Horror films are intended to induce fear, tension and chills in the audience. This genre often uses elements of the supernatural, the occult, violence or cruelty to evoke emotional reactions in the viewer. This paper tries to prove the complexity of the ho rror film genre through the analysis of numerous specialized subgenres (psychological horror films, slasher films, monsters, etc.) and the use of recording techniques (jump scare technique, negative film space, frame rhythm). The psychological aspects of e njoying horror films are also defined, and the historical development of the genre beginning in the 20s of the 20th century and ending in the first decade of the 21st century is analyzed. The largest part of this paper is devoted to the link between induci ng fear in the viewer and the social reality of a certain time. For this reason, one horror film was selected for analysis for each decade in the specified period. Through the analysis of selected films, we follow the development of the genre, from express ionist melodramas without depictions of violence, through classic Hollywood monsters and films based on psychological terror, all the way to explicit depictions of violence. It is also defines which social insecurities of a certain period cause a feeling o f fear in the audience through the film screen from the instability after the First World War, the impact of the Great Depression , through the "family crisis" of the 60s and the response of conservative politics in the 70s, all the way to the impact of t echnological development in the 90s on modern society.