Conan O’Brien Says 'Midsommar' “Upsets” Him for the Most Surprising (and Relatable) Reason

As a genre, horror is supposed to make audiences feel uncomfortable. The skin-tingling feeling of suspense when viewers know a terrifying scare is right around the corner, or the sickening sensation when a disturbing visual is presented on screen, can not only generate some of the most visceral audience reactions but also nail whatever themes a director wishes to convey without reserve. Stanley Kubrick's eerie, slow-burning The Shining, William Friedkin's overwhelming presentation of evil in The Exorcist, or John Carpenter's use of prosthetics in The Thing all stand as shining examples of when horror has unnerved its viewers in the best way possible.