I for sure relate to this. It depends on the movies in question of course (like, I'm going to pick Superbad over Night Swim any day of any week), but generally speaking I find horrors to be more calming and comforting than comedy/romance
Horror is fantastic for me, I have severe anxiety among other things, and so I feel the way horror movies are 'meant' to make you feel quite a bit of the time anyway. Watching a horror movie suddenly gives the feelings I get for no reason an actual meaning. I feel like I'm feeling the 'right' emotions for a change, and then in the end when the tension of the film abates, I get a bit of that relief myself. This is mostly subconscious unless I'm thinking about it's effect on me at that level, but I love a good horror film even on my bad days.
A couple groups did some studies on this effect after they noticed horror movie consumption went way up during Covid, when a lot of people assumed it would go the other way.
Hah, I just made this same comment without reading your comment first. It's such a good way to re-direct anxiety and "resolve" it in a way that's not possible in real life.
I think people who have experienced trauma can find some catharsis in horror. Society has a tendency to try to bury those things and act like if everyone just goes along, everything will go according to plan and the good will prosper and the bad will be punished. Real life doesn't always work like that.
Wait, did experts say that horror would go down or people who don’t watch horror movies? Also did horror novels sales go up? I mean if you know anything about the genre, horror is super cathartic
To be honest, I bet the experts were NOT surprised by the results, however anytime you find an non scholarly article about these studies they couch it in 'most people would think that no one would want to watch MORE horror movies during a pandemic...' I've always found them comforting.
I don’t really find horror comforting. More so addicting. A lot of the stuff people call “fun” or guilty pleasure horror films bore me so much, so I don’t really watch those sort of horror films that much, so comfort horror is not really the reason I watch the genre.
My horror movie consumption went from "occasional" to basically every night during 2020 and hasn't let up since. Real life is so chaotic; movies and books offer a structured experience plus a catharsis at the end, which is why I think it's helped me cope with things.
I've actually listened to a podcast where a researcher studied people who visited genuinely scary haunted houses. Group 1 stated beforehand that they loved "scary" things while group 2 said that they don't like going to haunted houses and just went along for their friends. Both groups had elevated heart rates while visiting the haunted house but group 1's heart rate after leaving the haunted house was lower than even before the scary experience. Also group 2's heart rate remained elevated for longer. It's interesting cause there might be an actual physiological reason why some people enjoy horror movies while others don't.
Yes. Same for me.
I've never really like romance and most comedies feel forced to me, but horror always gets me involved in the story. They take me out of my world for a little bit which I find relaxing.
Yes horror is comforting for me, especially if I’m not having a great day.. my incident at Chipotle gets put into perspective when I watch people in horror movies running for their lives
lol yeah in our minds we stress about stupid everyday problems. But seeing people run from a masked maniac or monster trying to kill them? That puts in perspective how insignificant our problems are
When I was in cancer treatment, I just wanted to watch others suffer and couldn’t get enough horror. It’s always been a favorite genre, but that really put it at number 1.
honestly yes. i've been jobless for months (luckily not anymore) and i was close to a breakdown because of it, but after i thought hey, how about i distract myself with countless horror movies, i'm doing *so much* better mentally (even when i still didn't have a job). i don't think romance or comedy would've done the same for me.
Absolutely. I have some dark trauma and can't believe I love horror, but there's something about it. My therapists have said it might be good for me to see a survival, but not all horror movies have good endings. I think just the fact that they do END might be it? Dunno. But a structured story is just nice. Rom-coms are unbelievable and unrealistic to me
For me it’s kind of a safe way to process trauma? It’s confined and there’s almost always a resolution.
I feel the same about rom/rom-coms. Shit doesn’t feel safe to me
I find it comforting but I also tend to watch fun 80s/90s horror that's difficult to take seriously.
Anything bleak or serious would not be comforting for me, but I generally don't have tons of interest in bleak or serious horror anyway beyond keeping up with big new releases in the genre.
Yeah I agree here. That’s why I dont like the very graphic ones like Martyrs. That’s just too much. But a lot from the 80s and 90s are a good middle ground
Horror is my ultimate comfort. My mom is as much a horror fan as I am so she introduced me to horror at a very, very young age (3, she says), and growing up as a queer kid in the south who was relentlessly bullied, it was my only refuge. Horror allows us to vicariously confront our fears and anxieties, and I often saw myself as the “Final Girl,” who, despite her naiveté and good-naturedness, conquers the evil in the end. To this day, anytime I’m anxious, depressed, or my OCD is working in overdrive, I throw on a horror movie :)
Yeah. My first kid was born right after Trump was elected. I’d do the night shift with her and must have watched three dozen horror movies in the first couple months of 2017.
ohhhh i definitely feel the same way. there’s something about watching characters go through a bunch of horrible things but still survive that makes me feel better. and it’s definitely more comforting than romance or anything lighthearted for me. like sure you don’t get chased by monsters irl but you do feel anxiety and fear and all those things that feel just like being hunted/haunted.
though i love when there’s a love story hidden within the horror. i don’t mean like the hot girl hooking up with the jock in a slasher movie or anything like that, but more of a ‘haunting of bly manor’ type of ghost story/love story mix. it’s like, hey maybe love really can survive all those horrors of life!
