Russians laugh at horror movies: new phenomenon

Russian cinemas will be filled with people laughing at thrillers after recent terrorist acts

Residents of the Russian city of Ekaterinburg (the Ural region) started perceiving horror movies inadequately. People find thrillers rather amusing – they do not scream with horror, but laugh instead. On certain occurrences, people may laugh even hysterically.

”We've noticed that people have most of fun if they go to the movies in the evening or at night,” Denis Sukhorukov, the manager of the cinema hall Dom Kino in Ekaterinburg said. “They watch a thriller and laugh. It is not just someone or a small group of cheery fellows, but every single viewer. I have no idea why it happens so. Probably, they go to the cinema after a beer or two,” the manager said.

Psychotherapists are certain, though, that alcohol has nothing in common with the matter. They say that Ekaterinburg residents have a serious problem. “Laughter during a horror movie is a reaction of protection. An individual does not allow himself to experience the state of fear. In other words, people are afraid of being afraid,” Ekaterinburg's senior psychotherapist Tamara Krichevskaya said. “This behavior shows that people have to deal with a lot of fear in their everyday lives. That is why they try to depreciate it in the movie life,” the doctor said.

Tamara Krichevskaya does not exclude that Russian cinemas will be filled with viewers laughing at thrillers after recent air crashes and other terrorist acts in the country. However, the doctor added, the rejection of fear at the movies is not a prompt reaction at all: horror movies are made to help people release stress and fear.