HALLE, Germany — Have you ever wondered why you’re drawn to suspenseful thrillers while your boyfriend prefers laugh-out-loud comedies? The answer may lie deeper than you think – in the structure of your brain. A new study has uncovered surprising connections between our movie preferences and the way our brains process emotions like fear and anger.

Researchers from universities across Germany conducted brain scans on 257 healthy people while they looked at fearful and angry faces. They then compared the brain activity patterns of people who preferred different film genres. The results, published in Limits of behavioral neurosciencesuggest that our taste in films may be related to fundamental differences in the way our brains respond to emotional stimuli.

The study focused on activity in two important brain regions: Amygdalawhich plays a central role in the processing of emotions, especially fear and anger; and Nucleus accumbensa part of the brain’s reward system. By examining these areas, researchers hoped to gain insight into both the emotional reactivity and potentially rewarding aspects of different genre preferences.

Perhaps most surprising were the stark differences between fans of action movies and crime thrillers. Although both genres often involve high-stakes scenarios and negative emotions, they were associated with opposite patterns of brain activity.

Action movie fans showed increased amygdala activity when they saw fearful and angry faces. This increased emotional reactivity suggests that they are more vulnerable to intense emotional experiences. In contrast, crime movie fans showed decreased amygdala activity, suggesting a more muted emotional response to the same stimuli.

These findings challenge the common assumption that action and thriller genres appeal to viewers for similar reasons. While both genres offer suspense and thrill, the underlying emotional connection appears to be quite different.

“It seems plausible that individuals who are neurobiologically more predisposed to responding and approaching fear and anger (or affective stimuli in general) are those who prefer films because they rely primarily on emotional arousal resulting from the depiction and evocation of these emotions,” the researchers write in their report.

For action movie fans, the thrill may come from the emotional experience itself. Crime fans, on the other hand, may find joy in other aspects of the genre, such as uncovering secrets or experiencing suspense. Their lower emotional reactivity may allow them to engage in exciting storylines without becoming overwhelmed.

The study also found interesting patterns for other genres. Comedy lovers, like action fans, showed increased activity in both the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, suggesting that they may generally respond more strongly to emotional stimuli, regardless of whether the emotions are positive or negative.

In contrast, documentary film fans showed lower activity in both brain regions, similar to the crime group. This could reflect a preference for more factual, less emotional content.

These findings raise fascinating questions about the complex relationship between our brains, our emotions, and our entertainment choices. Do people gravitate toward genres that match their innate emotional processing tendencies? Or could repeated exposure to certain types of films shape our brains’ response to emotions over time?

While the study doesn’t provide definitive answers, it does offer a compelling new perspective on why we like the movies we do. It suggests that our movie preferences may be more than just a matter of taste—they may be influenced by, or even influence, the wiring of our brains themselves.

“Films are so fascinating because they not only depict every human emotion, but also evoke it. Negative emotions such as anger or fear play a central role in many films,” says Esther Zwiky, a psychologist at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, in a statement. “It seems that people choose the film genres that best stimulate their brains.”

This research could have implications beyond simply understanding our Netflix queues. It could help filmmakers create more engaging experiences for different audiences, or even how we approach media literacy and emotional wellbeing.