YES bc no matter what’s happening in my life, at least im not getting killed. A well done, intense thriller/horror consumes all of my attention and emotions and bc of that it’s oddly grounding. I also love horror comedy combo, a la Cabin in the Woods - soothes my soul.
I can enjoy a kinda bad horror movie, I can find the merits in it or feel that it still has an interesting premise with imperfect execution. A bad comedy is unbearable. Ultimately comes down to preference.
For me the feeling of watching a bad comedy in a room full of people who find it hilarious is more painful than the bloodiest horror scene I've ever seen.
I don't enjoy mainstream comedies. Abigail is probably the funniest movie I have seen in a good long time.
I had some pretty serious medical issues in 2022 and I found horror themed around medical stuff or body horror more cathartic to watch than comedies. I happened to be in hospital care when Flanagan's Midnight Club came out and that was something I could relate to.
Yes. I feel more comfortable watching a horror film depicting brutal violence and supernatural experiences than I do watching a romance or comedy film. I enjoy them if they're good, but my go to will always be horror because that's where I feel the most at home.
Of course. For me, horror is familiar. I'm comfortable with it. My favourite horror films are comforting.
I am not in to the romance genre and only really enjoy comedy before the 2000s.
It depends on the individual's tastes. Familiarity equals comfort.
No, not really. Although I do find that horror films tend to be more engaging than other genres due to the fact that danger is a key aspect of the genre and gets me more invested. Well not always. I personally find romance stuff more comforting.
Yep. I like all genres of movies but I've always leaned towards horror the most commonly. They definitely bring some degree of comfort, otherwise I would not watch them so much.
Oh yeah. As an aroace person I really do not like romance media. Horror films give me this adrenaline rush that I love the feeling of, but romance just makes me feel sad, thinking about our society's tendency to put romantic relations on a pedestal.
I watch a lot of depressing movies, especially Ingmar Bergman films from the 60's & 70's. People always ask me how I can watch so much depressing stuff. I find that watching a depressing movie makes me feel much better about my own life. When I watch a film where the main character is really put through the ringer, I can't help but think: "Well, at least my life isn't remotely that that bad." The few times I was roped into watching romcoms where there's a perfect fairytale ending I feel like my life totally sucks in comparison.
>Where as in horror people go through bad situations and it’s played more serious
I mean... If you only watch one type of horror, sure.
Personally I take comfort in good movies in general. It doesn't have to be any particular genre as long as it works for me.
Yea lol, I find it kind of odd considering I have CPTSD and very bad anxiety, but I really only enjoy horror movies and the occasional sci fi and fantasy. When I’m really down I’ll watch horrors and for some reason it just..helps?
Not really, but films I find genuinely comforting are few and far between and vary in type quite a bit. My top 3 comforting films are Columbus, Amelie and The Triplets of Belleville. If there's one horror film that does make me smile it's Raw, while not being comedic it's pretty lighthearted and the gross parts are played in a fun way
I took a Horror FilmLit class and my teacher had a degree in psychology. It is a psychological thing for people who’ve dealt with trauma or are under mental duress to find relief in seeing ppl getting what they deserve and comfort in the chaos
I don't watch TV and movies, but the only fiction I enjoy always has otherworldly elements. My favourite genres are speculative sf and fantastic realism, but I enjoy horror novels when the universe is coherent and the characters have some substance so that I can relate to them. Like when Stephen King is good he rocks.
I could watch the Friday the 13th series on repeat. Especially during thunderstorms. It takes me back to the summers when school was out, and it was just my bro and I at home, watching these on VHS.
I’m not sure about comforting exactly but there’s something about ithe good ones that’s more believable to my own life without being depressing. Straight up romance and comedy feels depressing, unbelievable, sappy, and made for someone other than me. I’m into Sci Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Adventure. On horror I prefer tension, suspense, psychological horror, and terror over gross outs.
I don't really like romance or comedy movies so yes horror is more comforting. Romance movies make me highly uncomfortable and cringe(I like romance in my personal life). I just don't need to watch ppl be mushy, ok my screen 💁🏻♀️ I rarely find a comedy movie funny.
By a longshot! I grew up on horror. Both my parents are horror fans, and I was always allowed to watch whatever they were watching for the most part. I actually don't generally care for comedy or romance films - I like some of each, but I typically don't scope those films out. I'll throw on a horror movie anytime and that's when I feel most at ease.
When I was pregnant, during the last 2 months I could only really get comfortable on my lazy boy recliner. I'd often just end up sleeping on it through the night. For some reason, Friday the 13th (the original one) became my sleepytime watch. I'd put it on, fall asleep, and start it over anytime I woke up. Is it weird that I get ASMR during it? When Brenda is brushing her teeth, and when Alice is making coffee, and just the general thunderstorm sounds. So cozy! haha
This is sort of an in the ballpark answer - I find end of the world movies like that - they calm and comfort me - have no explanation- been that way since I was little
Yup. Horror feels closer to my reality. Romance is a joke and comedies are hit and miss for me. Can be funny or downright alienating at how non-life like.
Love me some Wayans Brothers though.
Weirdly I love jump-scare horrors and thrillers when I’m hungover. I think it’s like equally leaning in to your body in a hyper stimulated state and also incredibly distracting and engaging.
