ShareI used to be a great fan of horror movies, but not anymore. This was in the 1980s when sound effects were very primitive and the level of suspense was bearable for ordinary people like me. But now, with all the technology in Hollywood, I think twice before going to such movies, because they are really scary. With the bloodshed we see daily in the real world, we have enough horror already.
Yet the production of such movies will continue, because of public demand. Recently, a new horror movie called “Annabelle: Creation” came to cinemas, including here in Kuwait. I have nothing against this movie. I saw its trailer and decided not to go to watch it, because it is too much for me. I keep thinking that such movies should not be rated on age only.
I know most cinemas in the world have a restriction regarding viewers’ ages - they should be 18 years old and sometimes 21, but this is not enough. Some people have a weak heart or are sensitive to violence. They may have mental health issues, and under extreme tension, pressure or fear, they could panic, begin hallucinating or lose their minds! Yes adults should be able to decide for themselves. But the truth is that many people will go far beyond what is good for them for the sake of trends or even just to entertain themselves. Even adults need some guidance.
Annabelle is the latest in “The Conjuring” series. A 20- year-old woman was taken to hospital after getting hysterical while watching Annabelle in northeastern Brazil. A video clip showed her screaming and gasping.
In Kuwait, it is common to see some families bring babies and infants to such movies! They assume that babies wouldn’t understand the story, but they are wrong. The kids may not understand the language, but they surely understand screaming and yelling. A film can be rated as “T” or “G” or sometimes “15”, so parents think it is okay to take babies. They should be responsible.
I believe there is a need for restrictions on children watching adult films with horror and action themes. We need to send a message to the public that if they are sensitive to extreme horror or violent scenes, they should not watch such movies, because there is no need to put themselves under such pressure that negatively affects their mental health.
And we all need to seriously consider how much violence in the world we are willing to accept. These movies ‘normalize’ violence and make it more acceptable. I’m not saying they encourage more violence in the real world - there are plenty of debates on both sides about the substantive impact of media. But certainly they don’t encourage violence and God knows this world needs less violence, not more.
By Muna Al-Fuzai
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