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The Most Surprising Horror Movie Statistics And Trends in 2024

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Are you a horror movie fan? If so, then you’ll be interested to know that horror movies have been around for a long time and continue to be popular today. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some interesting statistics about horror movies, including the most popular genres, the highest-grossing films, and the most successful directors.

We’ll also discuss the impact of horror movies on society and how they’ve changed over the years. So, if you’re ready to learn more about the fascinating world of horror movies, let’s get started.

Horror Movie Statistics: The Most Important Statistics

The total gross of all horror movies in 2022 was $644,774,976, with the movie ‘Nope’ as the highest grossing at $123,277,080.

32% of Americans prefer classic horror movies, while 21% prefer newly released ones, 48% have no preference.

The highest-grossing horror movies in the United States and Canada in 2021 were ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ (160 million), ‘Halloween Kills’ (92 million) and ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (65.63 million).

Horror Movie Statistics: Statistics Overview

Longer horror movies tend to have higher rankings. This matters because it suggests that longer horror movies are more successful in terms of audience reception. This could be useful for filmmakers when deciding how long to make their horror movies, as well as for viewers when deciding which horror movies to watch.

The total gross of all horror movies in 2022 was $644,774,976, with the movie ‘Nope’ as the highest grossing at $123,277,080.

This statistic is important because it shows the success of horror movies in 2022 and the impact of the highest grossing movie on the overall total. It also provides insight into the movie industry and the potential for other horror movies to be successful.

‘Smile’ made nearly $200 million worldwide in a short time, despite its low budget, demonstrating its success in the Horror movie genre.

This is significant as it shows that low budget films can still be successful in the Horror movie genre, which is typically dominated by higher budget films.

The average horror moviegoer is younger than the average moviegoer, with millennials making up the majority, and people of color making up a larger portion than the average blockbuster. Additionally, gender distribution varies by genre, with action horror skewing more male and paranormal horror more evenly distributed between genders. This matters because it shows that horror movies are appealing to a younger, more diverse audience than the average movie.

Gen Z and Millennials rank comedy, action, and horror as their top three favorite genres for video content, with horror ranking third for both demographics. This matters because it shows that horror movies can have a high return on investment, despite being cheaper to produce than other genres.

32% of Americans prefer classic horror movies, while 21% prefer newly released ones, 48% have no preference.

This statistic matters in the context of horror movie statistics because it shows that the majority of people have a preference for classic horror movies, and that horror fans are evenly divided between classic and new movies. This suggests that classic horror movies are more popular than new ones, and that horror fans may be more likely to watch classic movies than newer ones.

The Psychological subgenre of horror movies had the highest Tomatometer average of 69%, while the Paranormal subgenre had the lowest average of 46%.

This matters in the context of Horror Movie Statistics because it shows which subgenres are most successful in delivering the scary goods.

Horror movies have evolved over time to reflect the fears and anxieties of society, from escapism to violence and villainy. This matters as it shows how horror movies can be used to explore and understand the collective anxieties of a society.

‘Psycho’ is the most-referenced horror movie in movies and TV shows, followed by ‘The Shining’, ‘King Kong’, and ‘Alien’. This matters because it provides insight into which horror movies are most popular and influential in media.

Horror movie creation has rapidly increased, indicating a spiritual degradation of society and increased negativity. This matters in the context of Horror Movie Statistics because it suggests that the creation of horror movies is a reflection of the current state of society, and that the prevalence of horror movies is having a negative effect on mental health.

Horror movies have negative psychological effects on young viewers. This statistic is important because it highlights the potential risks of watching horror movies for young viewers. It is important to be aware of the potential long-term effects that horror movies can have on young viewers, such as nervousness, escapism, and nightmares. This information can help parents and guardians make informed decisions about what types of movies their children should be watching.

Younger generations are increasingly interested in horror and thriller films, making them a valuable revenue source for studios and streamers. This matters because horror and thriller films are far cheaper to make than blockbuster films, making them a more profitable option for streaming services.

Male and female characters in slasher films are equally likely to die, but more female characters survive the attacks than male characters, and female nonsurvivors are portrayed as sexy while male nonsurvivors are portrayed as having negative masculine traits. This matters in the context of Horror Movie Statistics because it reveals a gender bias in the way characters are portrayed in slasher films. It highlights the need for more gender equality in the horror genre, and shows that female characters are often portrayed as victims, while male characters are portrayed as villains.

One study found that, while some aspects of slasher films have changed over time, most of the defining traits have remained intact. This statistic is important because it shows that, despite changes in the sociocultural context, slasher films have managed to maintain their defining traits. This indicates that slasher films have been able to remain relevant and popular despite changing times, and that they are likely to continue to be popular in the future.

