Ranking the 10 highest-grossing horror movies from worst to best
The Horror genre is unique because of its niche and dedicated fanbase. These audiences flock to its study of the macabre and psychological, as well as an extra amount of viewers who want to catch the latest Halloween flick or franchise trend. Horror has something for everyone — the gore fanatics, the supernatural believers, and the armchair psychologists. While some watch these films all year round, others do so to get in the spooky spirit or to simply stay up to date with what’s popular.
In turn, horror films are big business at the box office, which leads us to explore the highest-grossing entries in the genre’s history.
The box office is a significant indicator of a film’s success. Another exciting aspect of horror is that their budgets range from the lowest of the low to the upper echelons of Hollywood. The former happens in the case of independent studios or completely independent filmmakers, and the film style tends to counteract and utilise the financial restrictions. Meanwhile, if a film has the weight of a famous horror franchise behind it, like The Conjuring Universe, it can snag a considerable budget and be branded the face of contemporary horror.
There are also some rags-to-riches stories in this genre of filmmaking, as measly low-budget horrors can still be so compelling and atmospheric that they’re a hit with audiences, in turn racking up a successful box office. Take The Blair Witch Project, for example; shot on grainy cameras in a location setting with unheard-of actors. Due to its brilliant storytelling and creepy tone, it’s now one of the best and most successful of its genre, even influencing a whole style of filmmaking.
Although, objective box office success and numbers don’t exactly correlate with subjective opinion and taste, as argued through the interpretation of narrative, execution and other filmic factors. The order of the ten highest-grossing horrors may not be exact to the order ranked on the best style and emotional response. Here we rank those highest-grossing movies from worst to best.
The 10 highest-grossing horror movies ranked from worst to best:
10. The Nun (Corin Hardy, 2018)
The fifth instalment to The Conjuring Universe, the first film chronologically follows a Roman Catholic priest and a nun uncovering a ghostly secret. The Nun is directed by Corona Hardy and stars Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir, and Bonnie Aaron, reprising her role as the unnerving demonic Nun Valak.
The tenth highest-grossing horror ever is a forgettable and unnecessary watch. It may have gained a $365.6 million profit at the box office to top its $22 million budget. However, this is its only success. The Nun is a tedious and cliched contribution to what can be an innovative and exciting genre, rushing through its attempt at a story so that it can get to some cheap jump scares of the villain. The Conjuring Universe seems more concerned with building an iconic brand through its characters than building an atmospheric and chilling story; that is when Ed and Lorraine Warren aren’t featured.
9. World War Z (Marc Forster, 2013)
Hollywood leading man Brad Pitt stars in Marc Forester’s post-apocalyptic nightmare. A mysterious, sinister virus breaks out among humankind, turning those infected into ravenous animalistic beasts within seconds. Pitt is forced to take his family around the world to find the antidote, fighting back against herds of cannibalistic monsters who look just like him.
World War Z is the fourth highest-grossing horror ever, making $540.5 million against a $269 million budget. This money goes straight to the visuals, as audiences can see an unimaginable crowd of vicious zombies scramble over one another in a mountain to get over a wall. Helicopter and car explosions take centre stage rather than a well-executed story setting the audiences on edge. World War Z reads as any other big-buck franchise; it just narrowly earned a horror citation through its incorporation of zombies.
8. Prometheus (Ridley Scott, 2012)
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror is the fifth stage of the iconic Alien franchise. A team of scientists are sent to the darkest corners of the universe to find a clue to humankind’s origin. Instead, they find a terrifying extraterrestrial threat that takes them down one by one.
Number nine on the highest-grossing horror list turned a $130 million budget into $403.4 million at the box office. Prometheus gets it right regarding performance and setting, with the former giving some magnetic energy and the latter reading as visually haunting. However, the writing leaves a lot to be desired. The film attempts to fit into the Alien story in a modern perspective but ultimately fails to combine its original concepts effectively.
7. It: Chapter 2 (Andy Muschietti, 2019)
The sequel to the second adaptation of Stephen King’s It novel takes place 26 years after the first film. A gang of former friends have to reunite in their hometown of Derry to take down the monstrous clown Pennywise, a sinister being who feasts on children’s fear.
