group. For better or worse, Joel’s love and care for Ellie prevails over the possibility of saving the world; he’s lost one daughter, he can’t stand to lose another.
On the flip side, horror, more than any other genre, allows you to see just how dark the human soul can be. Villains such as Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates, and others are still discussed even longer after the original works have been published, due to the unending fascination of what makes each of them tick. For me, personally, the villain has always been more interesting than the hero. Yes, the hero is the hero, and I root for them to succeed and defeat the villain. But what makes a villain so interesting? Is he a tragic character, like Jack Torrance? Does she desire revenge, like Pamela Vorhees? Is he committing murder for simple fun, like Michael Myers? The backstory, for me, is what elevates a villain from good to great, possibly even legendary status. Then again, the lack of a backstory can be just as compelling. It leaves it up to us to imagine what drove that person to do evil, and our imaginations can be quite terrifying.
Imagine, if you will, doing something scary, even if it’s as simple as going on a rollercoaster. How did you feel after? Exhilarated, with all that adrenaline pumping through you? That’s what it’s like watching a horror movie or reading a scary book for me. Yes, it’s scary, but you feel powerful, even thrilled, afterwards. You’re free to go back and think on or re-read the sections you might overlooked or realize how important a certain unassuming detail ended up being.
I know some people won’t be convinced for one reason or another about the horror genre. For one reason or another, they’re dead set against interacting with it in any form. For others, though, I encourage you to go back and re-watch your favorite horror movie or re-read your favorite horror novel. Think about how it makes you feel and how you feel after. Think about the discussions you have with yourself over the next few days, or the ones you have out loud with others. Horror is a fascinating genre, and it’s one that will never lose me as a fan.
