The Most Successful Horror Movies of All Time

It’s scary how much money some movies make in this genre.

The Most Successful Horror Movies of All Time

Sometimes movies are so surprisingly successful it’s scary.

Though many blockbusters these days are action movies or superhero movies, horror movies still get plenty of box-office love. And, because so many horror movies can be made on shoestring budgets, the profit margin on a major hit can really make everyone involved scream with joy.

Definitions of the horror genre vary. Does there need to be gore? Can aliens can join in without it becoming SciFi? Box Office Mojo breaks the horror genre into nine separate subgenres. We stuck to a broad, traditional approach that cuts across categories; our list includes tons of scares, lots of twists, loads of screaming and, of course, plenty of carnage.

These films are ranked by net profit. The budget and worldwide gross projections come from Box Office Mojo. These figures can help you see the staggering overall net profit for these films.

31. “Mama”

Year: 2013

Budget: $15 million*

Worldwide Gross: $146,428,180

Net: $131,428,180

This creepy film includes a highly active supernatural element. Unlike some movies where the ghost or demon jumps out randomly, this one eerily helps save and raise human children. So much so, they refer to her as their mother.

The storyline is creepy, refreshing and generally satisfying. Unsurprisingly, audiences worldwide made this movie a major commercial success.

* Numbers throughout have not been adjusted for inflation.

30. “Van Helsing”

Year: 2004

Budget: $160 million

Worldwide Gross: $300,257,475

Net: $140,257,475

As much fantasy as it is horror, the budget for “Van Helsing” was ambitious to say the least. Paying homage to the classic monsters of the major movie studios in the 1930s and ‘40s, Hugh Jackman stars as the titular character who ruthlessly hunts familiar faces like Count Dracula, Frankenstein and Mr. Hyde.

Most critics didn’t like the film, earning it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 23 percent. But that didn’t stop millions of people worldwide from helping make this film a pretty spectacular profit.

29. “Scream 2”

Year: 1997

Budget: $24 million

Worldwide Gross: $172,363,301

Net: $148,363,301

It’s no huge surprise that the breakout hit “Scream” saw a sequel not long after it originally premiered. The film smartly followed the same characters in the same world with very similar plots and goriness.

Despite the fact that people knew what they were in for more than with the original, plenty were more than willing to see the film. It would not only inspire two more sequels, but also the comedy “Scary Movie.”

28. “Insidious: Chapter 2”

Year: 2013

Budget: $5 million

Worldwide Gross: $161,919,318

Net: $156,919,318

Like so many other movies on this list, this is a sequel. In the horror world, when you find a formula that seems to resonate with people, it’s not a terrible idea to stick with it. At least, that’s what the filmmakers behind the “Insidious” franchise seemed to believe with their sequel.

James Wan, the same director behind the gruesome “Saw” and the creepy (and commercially successful) “The Conjuring 2,” added his particular flair for freakiness to this movie. And it worked really well, especially considering the small budget, which, of course, meant even more overall net profit.

27. “Scream”

Year: 1996

Budget: $14 million*

Worldwide Gross: $173,046,663

Net: $159,046,663

If you’ve ever screamed “What are you waiting for?” up to the sky while spinning around, you already know that “Scream” is easily one of the most successful scary movies of all time.

It broke so many scary movie “rules,” including killing off a major star in the opening sequence and immediately making the viewer feel uneasy about who might live and who might die. Even the sequels made a ton of money.

* Numbers throughout have not been adjusted for inflation.

26. “Halloween” (2018)

Year: 2018

Budget: $10 million

Worldwide Gross: $174,546,510

Net: $164,546,510

The original 1978 “Halloween” may not have smashed box office records, but it did become a cultural classic. And years later, the remake (with the original star Jamie Lee Curtis on board) proved the ongoing popularity of the movie.

With a surprisingly small budget by modern standards, the film grossed huge amounts worldwide. And, thanks to that small budget, netted a major profit. To make matters even more impressive, the film premiered on October 19, 2018, and these profits are as of 10 days later (October 29, 2018). Even when the Halloween season is over, there’s a good chance that profit will continue to increase over the next few weeks.

We'll continue to update the story as necessary.

25. “Paranormal Activity 2”

Year: 2010

Budget: $3 million

Worldwide Gross: $177,512,032

Net: $174,512,032

Diving back into the mega-successful (both financially and critically) world created in the original smash hit “Paranormal Activity,” the filmmakers followed the same formula. Audiences appreciated it. The same found-footage style with a creepy, demonic presence that made the original movie so successful helped this one be extremely profitable in its own right.

24. “The Grudge”

Year: 2004

Budget: $10 million

Worldwide Gross: $187,281,115

Net: $177,281,115

A remake of a Japanese film of a similar name, “The Grudge” doesn’t follow a traditional storytelling structure. It jumps around in time and space. Combined with the creepy nature of the plots and subplots, it’s a genuinely jarring and disturbing horror movie. The movie’s success led to two sequels and a possible reboot.

