College life has its own brand of horror: sleepless nights, creeping deadlines and the uneasy quietness of homesickness. Yet, for those willing to look closely, horror films can do more than frighten — they can reflect the emotional landscape of student life. Below is a cinematic syllabus pairing classic and modern horror with the everyday challenges of college, from late-night anxiety to end-of-semester burnout.
1. Insomnia: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
When sleep becomes optional, the mind begins to blur reality. Research shows 70% of college students get insufficient rest, and half report daytime sleepiness, according to the PubMed Journal. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” takes that exhaustion and turns it into terror. Freddy Krueger’s attacks only come when people fall asleep, making rest itself the enemy. The film’s surreal visuals and hallucinatory tone explore the delirium of pulling consecutive all-nighters, where the line between dream and reality dissolves and every shadow feels like it’s reaching for you.
2. Group stress: “Scream” (1996)
Near midterms, panic tends to spread, and no film captures group paranoia better than “Scream.” Wes Craven’s meta-slasher revives the genre with self-awareness, humor and social tension. Its dynamic mirrors the group chaos of students trying to survive a shared crisis. Beneath the blood lies commentary on fear, friendship and the performance of composure under pressure — themes that feel all too familiar during exam season.
3. Burnout: “The Babadook” (2014)
Few films capture the slow unraveling of exhaustion like “The Babadook.” Its shadowy monster — born from unprocessed grief and constant strain — mirrors the weight that builds as midterms or finals approach. The film’s horror lies not in what’s seen, but what’s suppressed. Watching it can feel oddly cathartic, reminding viewers that confronting what’s draining you may be the only way to survive it.
4. Homesickness: “The Others” (2001)
For many students, the first semester away from home feels like living in a different world. Nearly 94% of college students experience homesickness within their first weeks on campus, according to The National Library of Medicine. “The Others,” with its fog, silence and lingering ghosts, captures that eerie sense of absence. Homesickness isn’t merely emotional — it’s linked to both academic and mental health challenges. Grace’s isolation in the film becomes a fitting metaphor for students learning to live with their loneliness until it slowly turns into independence.
5. End-of-semester anxiety: “Hereditary” (2018)
As finals loom, everything feels precarious. Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” captures that sense of unraveling with impressive precision. It’s not an easy watch, emotionally or psychologically, but that’s what makes it fitting for a semester’s end. The film’s slow collapse mirrors the academic and emotional fatigue that builds over months, culminating in chaos and release.
Although horror may seem like an odd form of self-care, psychologists suggest it can be therapeutic. Frightening films activate the body’s fight-or-flight response, followed by a wave of relief once the danger ends, according to the Ohio State Health & Discovery. For students living in a near-constant state of tension, that safe cycle of fear and release offers grounding and a reminder that even the most terrifying moments eventually pass.
So, when the semester begins to feel like a horror movie, dim the lights and lean in. Students might find that fictional fear makes real-life stress just a little easier to face.
Alexis Hood is a writer. You can reach her at [email protected].
