Horror, of all the genres, is the only one that can provoke an involuntary visceral reaction.
Stephen Graham JonesRead
We watch a romantic comedy because we want to cry, say, or an action movie so we can participate in heroics. Horror's different. It can hit you with a moment of revulsion so hard you might want to erase the last five minutes of your life, please.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the emotional experiences different genres evoke in viewers.
Stephen Graham Jones explores how various film genres appeal to our emotions in distinct ways. While romantic comedies and action films draw us into joyful or heroic scenarios, horror films provoke intense feelings of revulsion and discomfort, driving us to wish away the unsettling moments they present. This highlights the complex role cinema plays in shaping our emotional landscape.
Themes
HorrorEmotionsCinemaFilm GenresRevulsion
In practice
Example use cases
In a film discussion, to highlight emotional responses audiences have to horror films.
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