Why I Watch Horror Movies As A Christian

I am a Christian, and I like horror movies.

This sentence is enough to get someone kicked out of a small group or even an entire church. This tiny declaration has been enough to cause family rifts and strife galore.

But..why?

Many people operate within the understanding that our eyes operate as “windows” or “gates” to the soul. Ironically enough, this idea does not stem directly from the Bible, as many assume. The original quote comes from Leonardo Davinchi

He says; “The eye, the window of the soul, is the chief means whereby the understanding can most fully and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of nature, and the ear is second.”

Over time, the saying was dumbed down to “Our eyes are the windows to the soul.” I don’t believe that a Christian’s doctrine and theology should be based on a misquoted Italian artist. I fully realize that most Christians who are against horror will most likely have a few scripture passages to back up what they’re saying as well.

Passages like Philippians 4:8, Ephesians 4:27, and Ephesians 5:8-11 are commonly used. Within those three passages lies the basis of the entire argument.

#1. We should only dwell on the things of God.

#2. We should not give the devil an opportunity.

#3. Don’t participate in darkness.

On these three points, I completely agree. Where I disagree is in saying that watching horror movies violates any of these three basic Christian truths.

Let's start with the first point.

“We should only dwell on the things of God.”

The reality of living in a broken world is that sin and evil surround us. There’s a reason that God sent people like John the Baptist to warn the people to repent. There’s a reason we as Christians tell new converts that in order to be made new, sin has to die in their lives, that they have to be born-again. Sin, at it’s core, is evil. So, how is it that we find it perfectly acceptable to focus a major part of all evangelism on the evil that exists in all of our lives? I would challenge you by saying that remembering evil, it’s negative effects, and, furthermore, having the ability to explain it to new believers is a responsibility God calls everyone to walk in. I would challenge you even more in saying that dwelling on evil, TO A DEGREE, is to dwell on the things of God.

That said, I know the response.

Is a horror movie like The Exorcist true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, or praiseworthy? This reaction misses the point made earlier. We have to put a focus on things that are not honorable in order to consecrate ourselves before God. We have to dredge up all the evil we can find in our repentance to God. In fact, we have to stay vigilant against this evil at all times so we don’t fall back into it after repenting from it. In Philippians 3:2 Paul says, “Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers.” How can we watch out for evil workers whilst only focusing on the things of God? The answer is simple, we are called to do both.

On to the second point.

“We should not give the devil an opportunity.”

Again, I agree with this statement. Giving the devil (evil in general) an opportunity to enter our minds and our thoughts is not wise. I would even agree in saying that there are a plethora of horror movies that will give said opportunity... as well as action movies, romance movies, mystery movies; sci/fi movies, etc. All genre’s in all media have things that will give the devil an opportunity. Books, comics, documentaries, news, music, podcasts—everything. The truth is that “not giving the devil an opportunity” does not mean running away from or hiding from anything the devil can use to trip you up or revert. Not giving him an opportunity, in context of that verse, means to not create a gap between you and God by sinning against your brother. Therefore, the opportunity of the devil comes from your sinning, not the thing that led you to that sin.

I’m not saying that inherently evil things, such as porn or domestic violence, aren’t sinful.

I’m simply saying that not all things are inherently evil, including movies and TV. Ultimately, a movie can be boiled down to a story told through the visual medium of a moving picture. When people say “horror movies are bad” they’re actually stating that “horror stories are bad.” To me, this is difficult to understand. Horror stories have always existed as representations, warnings, and cautionary tales of evil things that either reside in man, reside in nature, or reside outside of man. I personally believe it is a positive thing to engage in content created as a warning of the presence of evil in a particular facet of life.

For example, the 2020 horror film Relic is about decay. Specifically, the complete mental and physical decay that comes about due to dementia. The director of the film chose to depict this in the form of a monster within the setting of a haunted house. More precisely, a house haunted by what was passed down. This film is a wonderful example of natural evil on display. It doesn’t exist to prop up evil, glorify it, or glamorize it. All it exists to do is tell an all too familiar story that nobody should ever have to experience, but sadly, still do.

The line I draw when it comes to horror movies is when the evil that exists within man, in nature, or outside of man is not only glorified but celebrated. If the evil on screen is consistently portrayed as positive or morally good, I’m out. Movies where the main character is a witch, a warlock, a demon, or something the Bible would describe as evil are off the table for me. As a Christian, my interest in horror movies lies in engaging with stories that demonstrate the struggle of man and evil, NOT stories that glorify the union of man and evil.

Finally, the last point.

“Don’t participate in darkness.”

Hopefully, it doesn’t shock you to find out that I agree with this statement too.

The irony of using the “don’t participate in darkness” argument is that the context of the verse quoted is this; “Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made visible.”

Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. I believe film is one of the best mediums for exposing evil. Truly, it is the best meduim at confronting evil directly and making the attempt to overcome it. Some of the most popular horror movies are about the main characters attempting to save people, or even themselves, from something or someone evil, often at a great personal cost. The original Exorcist movie is a great example of this. Everyone remembers the possessed girl's head spinning, the puking, “The power of Christ compels you,” and other elements of the film. But at it’s heart, the movie is about a priest who has lost his faith in God and is desperately trying to help a broken family plagued by a demon. A story that ends with the priest making the ultimate sacrifice in order to do the right thing. It’s a really heartbreaking story when you look past it as merely “evil garbage.”

In summation, I believe Christians can watch horror movies. I don’t believe all Christians should, and I don’t believe all Christians shouldn’t. Personal conviction is an important factor in deciding whether certain types of horror movies are okay for you as an individual to watch. The only general, sweeping statement I can really make on the topic is that most horror movies are not inherently bad simply because they’re horror. Sometimes it’s important to be vigilant against a certain type of evil, sometimes we can relate to a struggle that another has with a certain type of evil, and sometimes that struggle exposes something that can point us towards God. We can see this in nearly all genre’s of films, even horror.

In conclusion, only you can know which types of stories you shouldn’t be engaging with. And the only way you know is because God will reveal that to you. Don’t ignore that still small voice of God, embrace it and be vigilant.

If you agree or disagree, let me know in the comment section below.

I'd love to get your feedback!