When is it appropriate to introduce your child to scary movies? @Horrorjunkie103178 over on Instagram has been recommending films for a younger generation of horror fans. Since we had a four year old subject available we decided to see if he would have any physiological reactions to one of our favorite zombie movies for children, ParaNorman (2012). (If we could get him to sit still for the duration of the film.)
SYNOPSIS:
A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
What is FearScale? We’ve all heard the expression ‘Scared to Death’ or how something ‘Made My Heart Skip a Beat’, but what does that actually look like? Studies have shown that even when subjected to stimuli that can not present a true threat of danger, our bodies will still produce a physiological response. By analyzing real-time results we are able to give you the most accurate reviews for anything that makes your heart race.
Test Subject: Lucas
Age : 4
Gender: Male
Fears: Bedtime, Naps
Resting HR: 100-105 bpm
Walking HR: 115-120 bpm
ANALYSIS:
The resting heart rate of a toddler is considerably higher than that of an adult. Keeping the heightened numbers in mind we saw a significant increase twenty minutes into the film. A dark and foreboding forest built enough tension to raise his heart rate into a healthy walking pace. Our subject’s peak heart rate of 124bpm arrived during a fairly intense scene for minors, but once the scares of the zombie introduction passed, our subject’s vitals relaxed. There were a few laughs which were able to boost his rate a bit, but for the most part, the scares subsided as the conclusion began and the twist unfolded.
CONCLUSION:
The deep storyline for our young viewer limited the amount of stress he encountered. Heart rate fluctuations occurred more often during scary image sequences rather than tension built from the scriptwriting. Even though his numbers did not escalate dramatically during the third act, there were enough spikes to boost his average heart rate above resting numbers. Our subject enjoyed the film a bit too much to be overly scared and as a parent we’re okay with that.
Click here to watch four year old Lucas review ParaNorman
ParaNorman : Burns an average of 302 Calories for a four year old
How many Fear Calories did you burn watching ParaNorman? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
