Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 17). New York, NY: Routledge
Gaut, B. (2002). The Paradox of Horror. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap.18). New York, NY: Routledge
Mrs. Klus states there are two main branches of explanation for why we watch horror films, and they are integrationist and co-existentialist. The integrationist theory states we get our pleasure from fear and disgust. The co-existentialist theory states we get pleasure not from negative feelings but because positive feelings outweigh the negative. She then goes and talks about Carroll and how she has this co-existentialist view of horror films. This drive to horror films is based on this curiosity of what we believe to be naturally, as opposed to logically impossible. She also discusses Gaut and his integrationist belief. He states that individuals like horror films because they enjoy being frightened. She states a few other reasons why people enjoy horror films and one is "the idea that we will feel relief having released or come to find a deeper understanding of our emotions. This view does not fit for all horror films because "the release needed is a release of sexual emotion which is repressed in our society, for example ideas of incest, rape or other taboo sexual practices. Yet again another theory she states is from Rosemary Jackson, who claims, horror is there so that we can experience things which are not found in our culture.
Carroll states that we watch horror films because "of our curiosity of the monster and the narrative." While Gaut states we watch horror films because "we enjoy being frightened. And of course there is the explanation of release of our emotions or deepest desires. While another is because we can experience things which are not found in our culture. Even though each are different I think the are all correct in some way for there are so many different horror films that not one explanation can fit each movie. So I think each explanation is for why we watch horror films is valid, but it all depends on what type of horror film we are watching. We watch horror films for many different reasons, to be frightened, curiosity of the monster, to experience things out of our culture and to have a release of emotions.
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