Since their first appearance in the late nineteenth century, horror movies have taken over the movie industry– and as Halloween is coming up, Americans resort to watching them as an extra spooky activity. From zombie apocalypses to serial killers, many people enjoy the twisted, yet suspenseful ideas that come along with films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, and at least 100,000 more. 

Yet, there is a backstory to these exciting and chilling creations, as many are inspired by real-life crimes and psychological horrors that shook society to its core. But are these films desensitizing viewers to real violence, blurring the boundary between entertainment and reality?

Background

Let’s travel back to the twentieth century. In 1960, an English filmmaker named Alfred Hitchcock discovered a whole new world within horror films, basing his movie, Psycho, off of the novel by Robert Bloch. After its first appearance in theaters, the film became extremely controversial, as viewers were mortified.The sadistic plot featured an obscene amount of gore and violence compared to what people were exposed to at the time, and viewers were running out of the theater vomiting, screaming, and even fainting. Note: these are not nearly as extreme as the reactions today.

The Man Who Inspired It All

Furthermore, it was later determined that Psycho was most likely based off of the events surrounding Ed Gein, known as the Butcher Of Plainfield. He was an American serial killer and body snatcher whose crimes were committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin. Gein gathered widespread notoriety in 1957 after authorities discovered that he stole corpses from local graveyards. After committing these crimes, he would fashion keepsakes made of bone and skin.

However, after the events of Ed Gein and the release of Psycho, the number of criminals began to increase. After his trial, Gein spent the rest of his life at the Mendota Mental Health Institute due to being diagnosed with Schizophrenia and charged with first degree murder.

During this time, aspiring criminals, such as Jefferey Dahmer, were hearing his story, watching these newly released movies, and becoming increasingly fascinated in replicating the gruesome acts portrayed on screen. 

Since Ed Gein’s story was released and horror movies made a larger appearance, the U.S. violent crime rate interestingly rose dramatically and peaked around 1990 (specifically homicide). These films became more and more popular as time went on, and by 2024 the national murder rate was 5.0 per 100,000—a larger rate than the 4.0 per 100,000 rate recorded in 1957.

When Horror Hits Home

Many studies have connected the rise in violent crime to the increased exposure to violent media, suggesting that horror films and true-crime stories may have desensitized audiences to real-world violence and even inspired imitation. In particular, while Ed Gein’s crimes did not directly involve movies as a source of inspiration, his actions have heavily influenced many horror films and the portrayal of serial killers.

Several serial killers have been linked to or reportedly inspired by violent media, including Mark Twitchell, who was inspired by the show Dexter, and other media inspired by Ed Gein have seemingly led to a “copycat” effect. While it’s not the sole motivation, movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Psycho (both inspired by Gein) have been cited in connection to some crimes.

When these movies reach certain individuals that are already at risk for violence, they may feel encouraged or inspired to follow through with violent ideas in their head. The potential influence on such individuals is complex and includes imitation, desensitization, and reinforcement of aggressive thoughts. 

The Copycat Effect

The copycat effect is a psychological phenomenon where individuals are inspired to imitate a specific behavior, such as a crime or suicide, after being exposed to it, often through media coverage. This can be amplified by sensational media reports that provide details about the original event, which can act as a blueprint for vulnerable individuals to replicate. The term is also known as a contagion effect and can be observed in various contexts, from copycat crimes to copycat suicides.

In this case, the copycat effect is when individuals watch horror films or true-crime stories and attempt to mimic the violent acts they see, often because the media glamorizes or normalizes such behavior. Essentially, the media can act as both a source of ideas and a reinforcement mechanism, making the leap from imagination to action more likely. 

The Dark Influence Of the Screen

In summary, as horror movies have made a stronger appearance, viewers have become desensitized to the violence that is shown, causing the border between reality and entertainment to blur for certain people. Past criminals have inspired some of these films that are now inspiring others today, causing a chain reaction that was never intended to happen. As society continues to consume these chilling stories, it’s worth asking where we draw the line between what simply entertains us and what begins to shape the way we perceive the world.