The horror genre of cinema boasts lesser impressive box office records than other genres such as action blockbusters. Enjoyed by millions around the world, horror films might not have the highest box office earnings, but they remain an exigent and imperative part of current pop culture and iconography. Ranging from cult classics like Stanley Kubrick's The Shining to modern hits like James Wan's The Conjuring, horror flicks are an integral part of the viewing experience of the average moviegoer.
In cinematic history, many horror films have performed a thousand times better at the box office than expected, while in the same manner many have failed to live up to their expectations. Here are the ten highest-grossing horror films of all time.
Halloween (2018) - $255.5 million
The eleventh installment in the Halloween franchise, the 2018 film retconned all the previous films in the series and acted as a direct sequel to the original Halloween directed by John Carpenter and released in 1978. Following the original movie, the 2018 film, with Joe director David Gordon Green at the helm, was a breath of fresh air for fans worldwide. Not only was it praised and well received by critics and audience, but the film's box office performance also made it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise.
Annabelle (2014) - $257 million
The second film in The Conjuring series and a prequel to the original Conjuring, the film acts as a spin-off and tells the story of the origin of the doll Annabelle which was featured in the Conjuring movie. The portrayal of the doll in the Conjuring movie was well received by the general public, which lead to the creation of this spin-off film. The film was a box office success, bringing in $257 million against a fairly small budget of $6.5 million.
Seeing the success of the Annabelle movie, a prequel, and a sequel as well was also released.
Annabelle: Creation (2017) - $306.5 million
Considering the smashing success of 2014's Annabelle, it was a no brainer that a sequel would be made (or in this case, a prequel). Annabelle Creation acts as a prequel to Annabelle, featuring the story of how the titular doll was created in the first place. Not only was it a much bigger critical success than the original Annabelle, but the box office performance was also outstanding as well. The director of the previous film, John R. Leonetti was replaced by Lights Out and Shazam! director David Sandberg, with the original writer Gary Dauberman returning once again to write the screenplay.
The Conjuring (2013) - $319.5 million
With Aquaman and Insidious director James Wan at the helm, The Conjuring was the first film in what would turn out to be the most financially successful horror film franchise of the current cinematic age. The film was met with praise by critics and audience's alike upon release, with the performance of the actors and the atmosphere of the film being praised exceptionally well. The doll Annabelle which was the focal point of the plot proved to be so popular with the fans that a separate trilogy series was made revolving around the doll only.
The film remains the most highly rated movie in The Conjuring Universe, with an 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
The Conjuring 2 (2016) - $320.4 million
The sequel to 2013's The Conjuring, Conjuring 2 accomplishes everything that is expected out of a continuation. The film boasts a slightly lower rating than its predecessor, sitting at 80%, but managed to pull off a slightly better box office run. Previous director James Wan returned not only to direct but even contributed as a screenwriter, along with the previous cast members who reprised their roles. The film turned out to be quite a profitable venture, grossing over $320.4 million worldwide against its budget of $40 million, and a sequel and the third installment in the main franchise is said to be in the works.
A Quiet Place (2018) - $340.9 million
2018 saw the directorial debut of The Office superstar John Krasinski, with the release of A Quiet Place. The film was an unexpected success, and the fresh idea was instantly met with huge praise by critics and fans in a market where horror films had become formulaic and mundane. The film stars director John Krasinski in the lead role alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt, as they try to make their way in a world infested with creatures that have exterminated most of humanity.
The film was a smashing box office success, amassing over $340 million against a budget of $21 million.
The Nun (2018) - $365.6 million
Yet another film related to the successful Conjuring franchise, The Nun remains the highest-grossing film in the Conjuring Universe line-up of movies. Although critic and audience response was poor, sitting at a measly rating of 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, the box office figures of the film were similarly staggering, with a worldwide gross of over $360 million dollars with a budget of only $22 million. Branching off from Conjuring 2, the fifth installment in The Conjuring Universe franchise was directed by The Hallow director Corin Hardy from a story written by James Wan and Gary Dauberman.
The Exorcist (1973) - $441.3 million
One of the most classic horror movies of all time, The Exorcist is not only one of the scariest or best-rated horror flicks in cinema history either, but it remains one of the highest-grossing films as well. When released back in 1973, the film proved to be so extreme that many people suffered negative physical reactions in the theaters when watching. It was the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The film grossed over $440 million dollars at the box office against a budget of only $12 million, making it an undisputed box office success.
It Chapter Two (2019) - $473.1 million
The second and also the last entry in the It film series, It Chapter Two takes place 27 years after the events of the first film. Although nearly not as successful as its predecessor, the fact still remains that the film is the second highest-grossing horror film to date. Directed by Mama director Andrés Muschietti, the film features a highly talented cast of the likes of James McAvoy, Bill Hader and Bill Skarsgård in the role of the iconic Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
The film made an outstanding $473 million against a budget of, $79 million, which proved that producing a sequel to the original film was indeed worth its "penny".
It (2017) - $700.4 million
The highest-grossing horror movie of all time, It, based on best selling author Stephen King's book of the same name, is also one of the most iconic horror films of the century. The plot, revolving around the story of seven children in the 1980s who are terrorized by a supernatural being, Pennywise the Dancing Clown. With fan-favorite Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard in the cast, the film was praised by critics on release for its marvelous acting and cinematography. As Stephen King's book adaptations tend to do, the film had a smashing performance at the box office, garnering over $700 million against a comparatively tiny budget of $35 million.