Weekly Movie Challenge

Watch a movie that explores a fear or phobia within its storyline, or features a plot element with a named ‘...phobia.’

Those of you looking for horror movies are spoilt for choice with Teratophobia (fear of monsters/deformed creatures), Hemophobia (fear of Blood) or Monacophobia (fear of religious figures) however, there are lots of options available...

Arachnophobia
Fear of spiders. This common phobia is often portrayed through movies that amplify the terror of these eight-legged creatures.
Arachnophobia (1990), Eight Legged Freaks (2002), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Coulrophobia
Fear of clowns. Often depicted as sinister, clowns in horror amplify this phobia through unsettling appearances and behaviors.
It (2017), Poltergeist (1982), Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

Agoraphobia
Fear of open or crowded spaces, sometimes also the fear of leaving a safe space. This phobia often appears in psychological thrillers where characters are confined or struggle to venture outside.
Copycat (1995), 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), Intruders (2011)

Acrophobia
Fear of heights. This phobia is showcased in films with high-stakes scenes on cliffs, skyscrapers, or other dizzying heights.
Vertigo (1958), The Walk (2015), Cliffhanger (1993)

Thanatophobia
Fear of death or mortality. Movies with this theme often focus on existential dread and the inevitability of death.
The Seventh Seal (1957), Final Destination (2000), Flatliners (1990)

Nyctophobia
Fear of the dark. This phobia heightens the tension in horror films where characters are stalked or terrorized in darkness.
Lights Out (2016), The Descent (2005), Pitch Black (2000)

Claustrophobia
Fear of confined spaces. Films with this theme place characters in enclosed or trapped spaces, heightening their fear.
Buried (2010), The Descent (2005), 127 Hours (2010)

Thanatophobia
Fear of death or dying. This fear is often addressed in films dealing with existential questions and the mysteries of life after death.
The Sixth Sense (1999), The Others (2001), Final Destination (2000)

Hydrophobia
Fear of water. Movies centered around water phobia often involve characters struggling with vast bodies of water or being submerged.
Jaws (1975), Open Water (2003), The Shallows (2016)

Monophobia
Fear of being alone. This phobia is often central to survival horror films or psychological thrillers where characters are isolated.
Cast Away (2000), Hush (2016), I Am Legend (2007)

Gerascophobia
Fear of growing old. This phobia is rooted in anxiety about the physical, mental, and social changes that come with aging.
Cocoon (1985), Amour (2012), The Substance (2024)

Below we’ve added some suggestions/recommendations for movies that would count for the challenge. Let us know what you’ve watched, what you’re thinking of watching, or whether you’ve got any recommendations to pass to your fellow CineChums.

Fears & Phobias

Suggestions

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