Horror movies. What better way to escape from the stresses of daily life than putting oneself through two straight hours of extreme terror. Horror movies are a very controversial genre. They have been proven to increase blood pressure and have other negative physical effects, critics often hate them, and their violence and gore has been the topic of desensitization discussions for years. These movies are definitely not for the queasy. Nonetheless, people still pack the theaters each year, and the horror genre seems to be especially popular among the teen demographic.

There are many variations on horror movies, and the genre can be split up into many different sections called sub-genres. Prominent ones include, but are not limited to: Psychological Horror, Slasher Horror, Sci-Fi Horror, and Supernatural Horror. These are vague definitions, and often overlap, but they give some idea of what one is getting into when picking out a horror movie.

Slasher films are the conventional horror genre. These violent movies often involve crazy murderers or monsters, and as the title suggests, a lot of blood. Slasher films have nothing subtle about them; everything is straight forward scary, and jump scares, masks, and horrible murders are this sub-genre’s bread and butter. Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Evil Dead (both the 1981 and 2013 versions), and Halloween are some of this genre’s best known flicks, but Slashers go far and wide, and include hundreds of movies.

Psychological thrillers are the polar opposite of Slashers. They attempt to confuse the audience’s senses and perception of what is happening. Many argue that these movies aren’t as scary objectively, and maybe shouldn’t qualify as horror, as they often contain fewer jump-scares, monsters, and other staples of conventional Slashers. These movies blur the line between real and supernatural, focus on psychological scares instead of murder and violence, and leave the audience to decide what is really happening. Classic psychological thriller techniques include disorienting camera techniques, long and dark musical accompaniment, and terrifying plot twists. Some psychological thrillers to check out include: The Shining, The Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, Psycho, and Shutter Island.

If these heavy sub-genres are too much for some audiences, there is an alternative. For people who would rather laugh than scream are Dark Comedic Thrillers. This genre doesn’t include spoof movies like Scary Movie, and A Haunted House, but rather use (slightly) more subtle humor in their own unique story. These movies often take conventional horror facets and turn them on their heads. The bad guys of these movies are not what they seem; often more cheesy than terrifying, even if deadly. The heroes and heroines of these films face situations that seem scary to them while amusing audiences. Comedic deaths and wisecracks in the heat of the terror are commonplace. Though these movies often get more critical acclaim than others of the horror genre, many people are put off by their making light of horrible events. Some flicks to see are: Scream, The Cabin in the Woods, Shaun of the Dead, and Zombieland.

No one knows for sure why people like horror movies. It could be the accompanying adrenaline rush, the sense of relief for braving one’s way through the experience, or the prestige gained from showing bravery. Whatever the case, this Halloween a horror movie is the perfect excuse to grab a few friends, cook up some popcorn, and bunker down for a jump scare or two.