Student Independent Projects English 2017: Sympathizing with the Monster:The Ability of Horror Films to Evoke Sympathy for Villains

Budgell, Kaitlin (2017) Student Independent Projects English 2017: Sympathizing with the Monster:The Ability of Horror Films to Evoke Sympathy for Villains. Research Report. Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Horror film has risen to popularity over the past few decades and, as a genre, has taken the world of contemporary art forms by storm (Carroll, "Nature of Horror" 51). Horror, as it stands here, refers to art, films, and other forms of media, which serves the sole purpose of eliciting a specific emotional response in viewers: a sense of horror (51). The genre exists to leave the viewer feeling horrified, and for some viewers, it leaves them with a sense of gratification from having their thrill-seeking desires fulfilled (Bartsch, et al., "Predicting Emotions" 168). While horror movies share one primary, emotional, goal, they possess the ability to evoke a plethora of feelings and emotions in an audience. These emotions commonly range from fear, anger, sadness, and sympathy for the victims in films of this genre. One feeling that viewers may or may not expect, and that stands out in deepening the narrative, is sympathy for the perceived villain.

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