"Horror stands alone as a form of cinematic entertainment. Like a shot of adrenaline, the best examples are often measured by their ability to stimulate the senses. Rarely will one find Oscar-worthy monologues or painstaking character development. Even basic logic can be hard to come by, as movies like "Scream" point out. But that doesn't matter, because horror movies aren't overly concerned with logic or rationale. To put it as plainly as possible: entertainment is the point.
Great horror also functions as a cathartic outlet, and a streamlined one at that. Tapping into deeply-rooted fears and desires, the genre cultivates a whirlwind of primitive indulgence. Viewers can experience the thrill of running from a monster or just barely surviving through the night. Thanks to the iconic POV shot, one can even step into the killer's shoes on occasion. If there's a pretext, it's that audiences leave their lofty ideals and moral judgments at home."
