Final answer:
The quest for storytelling, particularly in the form of horror movies, satisfies human desires for understanding, order, and escapism. Horror films utilize creative elements to elicit emotional responses and allow audiences to engage collectively with the narrative.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of 'Why we crave horror movies' explores our intrinsic desire for storytelling and the ways in which narratives, including horror movies, affect our emotions and thought processes. Humans inherently seek stories as a method to understand the world, create order out of chaos, and explore the realm of myth and imagination. Stories provide answers to our most pressing questions and allow us to experience escapism, engaging with events and characters that resonate with our own lives or challenge our perceptions.
Horror films, in particular, tap into this desire by confronting us with scenarios that shock and unsettle, evoking a sense of fear and suspense that can be thrilling. They generate an opportunity for viewers to confront their fears in a controlled environment and provide a space for communal experience, as audiences often react collectively. The use of storytelling techniques in horror, such as creative backstories, atmospheric settings, and the portrayal of convincing terror, enhances our emotional engagement with the narrative, underlining our deep-rooted fascination with the genre.
Therefore, when discussing why we read fiction or watch horror movies, it's essential to understand the human tendency to find meaning through stories—a practice that has stood the test of time from ancient myths to modern-day cinema.