“I’ve said goodbye to my boogeyman, but the truth is, evil doesn’t die. It changes shape.”

-Laurie Strode, Halloween Ends (2022)

In 1978, the slasher movie Halloween managed to become a box office hit. How was this so? How did each of its 12 sequels with repetitive themes keep the audiences coming back and craving more up to the most recent release in 2022? After all, each of the Halloween movies follow a similar plot line: Michael Myers, a current-day, more vicious Frankenstein’s monster, stalks and slashes teenage babysitters and their unfortunate friends in search of his despised sister and in vengeance of some crime that only exists in the depths of his mind. Whew! Sounds complicated? Not really. After the second film in the saga, many viewers caught on to the repeating plot. But even so, it is not common for a person to want to watch the “same thing” over and over. So, why do people continue to watch sequel after sequel of horror movies even though they don’t expect much change to the cookie cutter, slasher plot line? Where is the thrill in it?

In order to uncover this answer, one must do a deep dive all the way back to one of the first horror series: Universal’s Frankenstein (based off of Mary Shelley’s gothic novel). A classic, horror movie released in 1931, Frankenstein had exactly what was needed to supply a human-craved adrenaline rush: a scare factor that was gloriously and shockingly frightening to the audiences of that time. Imagine living in a time where one of the most shocking things to see would be a flapper (a woman going against the standards of that era), when, the next thing you know, you are watching a movie with a towering, infantile yet insane reanimated monster made out of human cadaver parts.

Frankenstein, much like the movies in the Halloween series, was terrifying for audiences, and people experienced rushes of adrenaline while watching the movie. So why the desire for adrenaline? Adrenaline is what leads to those odd heart-racing feelings caused by fearful excitement and is a natural human craving (What is Adrenaline?, Mental Health America). Being able to fulfill a desire for adrenaline by watching an “on the edge of your seat” film is rather convenient and enjoyable. Instead of putting oneself in the face of real danger to feel adrenaline pump through one’s body, a person could sit in a safe movie theater with a bucket of popcorn and a few friends and experience the same sensation.

However, unlike experiencing a physical thrill firsthand, simply rewatching the exact same movie over and over will only provide so much lasting adrenaline satisfaction. After watching a movie, one will “know what happens next” and therefore will not have to worry about any further jump or scare tactics. What is the solution to this problem? Movie producers of late were more than delighted to take on the task, and this is where the beauty of sequels came in. Luckily, the 1935 release of the sequel The Bride of Frankenstein offered a solution for an adrenaline junkie at that time who did not want to risk their life (or was at least hoping that their date would clutch onto them for safety). And just like the beloved ugly mug of Michael Myers on the big screen, people at that time craved the sequels of Frankenstein – audiences did not know what exactly to expect when watching, but they could rely on the movie as a safe way to fulfill their adrenaline-wanting desires.

So, why did society transition from being content with ghoulish monsters to semi-realistic yet gruesome murderers? Frankenstein had a great influence on a number of productions released soon after the movie’s success, such as The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Werewolf of London, and Dracula (Universal Pictures). However as society evolved, so did people’s desire for thrill. Monsters simply did not cut it anymore when it came to seeking fear.

Alfred Hitchcock, a film director from the 1940s and 50s, can be credited for the establishment of a new trend of veering horror movies, which had a more realistic and relatable aspect. Such themes included that of illness, invasion, and pure violence. While viewers were content with Hitchcock’s method of psychologically tormenting them through his movies, gore was redefined when the silver screen saw the unexpected shower scene in Psycho. In the black and white movie, chocolate syrup realistically depicted blood as the victim was stabbed mercilessly again and again. Relaxing, indulgent showers were never quite the same.

But this was just the beginning of the slashers that are seemingly here to stay. In 1978, John Carpenter’s Halloween marked a new slasher era in the film industry. Michael Myers was the supernatural man behind the fictional deaths of approximately 160 people over the course of 13 highly successful movies. Movie makers rejoiced at the rebirth of the horror genre. The Halloween series collectively generated over $884 million compared to the Frankenstein movies grossing just above $14 million.

The success of these movie series all follow a very similar formula: a combination of fright without risk, various jump scares, the possibility of a far-off reality, and the ultimate adrenaline rush. Like the undying boogeyman, the ultimate horror movie genre lives on to terrify and thrill us and, luckily, not to actually kill us.