Why 'Psychological Horror' Is The Scariest Subgenre Of Horror Movies

Want to know how the film genre 'psychological horror' got its name? Here's the science behind it, and why it's so utterly terrifying.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | June 24, 2024

Psychological horror is a film genre that emphasizes distressing emotional and psychological states to unsettle its audience. Unlike traditional horror—which usually relies on external threats, like monsters or gore—psychological horrors rely on characters with unstable or disturbed behaviors, emotions and cognitions. The result: an overall atmosphere that is uncomfortable, creepy and deeply distressing.

Simply reading a description of what psychological horror entails pales in comparison to the sheer terror these films can evoke. So, what is it that makes these movies so profoundly terrifying? And how do they manage to get under our skin in ways that other horror genres do not? The answers lie in understanding the psychological mechanisms that underpin this genre.

The Science Of Psychological Horror

Psychological horrors—such as The Silence of the Lambs, American Psycho, or Split—serve to expose viewers to the disturbing parts of the human mind that most people tend not to think about in their day-to-day lives. In analytical psychology, these concepts are known as "archetypal shadow" characteristics. By bringing shadow elements to the forefront, these films create an uneasy and agitating atmosphere, as it forces all who watch to confront aspects of themselves they might prefer to ignore.

Carl Jung, one of the pioneers of analytical psychology, was the first to conceptualize the archetypal shadow. In his renowned book, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, he described "the shadow" as an unconscious aspect of our personality containing all the traits and impulses that we reject or hide from others—and even from ourselves. In psychological horror, viewers face shadow characteristics through various unsettling elements:

• Skepticism. Psychological horror films leave viewers suspicious of every character—wondering who is good and who is bad, who is safe and who isn't. This persistent doubt creates a pervasive sense of unease, as viewers cannot easily trust any part of the narrative.
• Mistrust. These films prompt viewers to question who can and cannot be trusted. This distrust extends beyond the characters on screen, prompting viewers to reconsider their assumptions about safety and loyalty, both in the film and in their own lives.
• Doubt. The combination of fear and mistrust sends viewers into a state of self-doubt, mirroring the characters' own experiences of not trusting themselves or their instincts. This internal conflict heightens the sense of vulnerability and insecurity.
• Paranoia. Just like the characters in the film, viewers become paranoid of others and the world around them, questioning their reality and the intentions of others. This pervasive paranoia blurs the line between the viewer's reality and the film's narrative, making the horror feel more personal and immediate.

Why We Always Come Back For More Psychological Horror

An October 2015 study from The Journal of Analytical Psychology explains that horror movies feed our inherent human fascination with aspects of the world that are irrational or unreasonable. According to the author, "What is being sought is a transcendence of the limits of rational consciousness and an experience of the sublime." Simply put, for the few hours that we watch these films, anything is possible—which is an experience we aren't often afforded.

However, in psychological horrors, the terrifying aspects of the film are always possible—they aren't just make-believe. For instance, the manipulation and gaslighting seen in Get Out, the ballerina's hallucinations in Black Swan, or the isolation-induced insanity seen in The Shining—these are all possible realities and experiences.

In this way, psychological horrors possess a unique allure grounded in their plausibility. Unlike traditional horror genres that often rely on supernatural elements, psychological horrors dissect the darker corners of the mind. In these films, the terror isn't derived from otherworldly beings or fantastical creatures—it stems from the unsettling realization that the horrors depicted could very well manifest in our own lives.

As the protagonists grapple with psychological afflictions—be it hallucinations, delusions or psychosis—the line between reality and illusion blurs, which reflects the fragile nature of our own perceptions. This existential uncertainty taps into our single greatest fear: the unsettling notion that our minds, the very core of our being, may betray us.

Moreover, the appeal of psychological horror lies in its ability to tap into our morbid curiosity, as they bring us face-to-face with the horrific possibilities of the human psyche. Morbid curiosity, according to a December 2021 article from Personality and Individual Differences, is typically described as an interest in or curiosity about unpleasant things—especially death. This is a driving force behind our fascination with psychological horror.

According to this study, the motivation behind our curiosity about morbid events is not something inherent to the morbid events themselves, but rather our desire for stimulation and arousal—no matter how unsettling it is. Notably, the author suggests that the word "morbid" may lead us to believe that death plays a central role in our morbid curiosity. However, he explains death itself does not need to be the focus of the curiosity; instead, it is the factors that lead to death that become the objects of morbid curiosity.

Thus, psychological horror films—with their exploration of the fragility of the human mind, the terrifying potential for psychological afflictions, and subsequent violence or death—become the perfect fodder for our morbid curiosity. By blurring the lines between reality and nightmare, these films force us to face the uncomfortable truths lurking within our own minds, making for an unforgettable and deeply unsettling viewing experience.

At their core, psychological horror films chillingly remind us of the fallible nature of the human brain. The manipulation, gaslighting and mental disorders depicted on screen may feel uncomfortably close to home—resonating with our own experiences or those of people we know. Through these themes, viewers are forced to face their own vulnerabilities, stirring a primal fear of losing control over one's own thoughts and actions. Despite the discomfort they bring, we find ourselves drawn back to these films time and again—unable to resist the allure of exploring the darkest recesses of the human mind. It is our innate morbid curiosity that drives us, compelling us to confront our fears and look deeper into the unsettling truths that these films expose.

Do you also feel the dark pull of morbid curiosity? Take the Morbid Curiosity Scale to understand this tendency better.

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.