Service of Horror Films
October 26th, 2026
Categories: Fear, Films, Horror Films, Movies
I posted “Service of Fear,” on Halloween 2016. At the time I asked fellow tenants in the office space I rented for their favorite horror movies since I don’t like to be scared so I avoid them.
They mentioned:
“The Haunting”
“When a Stranger Calls”
“The Birds,” “Psycho” & “Rear Window”
“The Conjuring”
“The Gate”
“The Strangers”
“Halloween II”
“The Thing”
“The Shining”
“Poltergeist”
“The House of Wax”
“Bones”
I asked AI if there was a correlation between horror movie popularity and scary political times. “Yes — research and cultural analysis show a strong historical correlation: horror film popularity often peaks during periods of political unrest, social anxiety, or ideological polarization, as the genre reflects and amplifies collective fears.”
Some examples AI provided:
“Great Depression (1930s): Films like Dracula, Frankenstein, and White Zombie reflected fears about outsiders, immigration restrictions, and racial prejudice.”
“1960s religious upheaval: The breakdown of traditional religion fueled occult horror (The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby)”
“Post‑9/11: Horror emphasized random violence and ‘us vs. them’ nationalism (The Strangers, Cloverfield)”
What am I scared about? Shenanigans that impede a legitimate election that has already begun with DOJ holding hostage 20,000 votes in Los Angeles and the president ordering DOJ to block the Alaska Senate race if Republican, Senator Dan S. Sullivan loses.
Are you a horror film fan? What are your favorites? Does your yen for the genre increase when you feel anxious about political unrest?
EAM on Facebook: Love Rear Window, but don’t really like the horror genre.
Linda on Facebook: Don’t like horror films either. Saw “Night of the Living Dead” as a teenager at a midnight show. Scared the daylights out of me.
PS, I don’t consider the 3 Hitchcock films you cited as horror films, but indeed they are scary.
EAM,
I was enthralled the first time I saw Rear Window–same with Wait Untie l Dark. But I wouldn’t want to see them again.
Linda,
I watch Netflix series and movies to relax before sleeping. Sometimes an innocent episode makes me really anxious. NEXT!