Stephen King Why We Crave Horror Movies Summary

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Summary: Stephen King, a well known author of horror novels, explains what he believes to be why humans crave the thrill of horror films in “Why We Crave Horror Movies.” King believes that there are many simple and obvious reasons for “daring the nightmare”(559). These are straightforward: because one can watch, or for one to prove to be unafraid. He also believes people watch these films as a way to recreate emotions that had once been normal or to provide psychic relief. King says “We are told we may allow our emotions a free rein . . . or no rein at all” (560). Sanity, if we all are believed to be insane, is based on degree whether or not you will kill people. King believes that almost every person, excluding saints who are “crazy in their own ways” (560), have the ability to kill. Emotions…show more content…
I, like King, do believe that everyone is at least slightly mentally ill. Due to this, I agree with most, if not all, of the points he made in his essay. I believe his “... thesis: if we share a brotherhood of man, then we also share an insanity of man.” (561) to be factual. King did a wonderful job at explaining his thesis. The only negative critique I can give is that I was not too keen about his beginning the essay speaking about insanity. I wish he would have found a better way to tie insanity with the thrill of horror films. I felt that he jumped between insanity and the reasoning behind watching horror films more than he linked sanity and horror movies. Had he changed the balance of the essay, I feel that it would’ve flowed more smoothly and I would have been able to better read this work. Aside from the balance and flow of this essay, I believe that King accurately described my beliefs on insanity and somewhat showed that horror films can show the level of one’s

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