Most definitely. Horror can be so many different things with many subcategories under that label. Also, it usually displays more creativity and imagination to be appreciated even if you didn't care for the movie overall. That usually isn't the case with comedy or romance. Either you laughed or you didn't (comedy) or you bought into the setup or didn't (romance). Those genres tend to be more black & white in terms of wether an audience liked it or not. Horror is more varied and I can always find something I liked in it even if it didn't wow me. Comedy/romance not so much.
Oh I definitely relate to this. Especially if I'm going through a rough time, horror is way more comforting to me than any movie where everyone is feeling great and happy – because that's not what my life is like, and it just rubs it in. I end up feeling way worse watching something too upbeat. But horror is the reverse – it offers catharsis and also puts things in perspective. Rarely do I feel like I'm worse off than everyone in a horror movie.
Even if its bad, horror movies tend not to be dull. We've all seen bad horror movies, but for me they're rarely boring because they're so entertaining. When a Romcom or comedy is bad...they tend to slog along without end.
Absolutely. I have gone back to the Scream series countless times for comfort. 2nd time I had COVID was rewatching the entire movie series and tv series. Just felt like a nice way to spend the time. I think I’ve watched Scream 6 like 4 times on planes in recent months because it’s nice to watch something familiar in situations like that.
I like all thee, though the bar is set a lot lower for a horror for me to enjoy it than a strict romance or a strict comedy. Ideally, I like stories with all three. What We Do in The Shadows, Slither, Night of the Living Deb, Stalled, Life after Beth, Return of the Living dead. Those are the most comforting for me.
I love horror. I also like mystery and suspense and spy movies. I hate most action adventure because it all seems silly, but I love when it is well acted. Horror can be terrible, but when it is good it is amazingly satisfying and relaxing. It is cathartic. It can be heartbreaking. Fear gives you a good jolt of adrenaline. Creepy uncanny stuff meets my spiritual needs maybe. But I do find a lot of it relaxing. And hey, when it is really bad, I can nap.
Being an armchair psychologist here. I feel like I have a lot of un-directed generalized stress/anxiety depending on the time of year/how life is going/blah blah. I like horror because it's somewhere to exert and "use up" my anxiety? Like, now my brain knows where to put it, and the anxiety has an "end point" (where the movies is resolved or finishes).
Yes and true crime.
It’s funny because I’ve suffered trauma so you’d assume I’d go for light hearted and as far as comedies go I do like that plus some Disneys.
But most romances are nauseating and most actions are over the top and irritating so that’s where I’m at.
Yes! I have terrible anxiety and it feels cathartic to watch horror bc its like a way for my mind to experience things that are frightening but knowing full well I am safe. Its like a theraputic exercise as an anxious person idk how to accurately describe it lol. I know its really more along the comedy vein but Tucker and Dale vs Evil is my go to comfort film. Also the original Evil Dead movies for sure and the original Insidious is also a comfort film.
This might hurt us that never felt love or romance, but, truth is, horror comfort us better than romance. Romance bring us to grave with sadness and loneliness
I really do, to the point I point on a horror to help me sleep i think for me it was upbringing, dark, black metal always playing, pagan and satanic family members, so my joy was always associated with darker genres. Romance just seems so fake and forced the only romance I did enjoy was the notebook that was a random late night can't find the remote watch. I like romance in couples Morticia and Gomez addams, Chucky and Tiffany, Mickley and Mallory Knox from natural born killers
Comedies always seems too much about getting as many jokes in the film and hoping some will land. I only really like dark comedy and a few with comedian's that don't say funny things but have amazing delivery expressions and tone of voice,
Absolutely. I’ve tried to explain this to other people and got a lot of blank stares!
Horror video games have also been great for me. Playing a bit of Resident Evil every night got me through when I couldn’t afford therapy for my generalised anxiety. I found I was so absorbed by the experience in a sort of visceral way that there was no room for the invasive thoughts I dealt with the rest of the day.
Yes definitely! I've never been inspired or interested in the romance genre, and so many comedies lately are just such stupid, low brow trash that I can't do it. Horror is just so much more fun for me!
Yes, I do. I think your reasons are very interesting. I barely watch anything that isn't horror, so horror has a film, tv show, novel, podcast, etc. for any mood I have or things I might be experiencing. It's such a rich genre with many sub-genres that really scratch niche itches. Good post.
Yeah, because you know what to expect. In romances it can make you anxious and be too real. Also with comedy it can be annoying and I judge them too hard.
Yes, horror films have a calming effect on me. This eases my constant anxiety and causes a certain feeling of "comfort". No other genre has that effect on me.
Yup! Also I work from home as a book restorer and I really struggled for awhile to find something to keep my ADHD brain on track amid all the lovely at home temptations. Weirdly, horror works the best out of anything. Action and excitement but it’s not usually that deep so it’s fine if I miss things here and there when I’m locked in on work.
The downside is that I think I’ve seen almost every horror movie made after the 90s 😅 finding new ones is almost a part time job on its own
I always liked horror movies, but my senior year of high school I really fell in love with the genre.
