You almost jumped out of your skin.

For sure, you yelped a little when the mutant killer showed up on-screen with his gleaming weapon, popping up behind the pretty teenager. You couldn’t had to watch and now you can’t wait for the next good scare. But first, read “Necessary Death” by Chris Grosso and Preston Fassel and see what horror movies can tell you about yourself.

You never forget your first.

It happened with a parent or older sibling, or maybe at a sleepover in middle school or on a first date. However your introduction went down, chances are that you can remember the first slasher/monster movie you ever saw, and how it made you feel. Did it give you bad dreams? Or were you instantly addicted?

Or did it make you examine your feelings? No, you likely screamed and then laughed about it, but Grosso and Fassel say that we can learn a lot when we seek the humanity inside the monster on the screen.

Take, for instance, Freddy Krueger: you may not notice it at first, but the Nightmare franchise subtly shows viewers self-reliance and strength. Then there’s Leatherface, who’s actually a character that demands sympathy and “loving-kindness,” say the authors.

Pennywise in It shows that we are stronger when we collaborate and find our “tribe.” Bruce the Shark in Jaws teaches moviegoers to accept that some things can’t be overcome; to find the patience needed for such acceptance, the authors offer help through “SMART Goals.” Predator shows viewers that “setting healthy boundaries” is hard but “worth it.” Carrie White in Carrie teaches horror film lovers to feel shame and to deal with the feelings that accompany it. And the movie Hellraiser asks something very surprising: “… can we just stop a moment, take a deep breath, and be grateful for the good things in our lives?”

And there you sit, holding this review in your hands, wondering what fun is all this? Go for a most excellent scare, get a lesson in psychology? Nah. Maybe not on your first viewing of a horror flick, but “Necessary Death” makes that fifth or ninth or thirteenth viewing of your favorite movie a little more interesting.

No doubt, authors Chris Grosso and Preston Fassel don’t write about slasher movies in any sort of conventional way. There’s a synopsis of any given movie in each chapter here, which begins the deconstruction of the film and the lesson the authors found, followed by ways that you can use the movie to become a better person. That’s it. No, seriously.

No, seriously: readers who are willing to stop rolling their eyes and take a step back may be surprised. Or you may think this is quite a reach. Or maybe you now have a reason to binge-watch horror movies this winter…

This is a fun book with a real streak of meaningfulness, and it could change the way you watch movies. You might find “Necessary Death” to be a necessary read, or you might think it’s a scream.

“Necessary Death: What Horror Movies Teach Us About Navigating the Human Experience” by Chris Grosso and Preston Fassel
c.2023, HCI Books
$15.95
256 pages