People’s love for horror movies, according to Ronald E. Riggio, a psychology professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, comes from a mix of biology, storytelling and personality.

“Psychological and personality factors influence our preference for, and enjoyment (or avoidance) of, horror films,” he explains. What terrifies one person might excite another, depending on how their brain and emotions work. Horror lets us face our deepest fears but in a way that feels safe and controlled.

Most scary movies are built around the fear of death and use things like darkness, isolation, and the unknown to keep us on edge. When a scene grows quiet or dark, our minds imagine the worst before anything happens.

Directors use this to build tension and then break it, often with a sudden noise or movement that makes us jump. That shock triggers an instant rush of adrenaline before the relief of safety returns.

Riggio points out that not everyone enjoys being scared. People who like excitement are drawn to it because the fear feels thrilling but ends safely. Those who are very empathetic often find horror too upsetting because they feel other people’s pain. Distorted or masked faces also make us uneasy because our brains see them as possible threats.

In the end, horror movies give us the fun of facing danger without real risk. They let us test our courage and remind us that fear can be exciting when it happens in a dark cinema, not in real life. When the lights come back on, our hearts slow down and we walk out feeling oddly stronger for having survived the scare.