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The Haunted Castle, a three-minute short film directed by French director Georges Méliès in 1896, is sometimes cited as the first horror film. It is the first example of a genre that has changed significantly over the previous 120+ years, with a demon-haunting a castle.
In the present day, horror films such as Barbarian, Smile, and M3GAN have been the talk of the town in theaters. With more to come, movies like Saw X and The Exorcist: Believer are spearheading a new wave of dread at the box office in October alone.
Subgenres within the horror genre have proliferated, encompassing everything from psychological and horror-comedy to the supernatural and slasher. It’s difficult to determine what really constitutes “horror” in the face of such variety. All subgenres combined, though, make some movies stand out for their enormous influence at the box office.
Which horror movies, then, have actually grabbed viewers’ attention? The comprehensive list of the highest-grossing horror movies in American box office history can be found below. We’ll also include adjusted numbers to give you a better idea of the most popular horror films ever made, taking inflation into consideration.
The 25 Highest Grossing Horror Films (Not Inflation Adjusted)
The top 25 horror movies by domestic box office gross are listed below, courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
2017 saw $327.5 million in it.
1999’s The Sixth Sense: $293.5 million
1975’s Jaws: $260 million
In 1984, Ghostbusters made $242.2 million.
$232.9 million was made on The Exorcist (1973).
It: Chapter Two ($195.7 million) in 2019.
2017’s Get Out made $176 million.
October 31, 2018 — $159.3 million
(2000) The Scary Movie — $159 million
$155.4 million from the 2000 film What Lies Beneath
Gremlins (1984)–$153,150,000
The Meg ($455.4 million) in 2018
$140.5 million for The Blair Witch Project (1999).
(2013) The Conjuring — $137.4 million
(2002) The Ring — $129.1 million
(2016) Ghostbusters — $128.4 million
(2010) Shutter Island: $128 million
$120.2 million was made on Van Helsing (2004).
(2018) The Nun — $117.5 million
(2011) The Village — $114.2 million
(1989) Ghostbusters II — $112.5 million
(2011) The Grudge — $110.4 million
(2003) Scary Movie 3 — $110 million
$107.9 million was made on Paranormal Activity (2009), and $105.3 million on Interview with the Vampire (1994).
The 25 Horror Films with the Highest Grosses (Inflation Adjusted)
In an effort to create parity, the following list modifies the earnings of each movie to account for 2024 ticket prices:
75-year-old Jaws: $1.154 billion
$996.5 million was made on The Exorcist (1973).
1984’s Ghostbusters made $641.3 million.
(1999) The Sixth Sense — $518.8 million
1984’s Gremlins: $409.8 million
2017 saw $328.9 million in it.
1978’s Jaws 2: $312.8 million
$310.3 million from the 1979 film The Amityville Horror
(1979) Alien — $286.4 million
(2000) The Scary Movie — $262.5 million
(2000) What’s Beneath — $259.9 million
$257.7 million from The Omen (1976)
(1989) Ghostbusters II — $255.3 million
$249.3 million from The Blair Witch Project (1999).
1982’s Poltergeist: $234.8 million
$226.4 million was made in Interview with the Vampire (1994).
1986’s Aliens – $206.8 million
$203.2 million from Scream (1996)
(2002) The Ring — $200.1 million
(1997) Scream 2 — $197.3 million
It: Chapter Two ($195.7 million) in 2019.
(1977) The Deep – $191.3 million
Halloween – $181 million in 1978
Dracula by Bram Stoker (1992) — $179.2 million
(2017) Get Out: $179.1 million
A Genre That Is Still Developing
These rankings demonstrate how inventive and flexible the horror genre can be. terror movies have always captivated viewers, from Jaws in the 1970s that redefined summer blockbusters to Get Out in 2017 that combined terror with social critique. It’s only a matter of time until a fresh competitor steps up to join these all-time greats as the genre continues to develop.s to join these all-time greats. ,