Horror movies play with the viewer . They use a well-known recipe of changes in rhythm, color, subjective shots, music and sound effects to create an atmosphere of psychological tension that is abruptly and scandalously broken with the sole intention of scaring those brave who are watching it (that’s what it is for a terror movie). This type of projection has great effects on the human body and causes, among other symptoms, the acceleration of the heart pulse.
But the thing goes much further. A study carried out by the University of Westminster (United Kingdom) in 2012 and echoed by media such as ‘ The Telegraph ‘ or ‘ The Guardian ‘ indicates that watching a horror movie lasting about 90 minutes consumes about 150 calories approximately , an amount equivalent to what is consumed in a 30-minute walk . The study listed a total of ten films belonging to this genre and classified them according to the calories they burned by accelerating the heartbeat, causing an increase in the heartbeat, consuming more oxygen from the outside and expelling more carbon dioxide. All these physiological changes are a consequence of the release of adrenaline (caused by fear) and increased stress on the body , reduced appetite and increased basal metabolic activity. This was explained by the physiologist Richard Mackenzie , a participant in the study that was based on the experience of ten volunteers.
If we start at the bottom of the ranking, the horror film that burns the least calories ( 101 calories ) is ‘ [REC] ‘, a Spanish production that uses a subjective perspective throughout the plot. Then we find ‘ The Blair Witch Project ‘ ( 105 cal ), ‘ The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ‘ ( 107 cal ), ‘ Paranormal Activity ‘ ( 111 cal ), ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street ‘ ( 118 cal ) and ‘ Saw ‘( 133 cal ); Very popular titles that work with distressing situations, the use of gore and moving shots to convey that feeling to the viewer. Already on the podium are ‘ El Exorcista ‘ ( 158 cal ) and ‘ Tiburón ‘ ( 161 cal ), two horror film classics that use the elements of this genre with exceptional mastery. But if there is a film that deserves the first place in the ranking, it is ‘ The Shining ‘, by the genius Stanley Kubrick .
This 1980 film is based on Stephen King’s best-selling book and watching it consumes 181 calories , being the one that causes the most effect on the human body of all those analyzed. This is most likely due to the careful psychological horror work that Stanley Kubrick applied to his film. In addition to the tension, the use of music, blood or unexpected scares, Kubrick made a masterful use of color, shapes and planes with the aim that the fear that people felt when watching his film was much deeper and difficult to avoid or control.
As a weight loss technique it may not be the best or the fastest, but you don’t need many reasons to decide to take a marathon with these horror movie classics .