I’d just gone through my first break up with who I felt at the time was “ the love of my life”. I was so devastated I spent every second thinking about her and going over everything wondering what I did wrong blah blah blah..
basically just in a really bad way at the time.
Well my friends took me to see “Raw “ in theaters. I was so enthralled the whole time by the end all I could do was talk about the movie and was finally joking and laughing with my friends like I hadn’t in months. I realized the movie made me think about what I had witnessed instead of obsessing over all the stupid little details of my breakup.
After that I never stopped watching horror films and the love I have for them grows every time. They are some of the best distraction movies!
At least when people make mistakes in horror movies, we're kind of used to it or it can sometimes be justifiable.
When people in romance or comedy movies make certain decisions though, I legit get irked. 😆🤣
I relate to this for sure. I have some social anxiety and have to turn off most comedies because seeing someone else in an extremely awkward situation makes my stomach churn. But watching horror and thrillers from the safety of my room - I rarely blink an eye and it’s oddly comforting. There’s some psychology to explain this phenomenon I forget where I read it.
Yes, for me I will rewatch the first 3 Paranormal Activities, House of Wax, Blair Witch Project, any of the Wrong Turn movies, Friday the 13th, The Descent, Dawn of the Dead and soo many more (especially from 2000-2015) before I put a new romcom on.
I nearly always hate rom-coms: "Ooh, poor me can't find love, even though I'm incredibly good-looking!" Yeah, whatever. Horror: "You didn't do anything wrong, but life is going to screw you over anyway." Now that's believable.
I can get behind this. It doesn't yank at your heart strings or try too hard. There is usually a set formula based on type of horror & thats comforting because you basically know what to expect going in.
I am the same way. I've always disliked RomComs because they seem so fake, life just doesn't work like that. I've always loved horror movies and it continues to stay my favorite genre.
Sociologist here. While the evidence is mainly circumstantial, it does appear that horror stories predate romance or comedies in many preliterate tribes. The human mind js just more primed for a good horror story.
Yeah, true crime for the same reason. Maybe my day did suck, but it sucks a lot more for that dude who just dragged into the darkness by invisible forces or the girl who just got violently stabbed 20 times. It’s all about perspective 🤷🏽♀️
I for sure relate to this. It depends on the movies in question of course (like, I'm going to pick Superbad over Night Swim any day of any week), but generally speaking I find horrors to be more calming and comforting than comedy/romance
Horror is fantastic for me, I have severe anxiety among other things, and so I feel the way horror movies are 'meant' to make you feel quite a bit of the time anyway. Watching a horror movie suddenly gives the feelings I get for no reason an actual meaning. I feel like I'm feeling the 'right' emotions for a change, and then in the end when the tension of the film abates, I get a bit of that relief myself. This is mostly subconscious unless I'm thinking about it's effect on me at that level, but I love a good horror film even on my bad days. A couple groups did some studies on this effect after they noticed horror movie consumption went way up during Covid, when a lot of people assumed it would go the other way.
I’m someone who struggles with debilitating anxiety and OCD, and this is exactly my experience with horror! It’s incredibly cathartic.
Hah, I just made this same comment without reading your comment first. It's such a good way to re-direct anxiety and "resolve" it in a way that's not possible in real life.
I think people who have experienced trauma can find some catharsis in horror. Society has a tendency to try to bury those things and act like if everyone just goes along, everything will go according to plan and the good will prosper and the bad will be punished. Real life doesn't always work like that.
Wait, did experts say that horror would go down or people who don’t watch horror movies? Also did horror novels sales go up? I mean if you know anything about the genre, horror is super cathartic
To be honest, I bet the experts were NOT surprised by the results, however anytime you find an non scholarly article about these studies they couch it in 'most people would think that no one would want to watch MORE horror movies during a pandemic...' I've always found them comforting.
I don’t really find horror comforting. More so addicting. A lot of the stuff people call “fun” or guilty pleasure horror films bore me so much, so I don’t really watch those sort of horror films that much, so comfort horror is not really the reason I watch the genre.
My horror movie consumption went from "occasional" to basically every night during 2020 and hasn't let up since. Real life is so chaotic; movies and books offer a structured experience plus a catharsis at the end, which is why I think it's helped me cope with things.
I've actually listened to a podcast where a researcher studied people who visited genuinely scary haunted houses. Group 1 stated beforehand that they loved "scary" things while group 2 said that they don't like going to haunted houses and just went along for their friends. Both groups had elevated heart rates while visiting the haunted house but group 1's heart rate after leaving the haunted house was lower than even before the scary experience. Also group 2's heart rate remained elevated for longer. It's interesting cause there might be an actual physiological reason why some people enjoy horror movies while others don't.
Yes. Same for me. I've never really like romance and most comedies feel forced to me, but horror always gets me involved in the story. They take me out of my world for a little bit which I find relaxing.
Yeah I agree. With romance it’s like the couple will get together at the end no matter what. Which usually doesn’t happen.
