We may all enjoy the escapism that watching movies provide. Do you feel down? Play a hilarious comedy film. Looking for nostalgia? Attempt a vintage family film. Toying with our own imaginations, however, can occasionally be the best form of entertainment, and psychological thrillers are the pinnacle of the terrifying. I’ve noticed while researching that few people can tell the difference between psychological thrillers and horror. A psychological thriller: explores the psychology of the characters and plot incorporating deluded realities and uncertainty, that focus on internal threats. Horror films: focus on external fear the most; incorporating anything above natural or normal to produce the effect of terror on the mind. Ever question how one might be better than the other? Or why? Can psychology make a thriller movie better than an accustomed scary movie?  While the controlled fear in a contradictory safe space makes horror films more intriguing. Because psychological thrillers frequently have aspects of mystery, as well as themes of, morality, mental illness, multiple worlds or a disintegrating sense of reality, and unreliable narrators, they are preferable to traditional scary movies. When watching psychological thrillers, horror fans may try to trigger certain sensory sensations, and when executed successfully, psychological thrillers dig into a character’s mind and compel us to ask unpleasant questions about ourselves and others around us.

Chapter One: Why Thrillers Thrive. (Alfred, Hitchcock)

The beginning of thriller films became a sub-genre of Film Noir1. European émigré2 directors such as Alfred Hitchcock3, Billy Wilder, and Otto Preminger were influential in cultivating a distinctly dark psychological breed of American noir films during World War II. These films used psychology to evade screen censorship and enable endorsement from the American film industry Production Code censors. American noir crime films presented an indicator of American cultural views of psychology during the 1940s period. Hitchcock’s Spellbound conveyed psychology, psychologists, mental illness, and an asylum in a dark shrouded style. In the words of Alfred Hitchcock, “Our nature is such that we must have these “shake-ups,” or we grow sluggish and jellified; but, on the other hand, our civilization has so screened and sheltered us that it isn’t practicable to experience sufficient thrills at firsthand. So, we must experience them artificially, and the screen is the best medium for this…” (Hitchcock,15). We as the audience feel comfortable this way because we seek escapism from our monotone and lonely reality. We find solace in putting ourselves on screen and knowing that we are not alone in our emotions, our struggles, and our victories. Even if they are just fictional characters with whom we share these experiences. Hitchcock sought to shake viewers beyond ordinary, mundane existence in an attempt to satisfy his audience’s need for escapism. The portrayal of things in a psychological manner becomes far better than what most horror films could display simply because of the portrayal of thrill. “But the so-called “horror” film — that’s an entirely different matter. “The term [horror], meaning originally “extreme aversion,” has been loosely applied to films which, to supply the desired emotional jolt, exploit sadism, perversion, bestiality, and deformity” (Hitchcock,15). According to Hitchcock, the screen can be much more potent than the stage because it can provide the appearance of immense danger where none exists. On the other hand, Horror films only supply violence and danger to the point of bestiality and deformity where thrill does not thrive. In his perspective, Hitchcock believes that horror “is bound to fail,” because its audience, the public, are as a fact healthy-minded individuals while in nature, horror films are “calculated to attract a neurotic section of the public” (Hitchcock, 15).

“Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.”

Alfred Hitchcock

 

People who watch horror movies may want to stimulate sensory reactions when watching psychological thrillers. As we all should know, every day our bodies and brain function even when we don’t realize it. The emotions we feel when watching a psychological thriller are real, regardless of the acknowledgment of the false narratives we exhibit. Neurocinema4 has a powerful effect on us watchers-and here’s how.  Fear is a natural high. Shouting at the screen, jumping, or physically moving urgently are all part of neurocinema. “It is an atavistic reaction… And all this happens in a matter of milliseconds, we have no time to process what we’re seeing or modulate our reaction” (Delgado, Jennifer: Psychology Spot, ph. 5-6). As thrill wishes and washes across the screen, our brains get flooded with a slew of feel-good chemicals like adrenaline, endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, producing thrills to go with the chills. This is what becomes a high and as viewers continue watching, they begin to like this feeling. That is why thrillers thrive.

Chapter 2: “Attitudes and Behaviors”

Thrill is defined by the feeling of great excitement and pleasure. (Dictionary. Cambridge). In an article illustrating the psychology of fear published by Concordia University St. Paul, thrills stem from “the physical and emotional release that follows scary situations,” according to Seeker, a division of Discovery. As consumers, the audience is biologically affected by thrill and it’s part of the reason: why we love thrillers so much as we do. But how? “People get a kick out of fear.” In the article, “Thriller: Why Do Our Brains Allow Us to Enjoy Being Scared?” by Dean Burnett, they explain, the (excitation-transfer theory) and (reward pathway). “…the stimulation experienced via fear is essentially transferred to other experiences, which may not be similar in any way. Basically, scary things make everything else more “vivid”, and this is exciting and appealing.” (pg 6). Burnett says that the brain is stimulated into believing that- what you know you’re watching is so vivid it seems real- you’re in the situation you view. Once you exert yourself from said perceived situation, I.e., the movie ending, your mind thinks you “avoided death”- because the elevated fear has ceased- and sort of rewards you. “When you’re experiencing high levels of fear, the more fundamental brain processes think you’re in danger.” (pg 10, Dean Burnett) So, your brain then gives you a sense of pleasure as long as the thrill ends; biologically this explains why we continue to consume psychological thrillers.

