Scholarlink

<p>There have been many attempts to humanize the horror movie fan in recent decades, even going so far as to suggesting that they may actually be more empathic than those who choose not to partake. These theories are often in response to claims that horror movie fans are sociopaths or are using these films to engage in some sort of violent fantasy, through which they are seeking catharsis. Theories that attempt to counter such assumptions, however, suggest a sort of reaction formation. They suggest what cannot be true, as opposed to what may be true. As a result, many horror films have been created which elucidate various social justice concerns, such as the fantastic films by Jordan Peele. However, something is still obfuscated in such speculations about what the horror movie fan gets out of the experience of watching these films and that is the implicit perverse nature of the viewing experience. By first understanding how horror lets us both enjoy a darker side of our <i>jouissance</i>, and then how it allows us to disidentify, I consider the film-spectator dyad as similar to the perverse-hysteric couple. I suggest that Haneke’s film <i>Funny Games</i> exposes our means of <i>jouissance</i> to us and subverts our expectations of the genre, thus returning us to ourselves, often feeling disgusted.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

“Whether by knife or by gun, losing your life can sometimes be fun”: how Haneke’s Funny Games exposes our perverse enjoyment of horror

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月14日

查看全文
  • Bethany Aronson

摘要

There have been many attempts to humanize the horror movie fan in recent decades, even going so far as to suggesting that they may actually be more empathic than those who choose not to partake. These theories are often in response to claims that horror movie fans are sociopaths or are using these films to engage in some sort of violent fantasy, through which they are seeking catharsis. Theories that attempt to counter such assumptions, however, suggest a sort of reaction formation. They suggest what cannot be true, as opposed to what may be true. As a result, many horror films have been created which elucidate various social justice concerns, such as the fantastic films by Jordan Peele. However, something is still obfuscated in such speculations about what the horror movie fan gets out of the experience of watching these films and that is the implicit perverse nature of the viewing experience. By first understanding how horror lets us both enjoy a darker side of our jouissance, and then how it allows us to disidentify, I consider the film-spectator dyad as similar to the perverse-hysteric couple. I suggest that Haneke’s film Funny Games exposes our means of jouissance to us and subverts our expectations of the genre, thus returning us to ourselves, often feeling disgusted.