Last night, my boyfriend and I were working our way through Season 1 of the science-fiction horror show From when I had a confusing realization: Despite being one of the most anxious individuals on this planet, I somehow love horror shows and films.

Of course, that thought only further disturbed me, because how could I possibly get enjoyment from watching such a morbid series? I mean, most horror films involve torturous scenes and horrific traumas for the characters. Certainly, if I witnessed these scenarios in real life, I’d be running to the bathroom to puke, not snacking on Sour Patch Kids in bed, loading the next episode or movie.

Why, then, do so many of us get such an addictive rush from consuming such content? To better understand myself and the common love of horror, I decided to explore the psychology behind it. Here’s why some people love scary movies and shows.

1. They Can Maintain a Sense of Control

According to Vinay Saranga, MD, child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and founder of Saranga Comprehensive Psychiatry, scary movies allow us to experience fear in a controlled environment.

“In other words, when we watch a scary movie, we still get the adrenaline rush and that feeling of being on the edge of our seats, yet deep down we know that despite the feelings we are really safe sitting in a movie theater or at home on the couch,” he continues. 

That’s much different from experiencing fear something in our own lives that could potentially manifest in our reality.

2. They’re Drawn to Suspense

For some scary movie lovers, it’s more about the suspense than the actual horror of it all.

“I think the other thing that is intriguing for people about scary movies is the suspense, trying to figure out what comes next and if there will be some big twist that no one saw coming,” Saranga says.

That edge-of-your-seat feeling, while in the comfort of your own home next to your partner or loved ones, can add a healthy dose of entertaintment and even excitement to your otherwise mundane routine.

3. They Enjoy the Adrenaline Rush

According to Saranga, some horror film connoisseurs are drawn to the adrenaline of it all. You know the rush you get when you’re on a rollercoaster or—for a more extreme example—skydiving? Many people experience that same rush while watching a scary movie.

“They enjoy the sensations that come when stress hormones are released, and they feel alert or full of energy,” Saranga says.

4. It’s Simply Human Nature

Instead of judging yourself for your horror film addiction, understand that it often boils down to human wiring.

“People have a sense of curiosity and are drawn to the unknown, the unusual, mysterious things, anything that is potentially threatening or even dangerous,” Saranga adds.

5. It Allows Them to Explore the Dark Sides of Human Behavior

According to Saranga, horror and fear let us explore the darkness that lurks in many humans—but is often repressed and controlled, of course.

“Violence and death are disturbing and uncomfortable subjects, but there is often a bit of curiosity around them,” Saranga says. “This is a way to learn more about these topics without actually experiencing them for ourselves.”

The post 5 Reasons Why Watching Horror Movies Feels So Good (Even When You’re Terrified) appeared first on VICE.

Horror movies have never gotten much love at the Academy Awards. And even when they do get some attention, it’s rarely in the Best Picture category. To date, only nine films in the genre have been nominated for the highly coveted award: The Exorcist, Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, Black Swan, Get Out, The Substance, the 2025 version of Frankenstein, and Sinners. To make matters worse, just one of those actually went home with the Oscar.

The lone winner in question was The Silence of the Lambs, which pulled off another extremely rare feat at the 1992 Academy Awards: it swept the so-called “Big Five” categories. For the record, that includes Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. That evening, the Jodie Foster-Anthony Hopkins classic became the third film in history to accomplish that. It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest had done so previously (in 1935 and 1976, respectively).

The Oscars Have Snubbed Horror for Decades, but One Movie Broke the Curse

But while the members of the Motion Picture Academy have shown a significant lack of interest in horror over the years, it isn’t the most snubbed genre there is, believe it or not. For instance, no animated or comic book film has ever won Best Picture, though three movies of each kind have received nods. And as far as disaster films go, Titanic remains the single, solitary Best Picture winner. That’s more than we can say for documentaries, which haven’t even been given the opportunity to walk away with the sought-after trophy.

Why Oscars are so elusive for certain genres is unclear. Circling back around to scary movies, it seems like a huge oversight that films like Psycho and The Shining weren’t major winners—in fact, The Shining was nominated for a whopping zero Academy Awards. At the end of the day, very few horror movies have won Oscars since the ceremony began in 1929—some of the more notable examples being Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, and Alien. However, this past year Frankenstein, Sinners, and Weapons were all surprisingly victorious, so maybe things are finally starting to change.

The post This Is the Only Horror Movie to Ever Win Best Picture at the Academy Awards appeared first on vice.

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