I’ve never liked scary movies. Even as an adult who can tell fiction from reality, I have to avoid anything gruesome or potentially scary. And after a scary movie, I can’t just go to bed – I have to watch something funny to shake off the terror and give my pounding heart a break. Yet every Halloween, I somehow manage to get talked into watching a few thrillers that end up keeping me up at night.
Although I try to avoid the really gory horror movies, I still watch shows like American Horror Story And Supernatural, that keep me hooked while balancing the thrills with some much-needed levity. But in case a favorite scary movie catches my eye, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to keep my fear under control.
So, as streaming services and major movie studios start releasing their annual scary movie slates, check out these tips for staying calm, collected, and composed—shared with you by a fellow scary movie wimp. Plus, learn what causes you to be so scared of a fictional movie in the first place.
Why do I get scared so quickly when watching horror movies?
When faced with scary subjects and situations, the amygdala — the part of your brain that detects danger — is wired to go into high alert, which can signal you to go into fight or flight mode. When you watch a horror movie that grips you, the amygdala releases adrenaline and cortisol, two stress hormones, says the Cleveland Clinic.
“Horror movies trick our brains into thinking a threat is imminent,” Dr. Coltan Scrivner, a behavioral scientist at Aarhus University’s Recreational Fear Lab, tells Yahoo. “Our brains are wired to monitor potential threats, so when we get a visual cue that a threat is imminent, our minds snap to attention.” The physical reactions, which may include an increased heart rate, dilated pupils, and clammy skin or goosebumps, for example, are all very real, even if you intellectually understand that the situation you’re seeing isn’t real.
Scrivner explains that while one can distinguish reality from fiction, one can still empathize with the film’s protagonists and put oneself in their shoes.
Can you get scared when watching a horror movie?
While our brain tells us the movie isn’t real, Scrivner says it doesn’t turn off the fear sensors that monitor threats. So yes, watching scary movies can trigger some fear, he says, but it’s usually a temporary, fleeting feeling, although it may last longer and may lead to nightmares.
For example, you might be like me and get nervous before a jump scare or during a scary scene when a character reacts nervously because something doesn’t feel right. You might also get nervous walking home at night after watching a horror movie, says Scrivner.
Scrivner makes a good point, though: If you’ve seen a horror movie and didn’t feel scared, you might think it wasn’t a good movie. After all, you probably don’t watch scary movies to have fun.
Keep in mind that short-term anxiety—whether it’s related to watching a scary movie or not—is normal, but chronic anxiety, or anxiety that interferes with your enjoyment of previously enjoyable activities (like watching scary movies), is something you may want to discuss with a doctor. If you feel like your fear of watching scary movies goes beyond the thrill of the moment, here are some of the best online anxiety therapy services and the best affordable online therapy providers.
Do you find yourself less afraid of horror movies as time goes on when you watch them?
For me, the answer is no. But I don’t watch scary movies every week or every month, either. But Scrivner says there’s some evidence that you can become less sensitive to them over time.
“People can experience fear in an environment where they won’t be hurt,” he says. In some cases, he notes, you can learn to cope with fear from scary movies because you “feel like you’ve overcome your fear as you get into the characters’ shoes.”
“Anything you do over and over again can eventually make you numb,” he says. “But watching enough horror movies doesn’t mean you become numb to evil deeds, it just means you become less afraid of fictionalized scenarios.”
Why do people like watching horror movies?
While some people, myself included, are easily frightened by horror movies, others enjoy the thrill.
When someone enjoys watching scary movies, it’s usually because they’re mentally and physically stimulated, explains Associate Professor Haiyang Yang, a behavioral scientist at Johns Hopkins University. He notes that people who enjoy horror movies have a “psychological protective frame,” meaning they know they’re safe, the movie isn’t real and they have a sense of control. This allows them to enjoy the endorphin and dopamine rush that comes from the release of stress hormones without having negative experiences of fear.
7 tips to avoid getting too scared when watching horror movies
Here are some things I do when I decide to watch a scary movie.
Watch horror movies in the morning: There is nothing worse than watching a scary movie at night and then lying wide awake in bed, freaking out at every creaking noise in the house. Do yourself a favor and watch the movie in the morning so you have the rest of the day to forget about it. I have this with The Conjuring a few years ago and didn’t find it that scary.
Never watch them alone: I never watch scary movies alone – I need someone there to ask if it’s safe to watch or not. It also makes the movie less scary when someone else is there, especially if you can joke about the acting or if a character falls at the most inopportune moment.
First read the plot on Wikipedia: For almost all horror movies I watch, I look at the plot to figure out what is going to happen and who is going to survive. That way, I am at least prepared in advance, so I am less disappointed with the outcome and know when to look away.
Watch it on TikTok: I often watch horror movies when someone posts clips on TikTok. I have watched almost all the scenes Ready or Not — a pretty gruesome film — on TikTok and could hide in the comments when it got too brutal. If you don’t want to watch the clips, you can also find spoilers on the app.
Listen to a podcast: Instead of actually watching the movie, it might be better for your mental health to just listen to podcasts that talk about it. For example, on the Ruined podcast, one host talks about scary movies and basically “ruins” the movie for the other, squeamish host who doesn’t watch horror movies.
Turn on subtitles: If you don’t like horror movies anyway, you might want to keep the volume down to avoid unnecessary shock effects from the instrumental sounds. I leave the subtitles on so I can concentrate on reading the dialogues rather than watching what’s happening in the movie. This may not always work if no one is speaking during the scary moments of the movie.
Only watch films that you can tolerate: This tip comes from Scrivner and is honestly a good rule that I’ll follow. He says to find horror movies that fit your speed, so if you’re an adrenaline junkie, go for the scarier movies – otherwise, start with something safer and work your way up.
Ready for your next scary movie? Here are some Yahoo picks for A24 horror movies that aren’t as well known. Here are also some Mike Flanagan horror movies to check out.
