The Highest-Grossing Horror Movies of All Time

Visual Capitalist

Quote:The Exorcist 1973 $428,824,083 $2,826,528,589
Jaws 1975 $482,947,378 $2,627,088,613
Jaws 2 1978 $208,900,376 $937,667,387
It 2017 $701,012,746 $836,959,323
Alien 1979 $184,637,161 $744,285,705
The Silence of the Lambs 1991 $275,726,716 $592,459,852
Hannibal 2001 $350,100,280 $578,536,924
It: Chapter Two 2019 $467,561,586 $535,226,330
The Blair Witch Project 1999 $248,300,000 $436,173,130
Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992 $215,862,666 $450,274,187
Interview with the Vampire 1994 $223,564,608 $441,481,017
The Nun 2018 $363,391,647 $423,312,046
The Ring 2002 $248,218,486 $403,794,263
The Conjuring 2013 $316,479,150 $397,581,826
Resident Evil: Afterlife 2010 $295,874,190 $397,096,652

Indie Wire

Quote:The most famously queer-coded horror movie of the last 35 years, this obvious example wrote the book on queer subtext. The first sequel in what would become a sprawling franchise, “A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge” was a notorious flop before it was reclaimed by queer audiences to reach the cult status it enjoys today. Mark Patton’s Jesse has been called the first male scream queen, and his possession by Freddy Krueger a clear metaphor for queer desire.

Not really a fan of the horror genre, particularly the slice-and-dice type. I get more nervy over suspense films.

Boru

Sadism isn't horror.

(October 31, 2023 at 4:32 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Sadism isn't horror.

You are not horrified by sadistic acts?

(October 31, 2023 at 4:40 pm)Foxaèr Wrote:

(October 31, 2023 at 4:32 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Sadism isn't horror.

You are not horrified by sadistic acts?

I wouldn't pay to see them, so something billed at "horror" but is actually just sadism would piss me off. If they can't be honest about we have to ask why they're lying to us. Cenobites are sadistic, vampires are a horror. (YMMV)

(October 31, 2023 at 4:32 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Sadism isn't horror.

They seems pretty strongly linked. Many - if not most - films in the horror genre have a significant element of sadism.

Boru

(October 31, 2023 at 5:34 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

(October 31, 2023 at 4:32 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Sadism isn't horror.

They seems pretty strongly linked. Many - if not most - films in the horror genre have a significant element of sadism.

Boru

Sadism can be horrific, true. But to me it frequently seems to be crutch for the plot. YMMV

Perhaps this will help clarify my view.

The facehuggers planting an egg in a person, that's horror to me. Seeing it burst out of the chest with body bits flying helter skelter, that sadistic. Again...

(October 31, 2023 at 5:54 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:

(October 31, 2023 at 5:34 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: They seems pretty strongly linked. Many - if not most - films in the horror genre have a significant element of sadism.

Boru

Sadism can be horrific, true. But to me it frequently seems to be crutch for the plot. YMMV

Perhaps this will help clarify my view.

The facehuggers planting an egg in a person, that's horror to me. Seeing it burst out of the chest with body bits flying helter skelter, that sadistic. Again...

Yup, that clarifies it - I see your point. I agree that sadism alone isn’t enough to qualify as horror. Films like Rear Window or 2001 unnerve me more than every slasher film ever made.

Boru

Okay, checking off "clarified" for 2023.