A British psychiatrist has shared his personal journey into understanding why horror films can be profoundly traumatic for some, while others find them a source of entertainment. His exploration began with a childhood experience watching the 1948 comedy 'Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein', which left him with a lasting fear of the supernatural, darkness, and being alone.
Despite his professional background, the psychiatrist admits to being unsettled for years by the popularity and profitability of the horror genre, given his own adverse reactions. He highlights a significant trend: in North America, horror film box office takings in 2023 were approximately 70% higher than a decade prior, even as other genres increasingly move to streaming platforms. This contrasts with the struggles of cinemas to regain pre-pandemic audience levels for other film types.
The psychiatrist introduces the clinical term 'cinematic neurosis' to describe intense and enduring reactions to films that meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While PTSD is typically associated with survivors of violence or disaster, the diagnosis can extend to seemingly ordinary events, such as watching a film, if they are experienced as catastrophic. He references a 2007 case of a woman, Ms X, who developed severe symptoms after watching 'The Exorcist' as a teenager, though her case was partly influenced by pre-existing mental health challenges.
To comprehend why films can have such a profound impact on some, it's essential to understand their broader appeal. The article draws on Sigmund Freud's concept of the 'uncanny' (unheimlich), which translates to 'un-homely' – the unsettling feeling of the strange wearing a familiar face. This phenomenon, often seen in the motif of the 'double' or familiar places made wrong, is argued to be a core element of effective horror.
Contemporary horror films, such as 'Backrooms' and 'Obsession', are cited as current examples of the 'uncanny' at play. These films, created by Gen Z former YouTubers, reportedly exploit the unsettling nature of familiar architecture or relationships twisted into something frightening. The psychiatrist suggests that horror films provide a 'safe enclosure' where individuals can experience and rehearse terror, chaos, and helplessness without real-world consequences.