23. “What Lies Beneath”

Year: 2000

Budget: $100 million

Worldwide Gross: $291,420,351

Net: $191,420,351

Though horror movies often use lesser known or unrecognizable actors, which helps with the budget and with the suspension of belief, this major hit starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer proved that two big stars can front a horror film and tons of people will still come out and see it.

22. “The Others”

Year: 2001

Budget: $17 million

Worldwide Gross: $209,947,037

Net: $192,947,037

Inspired by a classic serialized novella from the late 19th century, “The Turn of the Screw,” “The Others” was a major hit. This delightfully chilling movie follows Nicole Kidman’s character as she navigates strange happenings in the home she’s tasked to take care of.

The worldwide gross leaves little doubt that audiences clearly loved the movie. But critics also embraced it, especially in director Alejandro Amenábar’s native Spain.

21. “Paranormal Activity”

Year: 2007

Budget: $15,000

Worldwide Gross: $193,355,800

Net: $193,340,800

Like “The Blair Witch Project,” “Paranormal Activity” was made for next-to-nothing and made monster profits. Like “Blair Witch,” it capitalized on the idea of “found footage,” creepy shots made people truly believe they were looking into a real-life story of a young family being haunted by a demonic ghost.

People believed it enough for the filmmakers to make millions in profits and inspire a number of spinoffs and sequels.

20. “The Village”

Year: 2004

Budget: $60 million

Worldwide Gross: $256,697,520

Net: $196,697,520

Arguably one of filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan’s best works, “The Village” played on paranoia, mystery and – in typical Shyamalan fashion – a major twist ending.

Though plenty of critics argued that some parts were predictable and played out, plenty of people enjoyed the movie. Plus, it was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Score category.

19. “The Ring”

Year: 2002

Budget: $48 million

Worldwide Gross: $249,348,933

Net: $201,348,933

The movie that inspired a million wet-haired and slow-walking Halloween costumes, “The Ring” was an American remake of a Japanese horror film from about a decade before.

Its huge financial and critical success not only led to many sequels, but it also opened the door for more foreign horror film remakes.

18. “Paranormal Activity 3”

Year: 2011

Budget: $5 million

Worldwide Gross: $207,039,844

Net: $202,039,844

Like many other smart filmmakers, the original creators of the hit “Paranormal Activity” decided to create a prequel to scare people into a into a deeper understanding of the original events. Using the same cast and same formula (small budget, huge scares) the filmmakers were able to metaphorically capture lightning in a bottle yet again.

Not only did tons of people come see the film in theaters, making it a major worldwide success, but the small budget meant that the overall net for the movie was incredibly impressive.

17. “Shutter Island”

Year: 2010

Budget: $80 million

Worldwide Gross: $294,804,195

Net: $214,804,195

With Leonardo DiCaprio on screen and Martin Scorsese at the helm, it’s hard to imagine this film not being extremely successful. But horror is definitely its own genre and even the most successful stars can get too far out of their element dabbling in it.

That certainly wasn’t the case with this thrilling and twisted adaptation. Both audiences and critics generally enjoyed it. And, like many good horror films, it has a surprise ending that leaves you plenty unnerved.

16. “Resident Evil: Afterlife”

Year: 2010

Budget: $60 million

Worldwide Gross: $300,228,084

Net: $240,228,084

It’s fourth installment of the popular film series, but the first to be filmed in 3D. Despite reviews that weren’t as glowing as they were for its predecessors, people came out to experience the action in huge numbers.

15. “The Blair Witch Project”

Year: 1999

Budget: $60,000

Worldwide Gross: $248,639,099

Net: $248,579,099

Easily one of the most memorable movies in modern history, this film captured lightning in a bottle. With unknown names at the helm, it was unclear to many people if this was genuinely found footage of thrillseekers who got lost in the woods or if it was fictional.

Despite the fact that it was, of course, fictional, the huge profits made on the film were very, very real.

14. “Annabelle”

Year: 2014

Budget: $6.5 million

Worldwide Gross: $257,047,661

Net: $250,547,661

Anyone who has ever been creeped out by dolls certainly sees the appeal of a film like “Annabelle.”

The movie came out shortly after “The Conjuring” and didn’t receive generally positive reviews like the latter. But that didn’t matter to audiences who loved it and continued to love it, so much so that its sequel – which is a prequel (“Annabelle: Creation”) – was also really successful at the box office.

13. “Get Out”

Year: 2017

Budget: $4.5 million

Worldwide Gross: $255,457,364

Net: $250,957,364

One of the biggest cultural sensations in recent history, this incredibly refreshing horror film came from comedian-turned-Academy Award winning director Jordan Peele.

The storyline not only creeped people out, but it also struck a chord with millions of people who made it an extremely financially successful hit film.

12. “The Silence of the Lambs”

Year: 1991

Budget: $19 million

Worldwide Gross: $272,742,922

Net: $253,742,922

This classic horror movie was not only successful financially, it was critically acclaimed, winning the “Big 5” Academy Awards in 1992: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay.

It quickly joined the ranks of horror masterpieces alongside “Psycho” and “Halloween,” and the U.S. Library of Congress preserved it in the National Film Registry in 2011.

