Blood and sex, the perfect combination for a date night. ‘Black Christmas’ (1974), ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974), ‘Halloween’ (1978), ‘Friday The 13th’ (1980), and of course ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984) are some classics that established the bases of this subgenre of horror, and that will throw you into the arms of your partner on a rush of adrenaline. Gangs of (attractive) teenagers of questionable intelligence and with raging hormones confront a psychopathic murderer with a certain charm who wants to kill them. Why? Either because of a previous affront, of a mental illness, or just because he is completely crazy. The thing is that he puts a lot of effort into this. We are obviously talking about slasher films, and if this subgenre of horror has taught us anything, apart from the fact that being blonde, black or sheriff does not bode well, it is that early and adventurous sex leads to death. Sex is equal to death - that is the first lesson.
Why do horror films hate sex?
Well, maybe hate is a strong word, because it is quite difficult to find a horror film (especially those filmed between the ‘80s and the ‘90s) that does not contain any sex scene. Leaving aside the erotic horror films (yes, this exists) with suggestive titles such as ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ or ‘Zombie Strippers’, the following image appears in a significant number of slasher films. A group of teenagers runs through the forest in the rain; the camera suddenly focuses on a girl with wet clothes that are becoming transparent - come on, that's unfortunate! She has just signed her own death sentence. The one that will survive until the end is the demure, dark-haired girl who stays pure no matter how insistent her boyfriend is (by the way, her boyfriend will also die for encouraging to have sex and for being so annoying). Very moralising.
Another scene. Someone watches a house from the outside. He comes to the window covered by the darkness. A teenage couple is making out on the couch. They hear a noise, but their desire is so high that they go upstairs to the room. The person watching takes his time; gets in the house; turns on the kitchen light; opens a drawer and takes a knife (no, he has not brought it from home). To increase the audience's tension, he moves slowly and hides on the landing. Then, the teen boy goes downstairs and leaves the house without seeing the intruder. We suppose that the girl is all alone upstairs. Well, now, it is finally the time for the stranger to go up and enter the room. The bed is unmade, and the girl is brushing her hair. Before she can defend herself, he stabs her brutally. Because she is a tramp, of course.
But then, why is it a good idea to watch horror films with your partner?
On the screen it is doomed, but with your partner it is apparently assured. This is confirmed by a study published in ‘Psychology Today’, which says that fear and anxiety increase sexual attraction. When watching horror films, our brain releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter that regulates motivation and desire.
Okay, right, it is evident from horror films that having sex leads to death, but is there actually any better way to die? Do not fall asleep tonight... But not out of fear, but pleasure.