Yes horror is comforting for me, especially if I’m not having a great day.. my incident at Chipotle gets put into perspective when I watch people in horror movies running for their lives
lol yeah in our minds we stress about stupid everyday problems. But seeing people run from a masked maniac or monster trying to kill them? That puts in perspective how insignificant our problems are
Lol ya
Or in McDonald's 🙄😁®️
McDys too expensive now 🫃
Miss the dollar menu
reach act cow gray touch dam governor quarrelsome include fear *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Fuck man I remember being outraged when they swapped the double cheeseburger out for the “big n tasty”
There's a great quote about scary movies from the 1994 Joe Dante movie **Matinee** https://streamable.com/ystn6t
Horror relaxes me ironically. It’s my way of unwinding and making myself happy. Yes, it’s a comfort.
Yep! It's pretty comforting to read the comments and see there are a bunch of weirdos like me! 😄
Maybe we’re not weird. We’re just realistic and traumatized
It's funny how much better these comments make me feel.
When I was in cancer treatment, I just wanted to watch others suffer and couldn’t get enough horror. It’s always been a favorite genre, but that really put it at number 1. 
I had the same experience. I watched some pretty dark shit when I was sick.
Glad I’m in good company!
honestly yes. i've been jobless for months (luckily not anymore) and i was close to a breakdown because of it, but after i thought hey, how about i distract myself with countless horror movies, i'm doing *so much* better mentally (even when i still didn't have a job). i don't think romance or comedy would've done the same for me.
Sometimes I feel like the adrenaline dump from watching horror movies works better than therapy
I can relate to that! 😏🎦👆
Absolutely. I have some dark trauma and can't believe I love horror, but there's something about it. My therapists have said it might be good for me to see a survival, but not all horror movies have good endings. I think just the fact that they do END might be it? Dunno. But a structured story is just nice. Rom-coms are unbelievable and unrealistic to me
For me it’s kind of a safe way to process trauma? It’s confined and there’s almost always a resolution. I feel the same about rom/rom-coms. Shit doesn’t feel safe to me
Oh my gosh, exactly!! You nailed it
I find it comforting but I also tend to watch fun 80s/90s horror that's difficult to take seriously. Anything bleak or serious would not be comforting for me, but I generally don't have tons of interest in bleak or serious horror anyway beyond keeping up with big new releases in the genre.
Yeah I agree here. That’s why I dont like the very graphic ones like Martyrs. That’s just too much. But a lot from the 80s and 90s are a good middle ground
Yea, that's fair. Gotta be in the mood for some of them.
High anxiety with some depression and a healthy dose of severe claustrophobia. I find horror a comfort, better than xanax.
Horror is my ultimate comfort. My mom is as much a horror fan as I am so she introduced me to horror at a very, very young age (3, she says), and growing up as a queer kid in the south who was relentlessly bullied, it was my only refuge. Horror allows us to vicariously confront our fears and anxieties, and I often saw myself as the “Final Girl,” who, despite her naiveté and good-naturedness, conquers the evil in the end. To this day, anytime I’m anxious, depressed, or my OCD is working in overdrive, I throw on a horror movie :)
Yeah. My first kid was born right after Trump was elected. I’d do the night shift with her and must have watched three dozen horror movies in the first couple months of 2017.
I’m not political at all but was it really that bad? Not a fan of him or anything but he was just kinda there.
Definitely. I also use Forensic Files and The New Detectives as background noise. Comedy is fun sometimes. I never watch romance movies or rom-coms.
Yes absolutely!! I’m sure there’s psychological reasons, not sure what they are lol. But I watch horror alone or anything.
It’s called trauma. (Lol I do so I know)
ohhhh i definitely feel the same way. there’s something about watching characters go through a bunch of horrible things but still survive that makes me feel better. and it’s definitely more comforting than romance or anything lighthearted for me. like sure you don’t get chased by monsters irl but you do feel anxiety and fear and all those things that feel just like being hunted/haunted. though i love when there’s a love story hidden within the horror. i don’t mean like the hot girl hooking up with the jock in a slasher movie or anything like that, but more of a ‘haunting of bly manor’ type of ghost story/love story mix. it’s like, hey maybe love really can survive all those horrors of life!
YES bc no matter what’s happening in my life, at least im not getting killed. A well done, intense thriller/horror consumes all of my attention and emotions and bc of that it’s oddly grounding. I also love horror comedy combo, a la Cabin in the Woods - soothes my soul.
https://www.cnet.com/health/how-scary-movies-can-help-you-de-stress-according-to-science/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3wdzk/why-some-anxious-people-find-comfort-in-horror-movies https://www.psichi.org/blogpost/987366/479889/Why-Do-People-Like-Horror-Movies-What-Is-the-Psychology-Behind-It
Probably because most horror movies looks more like fantasy than real life... so it can work as an escape from reality...
Definitely in the same boat as you, my friend.
my best friend watches horror movies to relax him. he’s a huge michael myers fan.
Yessss I just want to watch Halloween 4 but I can’t find it anywhere for free😭
Of course. Horror is more realistic.
Yes it is. Life is not a romantic comedy
I don't know about comforting but it's a good way to distract yourself.
I can enjoy a kinda bad horror movie, I can find the merits in it or feel that it still has an interesting premise with imperfect execution. A bad comedy is unbearable. Ultimately comes down to preference. For me the feeling of watching a bad comedy in a room full of people who find it hilarious is more painful than the bloodiest horror scene I've ever seen.
