Creepy Commonalities - Taunt and Torture
Related to Smile and Smile and Be a Villain, the creepy commonality of horror villains taunting their poor victims is disturbing because it represents a disconnect with socially acceptable norms, such as the general feeling and expression of remorse when committing heinous acts. We are conditioned to feel bad about certain behavior, especially when this behavior results in causing physical harm to another person. This absence of moral responsibility for one’s actions, a callous regard for other people’s welfare, is characteristic of a sociopath, a person whom we generally try to avoid associating with. So when a villain is shown feeling absolutely no remorse and instead gleefully celebrating his violent behavior, it’s an unsettling image, as seen here in the aftermath of a gruesome scene from A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.