Each year, I dread the day that’s slowly creeping up on all of us: Halloween. I’m spooked by anything even remotely scary. I dislike the creepy jack o’lanterns, killer clowns running through the woods, and most importantly, I hate horror movies. Of all the possible movie genres, horror is by far the worst, and it’s not just because it’s too scary. 

The first problem with horror movies is they have the potential to create phobias in people. They’re designed to immerse you in the film, but sometimes it can go too far, and the components designed to scare you in the film linger in the back of your mind and end up haunting you in your daily life. According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, about 52% of people reported disturbances in sleeping after viewing a horror film or show. Allowing these phobias to affect you can prevent you from living your life freely and to its full potential. 

In addition to being scary, horror movies are poorly made. It’s widely known that horror movies feature some of the worst acting in the film industry. Given that horror movies are cheap, it’s a common theme that the better, well-known actors and actresses aren’t affordable. This being said, viewers can’t help but cringe as the actors continuously embarrass themselves throughout the duration of the film. 

Not only is the acting in horror movies below average, the plot lines leave much to be desired. They’re so predictable that even when the movie has hardly begun, I find myself successfully assuming which characters will die at the hands of the antagonist. This may have contributed to the reason that the 15 most popular horror movies from 2000-2006 earned an average rating of 57% from Rotten Tomatoes. The best movies tell a thoughtful story, whereas horror movies have no substance and only leave you paranoid of your surroundings.

In Hollywood, a market dominated by repetitive action sequels, poor Disney reboots and Oscar-bait dramas, only one genre is consistently entertaining and creative: horror. Between groundbreakingly creative films like “Us,” traditionally scary movies like “Insidious,” genre spoofs like “Shaun of the Dead” and entertainingly awful messes like “Santa’s Slay,” horror has never been so clearly the best genre. 

My love of horror comes first and foremost from movies that push the genre forward. Recently, as moviegoers grew tired of sequels, the genre underwent a bit of a renaissance. Some films have moved away from reliance on fear: “It” was a horror film in which scares came second to character development and quality writing. Others have doubled down on their use of fear, with “Hereditary” providing an unsettling and terrifying experience from the opening shot to the credits. Because the genre affords these films so much creative liberty, they’re able to provide truly unique and incredible viewing experiences. 

There are also enjoyable horror movies that follow all the rules to perfection; basically all of James Wan’s filmography is an excellent example of this. However, my personal favorites that follow the rules are those that don’t take themselves too seriously. “Scream” is my personal favorite example of this: the movie itself is a pretty straightforward slasher, but the self-awareness of the two villains and their penchant for referencing horror classics makes the film an absolute blast to watch. 

Even the absolute worst of the worst, like the aforementioned “Santa’s Slay” or more recent films like “ThanksKilling” or “Deadly Detention,” are entertaining watches. A bad drama or action movie just drags on and on without offering anything of value; the unintentional humor in a god-awful horror movie makes it instantly incredible. 

All of these different subgenres of horror, however, wouldn’t be as great as they are without my one personal favorite part of the genre: it’s fun in every situation. Alone, bored and in the mood for a good scare? Throw on a classic or traditional horror film. Hanging out with friends and want something to lighten the atmosphere? Watch a horror comedy or a so-bad-it’s-good movie. Down for something serious, but still want to stay interested? Check out a film that pushes the genre to its limits, or maybe breaks them entirely. 

With everything unique, creative and fun that horror brings to the table, the fact that it’s not universally recognized as the best part of Hollywood is, well, scary.