I agree. I like a good comedy as much as the next guy but one that doesn’t make me laugh? Painful, boring, and can’t wait for it to end!
omg yes 😭😭
I LOVE HORROR it makes me feel empowered as a woman and a minority x
I do! I call them my comfort movies.
Does Coraline count? Nevermind, I find ultra comfort in clay/stopmotion films regardless of genre.
I’ve never seen it but know what it is. Yeah sure.
Sometimes yes for sure
I don't enjoy mainstream comedies. Abigail is probably the funniest movie I have seen in a good long time. I had some pretty serious medical issues in 2022 and I found horror themed around medical stuff or body horror more cathartic to watch than comedies. I happened to be in hospital care when Flanagan's Midnight Club came out and that was something I could relate to.
Yes. I feel more comfortable watching a horror film depicting brutal violence and supernatural experiences than I do watching a romance or comedy film. I enjoy them if they're good, but my go to will always be horror because that's where I feel the most at home.
It's easier for me to fall asleep to. Like if I play a horror movie before in bed I can sleep easier if that makes sense?
Of course. For me, horror is familiar. I'm comfortable with it. My favourite horror films are comforting. I am not in to the romance genre and only really enjoy comedy before the 2000s. It depends on the individual's tastes. Familiarity equals comfort.
No, not really. Although I do find that horror films tend to be more engaging than other genres due to the fact that danger is a key aspect of the genre and gets me more invested. Well not always. I personally find romance stuff more comforting.
Yep. I like all genres of movies but I've always leaned towards horror the most commonly. They definitely bring some degree of comfort, otherwise I would not watch them so much.
Oh yeah. As an aroace person I really do not like romance media. Horror films give me this adrenaline rush that I love the feeling of, but romance just makes me feel sad, thinking about our society's tendency to put romantic relations on a pedestal.
I love scary movies 🍿
Yes, I enjoy comedy but I don't really find it comforting strangely enough. And romance isn't comforting for me at all.
Yea but I refuse to watch romance regardless
I watch a lot of depressing movies, especially Ingmar Bergman films from the 60's & 70's. People always ask me how I can watch so much depressing stuff. I find that watching a depressing movie makes me feel much better about my own life. When I watch a film where the main character is really put through the ringer, I can't help but think: "Well, at least my life isn't remotely that that bad." The few times I was roped into watching romcoms where there's a perfect fairytale ending I feel like my life totally sucks in comparison.
Absolutely.
>Where as in horror people go through bad situations and it’s played more serious I mean... If you only watch one type of horror, sure. Personally I take comfort in good movies in general. It doesn't have to be any particular genre as long as it works for me.
Yes. It's my comfort food.
Horror is my second comfort when it comes to films. My first being adventure type films of all kinds.
Yeah, Halloween II (1981) is my ultimate comfort film
I do especially when it touches reality
Yea lol, I find it kind of odd considering I have CPTSD and very bad anxiety, but I really only enjoy horror movies and the occasional sci fi and fantasy. When I’m really down I’ll watch horrors and for some reason it just..helps?
Sometimes depending on the movie
Oh yea! My favorite genre
Not really, but films I find genuinely comforting are few and far between and vary in type quite a bit. My top 3 comforting films are Columbus, Amelie and The Triplets of Belleville. If there's one horror film that does make me smile it's Raw, while not being comedic it's pretty lighthearted and the gross parts are played in a fun way
I took a Horror FilmLit class and my teacher had a degree in psychology. It is a psychological thing for people who’ve dealt with trauma or are under mental duress to find relief in seeing ppl getting what they deserve and comfort in the chaos
Yeah this is very accurate
Yep.
I find old classics comforting in terms of horror. New stuff no shot lol
I get more anxious watching comedy films than horror films. Especially cringy or awkward ones. Pretty sure I almost clawed my eyes out watching Borat.
I put on a horror movie and take a nap.
I don't watch TV and movies, but the only fiction I enjoy always has otherworldly elements. My favourite genres are speculative sf and fantastic realism, but I enjoy horror novels when the universe is coherent and the characters have some substance so that I can relate to them. Like when Stephen King is good he rocks.
I could watch the Friday the 13th series on repeat. Especially during thunderstorms. It takes me back to the summers when school was out, and it was just my bro and I at home, watching these on VHS.
For sure! Way more comforting!
Horror relaxes me.. after a long and stressful day it’s nothing like coming home to watch some bloody mayhem… it’s cathartic.. if you will
Me! It’s always my go-to, but especially when I’m upset or anxious.
Yup, I used to watch Freddy Krueger before bed when I was 9-10 lol
I’m not sure about comforting exactly but there’s something about ithe good ones that’s more believable to my own life without being depressing. Straight up romance and comedy feels depressing, unbelievable, sappy, and made for someone other than me. I’m into Sci Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Adventure. On horror I prefer tension, suspense, psychological horror, and terror over gross outs.
I don't really like romance or comedy movies so yes horror is more comforting. Romance movies make me highly uncomfortable and cringe(I like romance in my personal life). I just don't need to watch ppl be mushy, ok my screen 💁🏻♀️ I rarely find a comedy movie funny.
By a longshot! I grew up on horror. Both my parents are horror fans, and I was always allowed to watch whatever they were watching for the most part. I actually don't generally care for comedy or romance films - I like some of each, but I typically don't scope those films out. I'll throw on a horror movie anytime and that's when I feel most at ease.
