Why people like action movies: Some science to it

Action movies have always been a safe choice for filmmakers, even though creating the ideal one requires an excessive budget given that many trucks must burn down and buildings must collapse. The main theme of action movies is grandiose aspirations. When we watch action films, we anticipate a breathtaking show of happenings. A variety of cinematic techniques, such as slow motion, continuity editing, and close-up, have been developed by filmmakers to draw audiences' attention to the screen while they watch a film.

Even while people claim to watch movies to unwind, the truth is that during those three hours, the brain is constantly attentive and working. The majority of the sensations seen in a movie are actually processed by our brain in a manner similar to how it would in real life.

Dr. Zacks claims that the prefrontal cortex—a region of the brain—assists in connecting or visualizing with reel visuals. We can choose not to act or behave in the same way as the hero or other characters because this region is controllable. However, individuals who have this kind of injury are more prone to react to movies by jumping and screaming as though they were real. Due to the ongoing development of their prefrontal brain, children likewise experience similar issues. For this reason, during terrifying movie moments, kids occasionally talk back to the actors or hop over their seats and hide. To learn more about this, one could pick up a copy of Dr. Zacks' book Flicker.

Action movies can also induce tension, but this tension is controlled and only lasts a short while, which is something that viewers find entertaining. Thus, the entire film causes either temporary stress or temporary excitement in the viewer.

Every time someone sees a movie, they get the impression that they are traveling with the hero—feeling his joy, enthusiasm, and excitement—and they even merge in their minds. Action movies often feature a villain, a few unachievable tasks, a stunning heroine, and a hero who, in the end, overcomes all the challenges and even wins the affection of his lady. Consequently, the moviegoer leaves feeling confident and accomplished at the conclusion.

Researchers from UCL, King's College London, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital discovered that watching an emotionally charged movie clip significantly raised blood pressure and disrupted the regular heartbeat, though these effects were minor and unlikely to be dangerous for healthy people.

Additionally, researchers at Cornell University have demonstrated that viewers of action films had a significantly higher propensity to overeat compared to viewers of other types of films. A study team found that those who watch action movies consume twice as much as those who watch conversation shows with slower pacing.

Action films containing a lot of violence have long been held accountable for the rise in crime and violence in society. According to a study done at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, a person's behavior can be affected by violent movies, but to what degree depends on whether or not they have an aggressive personality. The aggressive group's orbito-frontal cortex activity was lower when they watched violent videos. This region is responsible for emotion-related decision-making and self-control. When these participants watched violent situations instead of just emotional ones, they claimed to feel less angry or anxious and more inspired and driven than their non-aggressive peers.