When executed successfully, psychological thrillers dig into a character’s mind and compel us to ask unpleasant questions about ourselves and others around us. Author Jean Korelitz says, “Are we really so sure we wouldn’t be making identical mistakes? Watching the protagonist contribute to her own ordeal affords an opportunity to feel superior.” (pg 5, Why do we Love Psychological Thrillers). Our questioning depends on the circumstances, the circumstances depend on the writers’ motivations. This could serve as a mental identity between the audience and the characters. We only must deal with one reality because we live in this world. As a result, what we value is secure at the moment. But just who exactly are we? What if the circumstances had been different? Many of us desire answers to these profound questions. They have, thankfully, been explored numerous times in the film, though, regrettably, rarely in a way that provides us with comfort. In the article, “Why do we Love Psychological Thrillers,” Dr. Yoo Jung Kim M.D identifies three reasons behind why consumers love psychological thrillers. She explains that the imagination of feeling, the imagination of prediction, and the depiction of something so close to reality that it almost feels unrealistic, have all been created in the duration of a film. And how they are created is all up to the writers of the film. “As the writer, I have certain advantages here, given that I have complete access to my characters’ histories, experiences, and inner lives, including their psychological and emotional proclivities. As creatures I’ve created in circumstances I’ve also created, it isn’t difficult to imagine how they’ll behave” (Jean Hanff Korelitz, ph. 7) So it is how the writers make it seem. If it’s simply gore, nothing is interesting enough to keep the readers on edge psychologically. “And, of course, the most essential component of any psychological thriller is the climax and ensuing denouement” (Dr. Yoo Jung, Kim M.D., ph. 8) All the choices and reactions made by the characters lead to a successful conclusion in which the tensions that have been building up are let out and the mystery is usually solved with a twist or two.

“Pathological Laughing and Psychotic Disorder”

I found that in most psychological thrillers the implementation of mental health conditions, more specifically mental disorders, is constantly portrayed. The praised 2019 film “Us” (Jordan Peele), the 2019 film “Swallow” (Carlo Mirabella-Davis), and 2010’s “Shutter Island” (Martin Scorcesee) all exhibit accurate portrayals of mental illness and its effect in an atmosphere where it is labeled as above normal. The killer in almost every horror film is presented as being “crazy”. A horror film standard that presents a perilous and unsettling image of what a person with mental health disorders looks like in addition to inspiring fear in the viewer. In a psychological thriller, instead of simply instilling fear in the audience it uses psychological disorders to expose society’s anxiety about unfamiliar concepts. Take the notorious (Joker) for example. In the psychological thriller film Joker (2019), starring Joaquin Phoenix, we discover that the iconic character is suffering from psychobehavioral disorders, depression, and psychotic symptoms with visual delusions. “…it brings us medical elements for the understanding of the development of this complex character” (Demas, Alexis and David Tillot, ph 5). The Joker was beaten as a child and suffered from severe traumatic brain injury. The movie Joker has medical significance and covers the social aspects of medicine and health care. It asks us about the management of patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses. There was an obvious factor that led to the indication of the joker’s psychobehavior: laughter, “During the arrest of Arthur Fleck, the police car is hit by an ambulance driven by a supporter of the wave of violence… The ambulance could represent the role of medicine in preventing this transformation and curing Arthur but by its hindrance or failure (the closing of medical practices due to budget cuts), it becomes the catalyst” (Demas, Alexis, and David Tillot, ph 9). The movie portrays mental illness realistically, showing how it might symbolize something surprising and how it is simple to assign preconceptions or feel terrified. Neurological injury might exhibit unidentified symptoms, much like mental disease. (Insert Joker Film Laughing: https://images.app.goo.gl/iB21du1iaUC2zBnG8)

Chapter 3: “Let there be Carnage”

No one can deny the gore, suspense, and intensity of watching a horror movie with friends. But at the end of the day, horror movies are more than just for entertainment.  It would be instructive to study whether those audiences are high and low in empathy or sensation seeking and whether individuals who like horror films and those who dislike horror films would generate different SRs. Suspense and resolution, (SR), or of suspense are two important components of horror and our response to horror. According to Martin G. Neil’s article, “(Why) Do You like Scary Movies? A Review of the Empirical Research on Psychological Responses to Horror Films,” A study was performed: (Tamborini and Stiff’s (1987)). The study composed of 155 people (78 men; the average age of 21 years) attending a horror film in a US Midwestern city to which the men and women attended for varied reasons: men attended because they sought sensation and to experience the destructive nature of the horror while women attended because of they wanted to experience a psychologically just ending. (Tamborni and Stiff (1987), pg 431). The study was well known as the Predictors of Horror Film Attendance and Appeal: An “Analysis of the Audience.”  The changes in young people’s attitudes after watching a movie. The analysis of the structural equations suggests that three key factors in the appeal of horror films are (a) the audience’s desire to experience the satisfying resolutions typically offered in these films, and (b) the prevalence of horror films. A model has been revealed that suggests it is the audience’s desire to see destruction. these films and (c) the sensational character traits of the viewers of these films; Additionally, age and gender were significant predictors. Horror movies are enjoyed more by male and younger audiences. (Tamborini and Stiff (1987), pg 431). So even after the film is finished, we are still affected by the psychological consequences of watching the film and the changes in young people’s attitudes and behaviors.

The portrayal of things in a psychological manner becomes far better than what most horror films could display simply because of the portrayal of thrill. Although horror movies are more interesting because of the controlled terror in a paradoxical safe environment, psychological thrillers are better than conventional scary movies because they typically include accurate depictions of mental conditions and provide awareness of societal behaviors towards individuals that have mental conditions and its stimulation of the human brain in a biological sense provide explanations as why consumers love psychological thrillers and they also provide the audience a sense of escapism allowing anyone to experience the thrill in a false reality while in their own. So, grab a chair, prepare some food and snacks, enjoy your preferred psychological thriller, and see if you sweat, breathe heavily, jump in your seat, or can identify any mental condition the main or supporting character might portray.