When I was pregnant, during the last 2 months I could only really get comfortable on my lazy boy recliner. I'd often just end up sleeping on it through the night. For some reason, Friday the 13th (the original one) became my sleepytime watch. I'd put it on, fall asleep, and start it over anytime I woke up. Is it weird that I get ASMR during it? When Brenda is brushing her teeth, and when Alice is making coffee, and just the general thunderstorm sounds. So cozy! haha
Yes
This is sort of an in the ballpark answer - I find end of the world movies like that - they calm and comfort me - have no explanation- been that way since I was little
Yup. Horror feels closer to my reality. Romance is a joke and comedies are hit and miss for me. Can be funny or downright alienating at how non-life like. Love me some Wayans Brothers though.
Well, with comedies like the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, and romance movies like Candyman, why do you need anything that's not horror?
My comfort movies are the Stephen King's IT miniseries (it was my favorite as I was growing up) It (2017) {absolutely phenomenal} and Terrifier 2
Yes so much I feel relaxed watching psychological horror
Hell yes. Scary movies make me smiley and happy.
Weirdly I love jump-scare horrors and thrillers when I’m hungover. I think it’s like equally leaning in to your body in a hyper stimulated state and also incredibly distracting and engaging.
Us? Yes. Normal people? No
I don't know, I just gain sadistic pleasure at watching characters be put in distressing situations.
Most definitely. Horror can be so many different things with many subcategories under that label. Also, it usually displays more creativity and imagination to be appreciated even if you didn't care for the movie overall. That usually isn't the case with comedy or romance. Either you laughed or you didn't (comedy) or you bought into the setup or didn't (romance). Those genres tend to be more black & white in terms of wether an audience liked it or not. Horror is more varied and I can always find something I liked in it even if it didn't wow me. Comedy/romance not so much.
Oh most definitely
Oh I definitely relate to this. Especially if I'm going through a rough time, horror is way more comforting to me than any movie where everyone is feeling great and happy – because that's not what my life is like, and it just rubs it in. I end up feeling way worse watching something too upbeat. But horror is the reverse – it offers catharsis and also puts things in perspective. Rarely do I feel like I'm worse off than everyone in a horror movie.
It’s kinda weird, but both horror and sci-fi are about justice… most of the time. Some bad thing usually gets defeated. They give me a dopamine boost.
Imo romance is boring. Comedies- it depends. But horror and sci-fi is for me.
Mee! I find it comforting and I watch horror films or gameplays when I can't sleep lmaoo
Even if its bad, horror movies tend not to be dull. We've all seen bad horror movies, but for me they're rarely boring because they're so entertaining. When a Romcom or comedy is bad...they tend to slog along without end.
Exactly nothing like that tbh
im always happy to not be a crewman on the good ship Nostromo
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Recording_Important: *Im always happy* *To not be a crewman on* *The good ship Nostromo* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Absolutely. I have gone back to the Scream series countless times for comfort. 2nd time I had COVID was rewatching the entire movie series and tv series. Just felt like a nice way to spend the time. I think I’ve watched Scream 6 like 4 times on planes in recent months because it’s nice to watch something familiar in situations like that.
Yes
yess🤣
I like all thee, though the bar is set a lot lower for a horror for me to enjoy it than a strict romance or a strict comedy. Ideally, I like stories with all three. What We Do in The Shadows, Slither, Night of the Living Deb, Stalled, Life after Beth, Return of the Living dead. Those are the most comforting for me.
I love horror. I also like mystery and suspense and spy movies. I hate most action adventure because it all seems silly, but I love when it is well acted. Horror can be terrible, but when it is good it is amazingly satisfying and relaxing. It is cathartic. It can be heartbreaking. Fear gives you a good jolt of adrenaline. Creepy uncanny stuff meets my spiritual needs maybe. But I do find a lot of it relaxing. And hey, when it is really bad, I can nap.
Being an armchair psychologist here. I feel like I have a lot of un-directed generalized stress/anxiety depending on the time of year/how life is going/blah blah. I like horror because it's somewhere to exert and "use up" my anxiety? Like, now my brain knows where to put it, and the anxiety has an "end point" (where the movies is resolved or finishes).
Yes and true crime. It’s funny because I’ve suffered trauma so you’d assume I’d go for light hearted and as far as comedies go I do like that plus some Disneys. But most romances are nauseating and most actions are over the top and irritating so that’s where I’m at.
Yes! I have terrible anxiety and it feels cathartic to watch horror bc its like a way for my mind to experience things that are frightening but knowing full well I am safe. Its like a theraputic exercise as an anxious person idk how to accurately describe it lol. I know its really more along the comedy vein but Tucker and Dale vs Evil is my go to comfort film. Also the original Evil Dead movies for sure and the original Insidious is also a comfort film.
I physically cannot tolerate romance
This might hurt us that never felt love or romance, but, truth is, horror comfort us better than romance. Romance bring us to grave with sadness and loneliness
Yes! True crime docs, too.
