why do people watch films essay

Why do people watch films?

All different kinds of people of all ages, and genders watch films for different reasons. They also watch different genres of films. Girls may watch a film because of a certain or situation emotion within it that they feel they can relate to. Boys on the other hand watch films for the fast paced action, the adrenaline and the girls. But again, this is just the typical thing for girls and boys to do. There are always going to be exceptions and differences. Some girls enjoy an action or horror film as much as a guy may enjoy a romantic comedy. Another reason a person may watch a film is to relax. Many say that watching a film with someone or even on their own is a good way to relax because they can loose themselves in the storyline of the film. The actors and actresses within a film play a big part in who watches a film. If a certain actor/actress is in a film some people say that they would watch it just for them. Boys and girls alike have said that if the lead character is attractive their want to watch the film is greatly increased.

There are many different theories explaining why certain people watch certain films. A professor of psychology called Susan Burggraff once looked into why people watch horror/thriller films.

The ‘relief’ theory relates to horror films in two ways, the arousal theory and the social theory. The arousal theory is that in the atmosphere/circumstances created by a horror film there is a sensation of excitement which would cause the person to enjoy the horror in the film or overall the horror film. An example of this theory would be that horror films tend to appeal to the teenage/adolescent age group, this age group would be the most common in seeking this sensation. The social theory is that horror films allow stereotypical traits of genders to show, for example men are ‘brave’ and women are ‘emotional’ therefore ‘The snuggle theory’ also relates to this aspect of horror movie enjoyment.

The snuggle theory effect is supposedly the favourite choice for couples going out on dates (mainly males). This was because of the fact that the male would like the female to “snuggle” up to them and it created a kind of bond. For the male this could have been seen as a sexual act but research shows the females were doing so purely because of the fact that they were scared.

To conclude, I believe that the main reason for watching a film varies between who is watching it. The females tend to go towards the emotional side of a film, like the notebook, while men tend to go for the action films such as James Bond and Die Hard. Comedy seems to be a favourite for both the sexes in the same way as horror is really as both male and female like to watch but with the opposite sex (snuggle theory). I also think that while Susan Burggraff’s theories are correct in some areas, others are widely debatable.