Tevi Troy

Writer and conservative activist Tevi Troy believes that violent action movies are not as bad as critics often claim and may even benefit society. Young males enjoy these films, writes Troy, because they allow audiences to vicariously experience violence without engaging in it themselves. One of the most appealing features of most violent films is their black—and—white morality: They provide an outlet for the average viewer's anxieties about the imperfect justice of the real world. Catharsis-the relieving of emotional tensions such as anger-is achieved when the protagonist destroys the villains. The cathartic effects of action films are a major part of their appeal.