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In this episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall are joined by filmmaker Andrew Jara, who opens up about creating a horror film rooted in his own experience with anxiety, panic attacks, and the slow, quiet devastation of grief.

🎬 Andrew’s film The Empty Space isn’t your typical genre fare — it’s a deeply personal exploration of mental health, told through the lens of horror.

💭 Together, we dive into what anxiety really feels like, why horror is the perfect medium to express emotional chaos, and how the horror community can be one of the most supportive spaces for those struggling with invisible wounds.

Corey shares his own panic attack experiences, Kendall reflects on the surprising therapeutic value of scary films, and Andrew reveals how horror helps him say what he can’t in real life — and why sometimes the scariest part of a movie is the part that feels familiar.

In this episode:

• What a panic attack really feels like — and how it’s portrayed in horror
• The making of The Empty Space and why Andrew stopped waiting for permission to tell his story
• Representation in horror: the power of seeing your struggle on screen
• When horror triggers... and when it heals
• How genre films help us face emotions we don’t have words for

Follow Andrew Jara:

🎥 @andrewjara

📽️ The Empty Space

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Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.