Studies indicate that despite seeming counterintuitive, the act of being frightened from horror stories can lead to a decrease in feelings of stress.
With horror tales Hereditary and The Nun recently soaring at the box office, it’s clear that moviegoers continue to be drawn to the depraved. The question continually arises, why are we curious about witnessing horrific events befalling typically innocent and likeable individuals? Horror expert Stephen King suggests that we as a society use horror movies as a way of satisfying our unconsciously insane fantasies to balance us and maintain our mental health overall. While that is a provocative claim, in my experience there is more to the answer.