Movies with happy endings will always win out over scary ones

However obvious this might sound, my definition of a scary movie is “a movie that scares me.” The only real “horror” movie I’ve actually seen was Fear Street in eighth grade, and I couldn’t sleep for a week after without terrifyingly vivid dreams about it. But my list of scary movies, which includes movies I can’t watch and movies I’ve seen but refuse to rewatch is: Snow White, The Night Before Christmas, Fight Club, Requiem For A Dream, Coraline, Brave, True Detective, Toy Story 4, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Leave the World Behind.

For me, the absolute worst parts of horror movies are the suspense that plays before a big jump-scare pops out onto the screen. The worst part about horror movies is that I always know it’s coming, or I think something’s going to jump out and scare me, and then it doesn’t, so I’m scared anyways. Gore, on the other hand, doesn’t really scare me; it’s kind of gross, but that’s about it. It doesn’t keep me up at night in the way suspense does. 

A happy movie, on the other hand, includes no upsetting deaths or moral dilemmas and a relatively predictable plotline. I especially love knowing the main characters will end up together, and I enjoy a happy and well-rounded ending. Films that fit into this category for me are Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, Ms. Doubtfire, 13 Going on 30, The Other Woman, and Love and Other Drugs.

I like happy movies because I like knowing that everything will turn out okay. I don’t need or want deep psychological turmoil while I’m watching a film or show. I watch them to enjoy them, and I don’t understand how someone can enjoy being scared or upset by a movie. 

One of the ways I comfort myself during film-based conflict is by telling myself that “It’s a movie! They wouldn’t kill off the main character. They have to end up together. Everything will work out in the end.” When plot lines don’t follow this generic arch, I am distraught. 

This is part of the reason I like rom-coms so much, because almost all of them are predictable. The main characters meet, fall in love, face conflict or obstacles, get back together, and have a happy ending. I’m never guessing or stressed. I’m just enjoying the choices made by the creators. 

Although I know many women who do like horror movies, I believe that men and women perceive fear differently. On a general scale, being scared is something women experience in everyday life more often than men. Imagine a woman walking home from work late at night or to her car in a dark parking garage. Many women in these situations think about escape routes and self-defense, fearful a stranger might hurt them. And I believe if you’re scared in real life, then it’s not so entertaining to be scared during your downtime.

For some people, watching horror movies is a novelty, an unfamiliar feeling, or an adrenaline rush they purposefully chase. However, I think some people, like myself, are easily scared and don’t feel anticipation or a rush by being scared. Being nervous or scared isn’t entertaining for me; it’s exhausting. I’ll take a happy movie instead any day, one that makes me laugh, smile, and feel hope.