The 2000 UK Film ‘Council’ established British horror films in the international film marketplace, and a study considers why British horror was revived and how it is a distinctive part of contemporary British cinema. This matters in the context of Horror Movie Statistics because it provides an understanding of how British horror films fit into the larger international horror film marketplace, and how they have been shaped by the establishment of the UK Film ‘Council’. This helps to inform the production, distribution, and audience demographics of British horror films, which can be used to better understand the genre and its impact.

The study found that ‘Sinister’ was the scariest film to date, with a 32% difference in resting heart rate to BPM strike and the highest BPM strike of 131.

This matters because it provides scientific evidence to support the idea that certain horror films are scarier than others, which can help inform viewers on which films to watch.

56% of American adults surveyed in October 2022 chose ‘Halloween’ and ‘Friday the 13th’ as their favourite horror movie franchises, while ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ followed with a 54% favourability rating.

This statistic is important as it provides insight into the preferences of American adults when it comes to horror movie franchises. This information is useful for film studios and other industry professionals in order to understand the tastes of the target audience and create content that is likely to be popular.

The highest-grossing horror movies in the United States and Canada in 2021 were ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ (160 million), ‘Halloween Kills’ (92 million) and ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (65.63 million).

This data is important as it shows the popularity of horror films and the potential for financial success in the genre.

Music plays an important role in creating a terrifying atmosphere in horror movies, by manipulating minor keys, dissonance, sound effects, infrasound, and playing off audience expectations. This matters in the context of Horror Movie Statistics because it shows how music can be used to evoke emotion and enhance the movie-watching experience, which is an important factor in the success of horror movies.

Conclusion

In conclusion, horror movies are a popular genre that has been around for many years. They have a wide range of fans, from casual viewers to die-hard fans. Statistics show that horror movies have been consistently popular over the years, and that the genre has seen a resurgence in recent years.

Horror movies are also a great way to explore different themes and ideas, and to experience a range of emotions. So, if you’re looking for a good scare, or just want to explore the horror genre, there’s no shortage of options.

References

1 – https://cuttingroommusic.com/2021/04/20/which-movie-genres-earned-the-most-at-the-box-office-between-1980-and-2020/

2 – https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2022/genre/Horror

3 – https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/31/media/horror-movies-box-office-smile-halloween/index.html

4 – https://variety.com/2018/film/box-office/horror-movies-study-1202994407/

5 – https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/insights/industry/technology/horror-movie-audience-statistics.html

6 – https://today.yougov.com/topics/entertainment/articles-reports/2022/10/18/no-film-genre-divides-americans-like-horror-does

7 – https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/slashers-and-monsters-and-gore-oh-my-which-horror-subgenre-is-the-best/

8 – https://www.thereviewgeek.com/howhorrorreflectssocietalfears-article/

9 – https://stephenfollows.com/culturally-important-horror-movies/

10 – https://blog.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/negative-effects-of-horror-movies/

11 – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350496890_Effects_of_Horror_Movies_on_Psychological_Health_of_Youth

12 – https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/insights/industry/technology/horror-movie-audience-statistics.html

13 – https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3857624

14 – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226194422_Gender_and_survival_vs_death_in_slasher_films_A_content_analysis

15 – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357443432_Male_Monsters_Still_Stalk_Yet_More_Violent_A_Comparative_Analysis_of_Original_Slasher_Films_and_Their_Remakes

16 – https://academic.oup.com/edinburgh-scholarship-online/book/21620/chapter-abstract/181502773?redirectedFrom=fulltext

17 – https://manofmany.com/entertainment/movies-tv/scariest-horror-movies-according-to-science

18 – https://www.statista.com/statistics/1342695/adults-favorite-horror-movies-united-states/

19 – https://www.statista.com/statistics/937529/highest-grossing-horror-movies-north-america/

20 – https://stockmusic.net/blog/horror-film-music/

21 – https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161031-what-makes-a-great-horror-movie-soundtrack

FAQs

What is a horror movie?

A horror movie is a genre of film designed to frighten, shock, and disturb its viewers.

What is a common theme in horror movies?

Common themes in horror movies include the supernatural, violence, death, and psychological terror.

What are some of the most popular horror movies?

Some of the most popular horror movies include 'The Shining', 'The Exorcist', 'Halloween', 'The Conjuring', and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'.

What is the purpose of a horror movie?

The purpose of a horror movie is to evoke fear and suspense in its viewers.

What makes a horror movie successful?

A successful horror movie is one that effectively builds tension and scares its viewers.

How we write our statistic reports:

We have not conducted any studies ourselves. Our article provides a summary of all the statistics and studies available at the time of writing. We are solely presenting a summary, not expressing our own opinion. We have collected all statistics within our internal database. In some cases, we use Artificial Intelligence for formulating the statistics. The articles are updated regularly.

See our Editorial Process.

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