I never fully understood the appeal of horror movies. As the spooky season approaches, my friends beg me to watch something scary, and I always respond with, “Why?”
Why would anyone willingly put themselves in a position to be scared? I have been in some actual scary situations in my life, and I have never thought, “Yes, I want to go to a theater and watch a movie that will give me the exact feeling I’m feeling right now.”
When I express my strong distaste for horror movies, many people automatically respond with, “But you can always see the scare coming.” That never made sense to me because I still get scared. Half of the time, the build-up frightens me more than the actual scare.
The thing is, despite my strong hatred for this unnecessary genre, I wouldn’t say I’m a “fearful” person. I absolutely love doing stereotypical “daredevil” things: roller coasters, jumping out of planes, car racing, cliff jumping, etc. I am addicted to the I’m-about-to-die adrenaline we get from those types of activities.
But I think the reason why I love those thrill-packed activities and hate horror movies is because those activities always end. Horror movies never end for me.
When “It” came out in 2017, I remember leaving the theater terrified. I left those doors fully expecting a child-eating clown to attack me. During that time, there was also a random influx of clowns terrorizing the neighborhoods in my city. That, combined with my brain’s strong conviction that all clowns are kin to Pennywise, formed an unshakable fear of clowns that still hovers over me to this day. I will never walk near a sewer ever again.
“47 Meters Down” makes me feel the same way. I watched it in the safety of my own home, yet I went to bed with the worst shark nightmare known to man. Now, I will never ever go snorkeling or sea-caging. Ever.
I am fully convinced that I could be walking down the street one day and a cannibal clown will kidnap me.
Horror movies are all too real to me. I know it’s all Hollywood — actors, special effects, makeup, sound design. Yet my brain has convinced me that there are some very real aspects to it.
If you want that thrill that horror movies give you, that heart-wrenching, what-did-I-just-watch feeling, without fearing for your life, just watch “Five Feet Apart.”
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Contact Shalom Montgomery via email: shalom.montgomery@pepperdine.edu
