Cinema has the power to move us, to inspire us, and to comment on the behaviors and beliefs of our society.

It serves as an invaluable medium for extracting penetrating insight into the human psyche and the ever-changing aspects of our culture. Two sub-genres that effectively adhere to this notion include “the zombie film” and “the vampire film.”

Films associated with these genres often depict a society infested with malicious, disease-ridden, and blood-thirsty villains that threaten the longevity of our world.

They have been of particular interest to today’s youth with the initiation of the “Twilight” phenomenon and titles such as “Let The Right One In” (2008), “Zombieland” (2009) and “The Crazies” (2010).

What is it about these grisly gore-a-thons that attracts so many viewers? Is the horror genre merely the product of a decaying society vicariously indulging in its primitive desires disguised as entertainment? Not quite.

When given a deeper, more thoughtful examination, it is safe to argue that these films explore the darker depths of reality and function as mediums by which viewers can channel and confront the fears they suppress in their minds.

The fears of contracting a terminal illness, engaging in premarital sexuality, or surviving the perils of a savage post-apocalyptic setting are a few of the anxieties these films evoke.

The psychological struggle between seduction and fear is effectively rendered by the young, smitten heroine Bella (Kirsten Stewart) of the “Twilight” series.

While Bella is dutifully aware of the dangers that would ensue if she allows her hormonal, blood-sucking boyfriend to sink his fangs into her jugular, she is enthralled by his eerie charms. Bella’s vulnerability and suppression of her internal desires allude to the anxiety today’s youth holds about losing their virginity. The act of submission triggers the danger, but they are invariably drawn to it.

The concept of contagion is also a societal concern. The crippling fear of catching a rapidly mutating virus is personified by the ravenous zombie archetype.

This malevolent being serves as a repository, or rather a manifestation of our society’s fear of contracting communicable diseases, more specifically STDs.

Take, for example, the annual outbreaks of influenza, prompting our society to get its “flu shot,” or the paranoia that transpired during the “swine flu” catastrophe. It is a common tactic for the “uninflected” inhabitants of the societies these films depict to try and produce curing vaccine and initiating a strict quarantine, separating the infected individuals from the healthy ones.

This practice suggests that if such measures are not contained, they can lead to our demise, generating a premature apocalypse. The audience projects its anxieties onto the monster, confronting them, and ultimately vanquishing them to put their troubles at ease.

Now, maybe these actions are performed unconsciously, or perhaps this theory is a bit of a stretch.

Either way, the cinema has the ability to inspire such connections and it would explain these films widespread appeal.

The most recent example of this viral craze is exercised in director Steven Soderbergh’s “Contagion” about a lethal airborne disease that becomes a global epidemic, which releases today in theatres worldwide. Coincidence? I think not.

Laron Chapman is a film and media studies senior.