11. “Hannibal”

Year: 2001

Budget: $87 million

Worldwide Gross: $351,692,268

Net: $264,692,268

Rarely do sequels do better than originals, but rarely do you encounter a villain as spine-tinglingly horrifying as Hannibal Lecter.

The movie is adapted from a 1999 novel of the same name, which was particularly gory. Though many of the original cast and creative team who were part of “The Silence of the Lambs” declined to be involved, eventually esteemed director Ridley Scott signed on. And when the filmmakers convinced Anthony Hopkins to reprise his character, it’s no wonder people came out in droves to see the disturbing killer back in action.

10. “The Conjuring 2”

Year: 2016

Budget: $40 million

Worldwide Gross: $320,392,818

Net: $280,392,818

It’s clear that audiences love to be terrified by the world of “The Conjuring.” So no major surprise that the sequel to the original movie did extremely well in the box office, even with a pretty significant budget.

With the same stars on board, this sequel follows up with the paranormal investigators that audiences loved to see scared (and be scared by) as they embark on another other-worldly adventure. And it’s clear from the number of spinoffs in the same universe, there’s plenty of freaky fodder to work with in this franchise.

9. “Annabelle: Creation”

Year: 2017

Budget: $15 million

Worldwide Gross: $306,515,884

Net: $291,515,884

Like the other “Annabelle” movie on this list, this movie explains how the unnerving doll, Annabelle, became the way it is. It also takes place in world of the popular horror film “The Conjuring.”

It garnered more critical praise than other Annabelle films. And clearly annihilated the box office. Another film in the Annabelle franchise is set to scare us all again in 2019.

8. “Se7en”

Year: 1995

Budget: $33 million

Worldwide Gross: $327,311,859

Net: $294,311,859

One of the most classic scary movies of modern filmmaking, this movie combines religious lore, outright gore and incredible performances from three major stars – Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Though this movie is sometimes called a psychological or neo-noir thriller, the general creepiness, violence and gore plant this comfortably in the horror category. Audiences and critics alike relished in its graphic and dark nature. It was even nominated for an Academy Award for editing.

7. “The Conjuring”

Year: 2013

Budget: $20 million

Worldwide Gross: $319,494,638

Net: $299,494,638

Again supposedly inspired by real people, the chilling story of paranormal investigators attempting to solve a demonic mystery struck a chord with people.

The first in a what would become a film series (with a sequel released and third on the way), its ties to another popular horror story, “The Amityville Horror,” help make this movie extremely popular.

6. “A Quiet Place”

Year: 2018

Budget: $17 million

Worldwide Gross: $338,563,752

Net: $321,563,752

The real-life husband and wife team of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski created a modern creepy horror film that gave millions of people monster nightmares for months. It was directed and co-written by co-star Krasinski, the former star of “The Office.” He proved he had major range on camera and skills behind-the-scenes.

The relatively smaller budget combined with the huge popularity of the film helped make this movie a considerable success on many levels. So it’s no big surprise that there’s already a sequel set to come out in May 2020.

5. “Signs”

Year: 2002

Budget: $72 million

Worldwide Gross: $408,247,917

Net: $336,247,917

Another M. Night Shyamalan mega-success, the scary inspiration didn’t come from ghosts this time, but aliens. Between the underlying feeling that this could happen to anyone at any time and the excellent performance of the leading man Mel Gibson, this film was a major success.

Though the budget was larger than many horror films, which tend to stay relatively low, this easily made a major profit – and even won several awards.

4. “The Nun”

Year: 2018

Budget: $22 million

Worldwide Gross: $363,560,762

Net: $341,560,762

Sometimes horror franchises use spin offs that live within the same universe as another successful movie. That’s the case for “The Nun,” which takes place in same world as “The Conjuring.”

The jumpy storyline mixes religion and horror in an effective way. Though critics were mixed in their response, audiences worldwide came out to see the scary film in droves.

3. “The Exorcist”

Year: 1973

Budget: $12 million, estimated

Worldwide Gross: $441,306,145

Net: $429,306,145

Part of the massive lifetime gross of this movie is a result of it being one of the first major horror films to define the modern genre.

There’s lore of the movie being inspired by real-life exorcisms, which often entices people to see a film – especially one as other-worldly as this. It’s ongoing popularity means that it is often re-released in theaters for new generations of people to experience the exorcism on the big screen.

2. “The Sixth Sense”

Year: 1999

Budget: $40 million

Worldwide Gross: $672,806,292

Net: $632,806,292

Arguably one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best films, this suspenseful thriller captured the hearts (and scared the minds) of millions of people worldwide.

The film’s popular quote “I see dead people … they’re everywhere” combined with the surprise twist ending delighted audiences and contributed to this film becoming a huge critical and commercial success.

1. “It”

Year: 2017

Budget: $37 million

Worldwide Gross: $700,381,748

Net: $663,381,748

The latest Stephen King thriller brought to the silver screen blew away even the most generous box office projections. The creepy clown brought chills to people all over the world as they came out in droves to be terrified. Unsurprisingly, after the movie’s massive success, a sequel is already in the works.