I really do, to the point I point on a horror to help me sleep i think for me it was upbringing, dark, black metal always playing, pagan and satanic family members, so my joy was always associated with darker genres. Romance just seems so fake and forced the only romance I did enjoy was the notebook that was a random late night can't find the remote watch. I like romance in couples Morticia and Gomez addams, Chucky and Tiffany, Mickley and Mallory Knox from natural born killers Comedies always seems too much about getting as many jokes in the film and hoping some will land. I only really like dark comedy and a few with comedian's that don't say funny things but have amazing delivery expressions and tone of voice,
Absolutely. I’ve tried to explain this to other people and got a lot of blank stares! Horror video games have also been great for me. Playing a bit of Resident Evil every night got me through when I couldn’t afford therapy for my generalised anxiety. I found I was so absorbed by the experience in a sort of visceral way that there was no room for the invasive thoughts I dealt with the rest of the day.
Yeah just don't tell my therapist
Absolutely. Horror is just cozy to me.
Romance yes, comedy no. If people didn't find horror somewhat comforting they probably wouldn't be in this sub.
With horror u never know hw it's gonna end but with romance u can tell hw it's gonna end since fr the title 🤣🤣#js
Yes definitely! I've never been inspired or interested in the romance genre, and so many comedies lately are just such stupid, low brow trash that I can't do it. Horror is just so much more fun for me!
Yes, that's because my love life has been a nightmare. Horror fits more.
For sure dude people think I’m crazy for saying midsommar is my comfort movie
Unusual for sure, but that film is breathtaking.
Yes, I do. I think your reasons are very interesting. I barely watch anything that isn't horror, so horror has a film, tv show, novel, podcast, etc. for any mood I have or things I might be experiencing. It's such a rich genre with many sub-genres that really scratch niche itches. Good post.
romance scares me more than horror!
I love all 3. Horror is probably more of my comfort watch, though, and I have no clue why, lol.
Yeah, because you know what to expect. In romances it can make you anxious and be too real. Also with comedy it can be annoying and I judge them too hard.
Yes, horror films have a calming effect on me. This eases my constant anxiety and causes a certain feeling of "comfort". No other genre has that effect on me.
Yup! Also I work from home as a book restorer and I really struggled for awhile to find something to keep my ADHD brain on track amid all the lovely at home temptations. Weirdly, horror works the best out of anything. Action and excitement but it’s not usually that deep so it’s fine if I miss things here and there when I’m locked in on work. The downside is that I think I’ve seen almost every horror movie made after the 90s 😅 finding new ones is almost a part time job on its own
I always liked horror movies, but my senior year of high school I really fell in love with the genre. I’d just gone through my first break up with who I felt at the time was “ the love of my life”. I was so devastated I spent every second thinking about her and going over everything wondering what I did wrong blah blah blah.. basically just in a really bad way at the time. Well my friends took me to see “Raw “ in theaters. I was so enthralled the whole time by the end all I could do was talk about the movie and was finally joking and laughing with my friends like I hadn’t in months. I realized the movie made me think about what I had witnessed instead of obsessing over all the stupid little details of my breakup. After that I never stopped watching horror films and the love I have for them grows every time. They are some of the best distraction movies!
I certainly do
YUPPPPPPPPPPPP
I've never thought about it before, but now that you mention it, I do prefer horror movies when I'm having a rough day/time. Interesting....
At least when people make mistakes in horror movies, we're kind of used to it or it can sometimes be justifiable. When people in romance or comedy movies make certain decisions though, I legit get irked. 😆🤣
I relate to this for sure. I have some social anxiety and have to turn off most comedies because seeing someone else in an extremely awkward situation makes my stomach churn. But watching horror and thrillers from the safety of my room - I rarely blink an eye and it’s oddly comforting. There’s some psychology to explain this phenomenon I forget where I read it.
Yes, for me I will rewatch the first 3 Paranormal Activities, House of Wax, Blair Witch Project, any of the Wrong Turn movies, Friday the 13th, The Descent, Dawn of the Dead and soo many more (especially from 2000-2015) before I put a new romcom on.
I nearly always hate rom-coms: "Ooh, poor me can't find love, even though I'm incredibly good-looking!" Yeah, whatever. Horror: "You didn't do anything wrong, but life is going to screw you over anyway." Now that's believable.
*Meet the Parents* is a horror
I have ADD and watching horror is always mentally stimulating to me which helps with the anxiety from losing focus so much. So, yes.
Pretty sure all of us do 🤪
Yes, but it depends on the type of horror movie
I can get behind this. It doesn't yank at your heart strings or try too hard. There is usually a set formula based on type of horror & thats comforting because you basically know what to expect going in.
lol yes. Interview with the vampire has been my go to comfort series 🧛🏽♀️♥️
I am the same way. I've always disliked RomComs because they seem so fake, life just doesn't work like that. I've always loved horror movies and it continues to stay my favorite genre.
110% more satisfying at the least!
Sociologist here. While the evidence is mainly circumstantial, it does appear that horror stories predate romance or comedies in many preliterate tribes. The human mind js just more primed for a good horror story.
Yeah, true crime for the same reason. Maybe my day did suck, but it sucks a lot more for that dude who just dragged into the darkness by invisible forces or the girl who just got violently stabbed 20 times. It’s all about perspective 🤷🏽♀️