I discovered that, strangely, horror (a genre I hadn’t traditionally watched/enjoyed) could release bursts of adrenaline into my body. When I was at my worst in physical/emotional health it seemed to have a literal calming effect on my body. I’d measure my heart rate variability (HRV) before the movie and after and by the end my HRV would be noticeably better than before (I use Welltory).

But this didn’t happen with every movie – nor even with every horror movie.

The movies had to be of a particular kind:

• They had to move rapidly, no slow burns.
• They had to involve frequent “jump scares”.

Films which focused on torture, mutilation, etc. were not helpful. It seemed to be the intensity and frequency of the “jump scares” that made the difference.

Some films that I found worked for me include 30 Days of Night, Pitch Black, 28 Days Later, The Descent, and 28 Weeks Later.

Caveat

For me, at least, I’ve found I have to watch the film without doing anything else. If I’m also using my phone or working on another window at the same time the effect is drastically reduced.

This isn’t about not being able to comprehend the film but the depth to which I react emotionally when the jump scares occur. The more intense the scare the greater the positive impact on my emotional/physical well-being.