'My favorite horror movie' trend is taking over TikTok. It's not really about scary films.
TikTok is talking about their favorite horror movies, but it has almost nothing to do with actual horror movies.
The latest trend typically focuses on pop culture moments — things in movies, TV shows, or otherwise — that the creator either didn't like or found to be unsettling or sad. So the idea is to post something that was specifically horrific (or horrifically sad) to you while calling it your favorite horror movie. Typically speaking, folks choose sad moments in movies and TV and set it to Gracie Abrams' "I Love You, I'm Sorry."
It's all over TikTok right now.
You May Also Like
Like lots of other trends — looking at you, Spotify Wrapped — the favorite horror movie posts are a bit of an exercise in displaying taste. The idea is to post something people love, or something sufficiently cool or, in other cases, something nostalgic, in order to elicit a response. So you'll get broad moments from Marvel or Disney movies, as well as scenes from HBO's Girls. The idea is to post something sufficiently sad that either everyone knows or a specific group of people really loves. It's the same idea as either having Beyoncé atop your Wrapped or a cult favorite band (here's to you, The Hold Steady).
So your TikTok FYP likely has clips from huge movies and esoteric classics, all labeled as horror movies. What your FYP doesn't have, for the most part, are any actual horror movies — at least until the next time Megan Is Missing goes viral again.
Topics TikTok
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
