Why We Crave Horror Movies - Summary Critique Essay PDF

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This is a summary critique essay for the article "Why We Crave Horror Movies" by Stephen King....

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Critical Thinking, Critical Analysis, and Writing a Critique/Response

Introduction: In the article “Why We Crave Horror Movies” (1981), American author Stephen King, who is widely known for his horror stories, explains his perspective regarding why humans strongly desire to watch scary movies. Throughout the reading, he states that every human has malicious pulses that must be vented by watching horror films. Clearly notable, King’s points are significantly generalized despite the various differences in the backgrounds, personalities, and perspectives of horror film viewers.

Summary: The article “Why We Crave Horror Movies” (1981) begins with author Stephen King stating that all human beings are mentally ill, whether that means talking to themselves, grimacing with the assumption that they are not being watched, or expressing hysterical fears. He states that people watch horror films to demonstrate their lack of fearfulness and to enjoy themselves. Moreover, Stephen indicates that this enjoyment we experience is an unusual type, considering we achieve it by seeing others threatened or slaughtered. The author mentions that horror movies are a modern replacement to public lynching. In fact, he suggests that we all have a “potential lyncher” within ourselves that we must purge by watching movies of this genre. To add on, King believes horror movies open door to psychic relief since they enable humans to express their insanity and irrationality. He noted that there are certain eccentricities that are accepted in society, as well as some that may lead one to banish from society. Finally, King mentions that he himself watches the most aggressive horror movies as he is aware that these stories are fictional and harmless to him.

Analysis: As author Stephen King pointed out in his article “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, scary films are an excellent way to achieve fun. They maintain the viewer’s attention to the point where he or she may be at the edge of their seat, waiting for the unexpected to occur. Indeed, horror fans admire that feeling of being frightened especially with someone else in their presence. In addition, I agree with King’s statement that we are all mentally ill to varying degrees. For instance, many people may act according to what we may consider normal as a society, such as expressing fear towards certain things, however it is still an indication of minimal mental illness.

Moreover, Stephen King’s view is overgeneralized in terms that he assumes all horror fans share the same characteristics and opinion. For example, he states “I think that we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better” (King, 1981). I firmly disagree with this saying, as it is merely a generalization of all horror fans and contains bias based on the mental state of Stephen King. A person may want to watch a horror movie for the sole purpose of being entertained, rather than to exhibit dark impulses. He provides insufficient evidence to prove that all humans have an internal presence of evil leading us to watch films of horror. Conclusion: In sum, Stephen King’s theory stating that all humans have dark impulses that they must vent by watching horror films proves to be invalid. This is due to the fact that his findings support personal bias and a lack of evidence....