Why do people like horror films? 人们为什么爱看恐怖片？

陈小将

虽然不是人人都爱看恐怖片，但却有不少人对这类电影情有独钟。除了享受被吓得 “魂飞魄散” 的感觉，还有没有其它的因素？本期 “随身英语” 节目讨论这些人爱看恐怖片的原因。
词汇：horror 恐怖
What’s your favourite genre of film? For many people who love being petrified, or scared out of their wits, by jump scares that answer will be horror. Whether it’s splatter films, wastelands in the apocalypse, monsters like demons, zombies, vampires, werewolves or phantoms, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste. But just why do people enjoy watching these terrifying films?
First off, being scared can give us a rush of adrenaline. The heart starts pumping, making these films exhilarating. But the fact you’re actually at home safe on the sofa makes the experience of being frightened all the more enjoyable because what’s happening to the characters on the screen is far removed from your experience of being in your living room eating popcorn. It feels more thrilling.
Coltan Scrivner, a PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Human Development at The University of Chicago, argues that people who watch horror films learn how to regulate their anxiety. A study that he co-authored found that horror fans exhibited greater resilience during the early stages on the Covid-19 pandemic than those who didn’t.
Also, some horror fans think they could survive the events on screen. That gives those viewers a sense of superiority. We often mock the typical tropes of horror films. Why do they try to escape the masked killer by running upstairs and confining themselves? The characters often make terrible decisions that lead to their deaths – decisions we as viewers believe we wouldn’t make.
So, whether it’s to help people regulate their anxiety, be thrilled by getting scared, or to feel superior mocking the decisions of the characters, there are many reasons people love watching horror films – and if they really scare you, maybe it’s best to watch them with the lights on.