lorebug 's review for:

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth

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this is basically about how your brain and body respond to horror films and the scientific reasons as to why we have the reactions we do, what parts of the brain pertain to fear, why we love horror etc. it was interesting. i especially enjoyed how it went briefly into why certain scares stick with us. how we’re primed by experiences, knowledge, or memories (sometimes already hardwired into us) that correlate sounds, scenarios, and objects into fear which horror films directly tap into and nurture, even creating newer fears for us subconsciously. i do wish there was more deep dives into the science though it felt like we barely dipped our toes in. despite that slight complaint it made for a fascinating read. 

also came with an insane list of movies at the end the author watched while writing so i can’t wait to dive into those