In “Why We Crave Horror Movies” Stephen King explains that everyone is mentally ill to some degree. The people outside the asylums are just possibly better at hiding their craziness. Most of us know someone, maybe even ourselves which talk to themselves, or do weird things when they think no one is watching, or some that have hysterical fears. I do not agree with Stephen King’s statement that all people are mentally ill. I think these odd traits describe someone that is bored or a person’s normal fears to things they don’t understand or that they just don’t like.
According to Stephen King, we are all mentally ill, I think we watch horror movies because we are looking for the adrenaline rush and shock of surprise that we get while watching. We go to scary movies, we ride roller coasters, or we go to haunted houses. Why is it we feel the need to do these scary activities? As Stephen King explains, for most of us, we want to prove that we are not scared. For others, it is to re-establish their feelings of normalcy, and for the rest of us, we do it because it’s fun!
I do agree with his opinions that people do it to show that they are not afraid or because it is fun. I do not agree that people go to see scary films to re-establish their own feeling of normalcy. I have never gone to a horror movie to remind myself that my life is ok. Let’s be honest, it is a little strange to think watching a horror film is fun. These horror films bring us back to childhood when we looked at everything in black and white. With this said horror movies can provide some psychic relief and allow you to be simpler and allow your emotions to rein free.
It’s not often that you are allowed to scream loudly at something that scares you without getting odd looks. Stephen King says we are all mentally ill to some degree. If you are out on a killing spree then you should be classified as mentally ill and institutionalized. We talk to ourselves, do strange things and have fears we can’t explain, these traits do not make a person mentally ill. They make us look different or silly but they should never be viewed as characteristics of someone mentally ill.
