How horror movies gained popularity and how they positively affect us

By Jennifer Leon and Maricela Ramirez

Horror movies have evolved in the past years to become what they are today; they have become something that a lot of teenagers have come to enjoy.

Although there are some horror movies that are considered classics such as The Shining, Halloween, Friday the 13th, these were not movies that made the genre get popular.

Horror movies started gaining popularity back in the 1930’s because of horror movies like Frankenstein and Dracula being one of the major reasons horror movies gained that popularity.

You can see how popular Frankenstein is with how so many different variations of the novel have come out since its initial release.

There are many reasons why people have come to enjoy horror movies. One of those reasons is the thrill that you get from watching them and the suspense that comes with it.

Many people may doubt it but watching horror movies comes with a lot of benefits such as an increased amount of substances being released like serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate.

Seniors at APB seem to view horror movies in different lights.

“I like horror movies a lot. I used to watch them a lot as a child and I love the jump scares, they’re my favorites. I love when the music gets intense. And I can feel fear in my soul. I like the tension and build up.” said APB senior Marilin Francisco. 

Senior Citlaly Sanchez said, “It started when I was a kid. I’ve always been a big fan of horror movies, especially Chucky. It was one of my favorites. I like a lot of horror movies that are very suspenseful like the conjuring which wasn’t really scary but it made you feel anxious about what would happen next.”

On the other hand, some did not share this sentiment and talked about their dislike of horror movies.

APB senior Andy Chavez said, “I dislike loud noises and I dislike getting afraid of things I don’t know. Being faint-hearted prevents me from watching horror movies.”

It just goes to show that not everyone will be a fan of horror movies and that some people don’t understand the love some people have for horror movies.

Seniors Citlalty and Marilin had a couple of suggestions for good horror movies to watch.

Marilin Francisco said, “I would say Jeepers Creepers is a good horror movie. 1912 is also a good horror movie.”

Citlaly Sanchez said, “I would recommend a classic horror movie like Chucky or something like The Conjuring.”

Hopefully, people open up to viewing horror movies as a way to help relieve stress and gain certain chemicals that can help you calm down or become happy. Horror movies have come a long way from where they first began.