Why do women enjoy horror movies? It’s an interesting question, and we found an answer in an unexpected place: a brief post at Iranian.com offers an explanation from a psychologist:
“Fear can facilitate sexual responsiveness in women, whereas it inhibits it in men,” says Dr Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at King’s College London. Isn’t that a little close to the myth that women have rape fantasies? “No,” he says. “It has to be in a safe, controlled environment, so watching a horror film is a good example. I’m not saying this is the only reason for watching. Horror films, for men and women, are about learning to cope with emotions that would threaten to overwhelm us if they happened in reality.”