This book investigates the intersection of cognitive science and film theory to explain how cinematic experiences generate specific emotional and intellectual responses in viewers. Torben Grodal, a scholar in media studies, challenges traditional psychoanalytic interpretations of film by proposing a biological and cognitive framework. He argues that the interaction between human evolutionary psychology and established genre conventions dictates how audiences process narrative information and aesthetic stimuli.

Experts in film studies and cognitive psychology recognize this work as a significant departure from standard film theory, often citing it for its rigorous interdisciplinary approach. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of both cognitive science and film history to fully grasp the author's arguments.