The fifth highest-grossing on the horror list failed to top its predecessor in both box office and audience reception. It: Chapter 2 made $473.1 million from a $79 million budget; it’s only apparent strength. This sequel falls flat compared to the original due to an overrunning screen time, weaker scares and withering aftermath. This sequel was soon forgotten, despite heavy anticipation following the first film’s success.
6. I am Legend (Francis Lawrence, 2007)
Will Smith is the last man on Earth in Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name. The world has been destroyed by a virus used as a potential cure for cancer, turning humankind into nocturnal mutants.
Lawrence’s adaptation is the fourth highest-grossing horror, taking a budget of $150 million and turning into a box office gross of $585.4 million. I am Legend is a critically successful film; however, it’s criminally underrated in the grand scheme of discussed post-apocalyptic films. Unlike most films of its subgenre, I am Legend has heart and soul, a tragic and emotional portrayal. Smith brings all the hopelessness and turmoil residing under the fight for survival.
5. Signs (M. Night Shyamalan, 2002)
Signs stars Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix and Abigail Breslin, working alongside director M. Night Shyamalan. The film follows a dysfunctional family living on a farm who become targets of an extraterrestrial presence.
The eighth highest-grossing horror is a creative sci-fi alien horror, gelling alongside the thriller genre thanks to its harrowing atmosphere. It’s considered a financial success by making $408.2 million from a budget of $72 million. Signs also succeeded thanks to a chilling atmosphere and stylised cinematic palette, alongside some shocking jump scares of the aliens that will give you chills. The family dynamic also introduces something real and emotional to the story, as accentuated through some impressive performances.
4) The Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan, 1999)
Bruce Willis stars in The Sixth Sense as a child psychologist who meets a client who claims to talk to the dead. Haley Joel Osment plays the young boy troubled by visions of the dead, who brings his psychologist to a disturbing and tragic truth.
By making $672.8 million at the box office from a budget of $40 million, The Sixth Sense is the second-highest-grossing horror ever and the second-highest-grossing film of 1999. Director Shyamalan had a clear vision of the direction and budget, telling The Hollywood Reporter that his negotiation with the studio was: “‘I have to be attached as director, and we’re going to have a $1 million minimum bid.’” The film re-wrote the book on plot twists, throwing out a shocking ending that left original audiences with their jaws dropped. It’s a chilling ghost story that balances the frights with the emotional punches, making for a layered and powerful horror film.
3. It (Andy Muschietti, 2017)
It is the second adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name, following the mini-series from the 1990s. It sticks to its source material but splits the story into two films based on chronological order from the book that swapped between the two timelines. A child-eating clown monster terrorises a gang of kids. With no support from the adults, the kids are forced to fight back against Pennywise, the clown.
This King adaptation took number one as the highest-grossing horror ever and was a massive hit with audiences. Not only did It take a $40 million budget and turn it into a $701.8 million box office take, but it also earned the title of one of the best King adaptations. It’s a horror film that non-horror enthusiasts can enjoy, thanks to its terrifying villain, terrific story exposition and other visual scares. With some brilliant cinematography and thorough direction, It may be on its way to becoming an influential horror classic.
2. Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
Steven Spielberg set the foundation for the summer blockbuster with this adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel. A killer great white shark turns a small, quiet seaside town into an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Jaws is now the sixth highest-grossing horror of all time through a $476.5 million box office profit from a $9 million budget. Upon release, it was the highest-grossing film of all time until Star Wars: A New Hope stole the spot two years later. Jaws is a brilliant film that seems to have everything. There’s horror, thrills, comedy and action. It’s a perfect Saturday night movie, terrifying audiences of any age thanks to its well-executed and realistic threat.
1. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
In William Friedkin’s masterpiece adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s book, a young girl called Reagan is possessed by an evil and ruthless demon after playing with an ouija board. Her terrified mother begs for the help of two priests to expense the devil in an exorcism and free the victim.
The seventh highest-grossing horror is the best on the list. The Exorcist is a film that understands and respects filmmaking as a whole and its distinct genre. Recognised as one of the greatest horror films ever made, it’s a haunting and influential exhibition of storytelling, mastering its chilling atmosphere and dangerous story material at the time. The visual scares are as iconic as they are terrifying, burning into audiences’ minds immediately after viewing. With a horrifying backstory, The Exorcist is a timeless horror film that effortlessly encapsulates the genre.
