Our latest subject suffers from Enochlophobia, or a fear of crowds. Unlike agoraphobia, this irrational fear has more to do with the “perceived dangers posed by large gatherings of people you might encounter in your daily life. It also includes the fear of getting stuck, lost, or harmed in a crowd. ” Healthline. Symptoms of enochlophobia may include sweating, crying, and increased heart rate. Similar symptoms to what we experience while monitoring our victims…errr subjects.

We introduced Leah to Scream VI, where in this latest installment, Ghostface finds himself in the Big Apple. Find out if our subject’s fear of crowds played a major role in this New York City slasher.

SYNOPSIS:

In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

Where to Watch: In Theaters

Test Subject: Leah

Age: 40

Gender: Female

Fears: Enochlophobia or Fear of crowds

Resting HR: 60-65bpm

Walking HR: 80-85bpm

ANALYSIS:

A clever opening with an early, unexpected reveal boosted our subject’s heart rate from her resting 63bpm to 81bpm in under five minutes. Another tense attack sustained her elevated rate a bit longer but by 15:00, she was back to normal. She remained comfortable the next thirty minutes as the film dealt with character backstory, sexual tension, and relationship drama. After the extremely long downtime, our main slasher was introduced again.

In this sequel, the city plays an important part in setting up new and inventive ways to shock the audience. By 35:00, our subject was on the edge of her seat, heart pounding to 84bpm from an unexpected weapon choice for Ghostface. At 55:00, the tight quarters of a New York City apartment produced our subject’s highest peak of 92bpm. And by 58:00, our subject’s underlying fear of heights was elevated by a harrowing ladder escape. The third act was a treasure trove of easter eggs for any horror fan and while a few scenes slowed the pace, they were extremely fun for us to watch.

CONCLUSION:

Scream VI (2023) plays as a murder mystery tipping its hat to late night cop shows while averting expectations at every dark corner. Click To Tweet Even though there were longer moments of downtime than our previous Scream entry, our subject sustained a moderately high heart rate through most of the film. The claustrophobic setting of the big city provided several opportunities for extremely stressful scenes. Add in our subject’s fear of getting harmed in crowds, bustling streets, and busy buses, the film produced the perfect recipe for her fear. It’s also astonishing to note that after six Scream films, directors can still find ways to create amazingly cool Ghostface visuals. Double Knife Swipe = Chills.

Scream VI (2023): Burns an average of 283 Calories

A Big Apple: 110 Calories

How many Fear Calories did you burn watching Scream VI (2023) ?  Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook