I often get into (good-natured!) fights with my partner because horror movies frighten her but not me. I find economic policies and biosecurity disasters to be much more frightening.

Here are the death counts of a few horror movies and series, including animals, but not including historical deaths that are part of the backstory only:

  • The Conjuring: 1 death
  • The Conjuring 2: 0 deaths
  • The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It: 3 deaths
  • Paranormal Activity: 2 deaths
  • The Haunting of Hill House (Mike Flanagan series): ~10 deaths (including the deaths from natural causes)

Compare this to:

  • The mental and behavioural effects of the 2008 recession in Italy: 548 deaths (source)
  • The economic effects of COVID-19 in the United States: 35,700 - 144,483 deaths (source)
  • Austerity policies in the UK after 2010: 190,000 deaths (source)
  • The 2014-15 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in the United States: 50 million farmed chicken deaths (source)

It’s like these ghosts and demons aren’t even trying! Maybe demons and ghost training should involve a mandatory placement in a country’s treasury or agriculture department.