Why We Love Movies About the Supernatural

One of the most popular movie genres is the supernatural thriller. From horror movies to love stories, we have a love of all the things that we believe to be beyond our realm. But why are we so obsessed with the other side?

Table of Contents

Because it goes beyond our normality

We love these films because the idea is romantic and mysterious and we are drawn to things that we don’t quite understand. They also give the writers and creators a little more freedom when it comes to representing different creatures or powers. They can really take their creations in any direction and that is what film-making is about: new ideas and variety. The supernatural doesn’t have to mean werewolves and witches, either – it can range from horoscopes to telekinesis to mind-reading.

Yet it is something we have all experienced

Magical realism is also interesting to learn about because it isn’t entirely fiction. It is relatable and fascinating because everyone has their own beliefs and has had different experiences. There’s also a lot of documentation on humans connecting on low-levels to other realms and tapping into powers others do not have. There are so many ways we can learn about psychics or those who can communicate with other species and it is likely that you have had clairvoyant readings done before, or at least looked at a horoscope. This not only gives creators a basis to work off, but also means that audiences respond well to the films because they have had some form of experience with the supernatural in their own lives.

And it allows us to reflect

The supernatural can also be used to explore the best and worst of humanity. It allows us to see the possibilities of humans having powers that are beyond our understanding. For example, in ‘Carrie’, the titular character uses her powers to take revenge on those who have hurt her previously. This is both an exploration of how power can go wrong when given to a vulnerable person who can’t control themselves and a demonstration of how bad humans can be to one another and how that can affect another’s mental health.

Another example is ‘Dreamscape’, in which the main character, Alex, uses his powers for his own personal gain, demonstrating why humans shouldn’t always wield power. And later the film shows us how cruel humanity can be, experimenting on each other and using each other by devaluing lives. Here, the supernatural allows us to see the consequences of evolution, development and a lack of understanding of one another – which are usually bad but work in favour of film-makers because tragedy and evil are good for plot and characterisation.

Overall, we probably just love supernatural films because they allow us to live in a different world while maintaining the suspension of belief. That said, many of us experience supernatural occurrences in our lifetime and we can understand more about ourselves when we look into the worlds that are just beyond our reach.