Horror's Rise: Scary Films as a Way to Cope with Anxious Times
The article examines the current boom in horror films, noting their strong box-office performance and recent awards recognition. It suggests that rising collective anxiety may fuel interest in scary stories, as Stephen King once proposed. Scary fiction is described as a safe form of threat simulation that can help people rehearse fear and build coping skills.
Horror's commercial footprint has expanded sharply. In 2025 the genre took 16.2 percent of North American box office revenue, up from 4.4 percent a decade earlier. Sinners and Weapons both won Oscars, with Sinners earning a record 16 nominations. Obsession, reportedly made for about a million dollars, brought in over $500 million.
Stephen King proposed in his 1981 book Danse Macabre that people invent horrors to help cope with real ones, and that the genre peaks during periods of economic or political strain. Researchers at the Recreational Fear Lab study why frightening activities can yield pleasure. Horror is cheap to make and needs neither stars nor a familiar franchise.
The genre's surge may reflect and reinforce how audiences process collective unease. Viewers who seek out scary films could find a contained way to rehearse fear and build coping capacity, as researchers suggest. Filmmakers, theaters, and streaming platforms may benefit commercially, while industry outsiders gain new pathways into production. At the same time, not all viewers respond alike; for some, intense imagery could heighten distress rather than relieve it. How broadly these effects extend remains uncertain.