“Popular” can mean two things: films that made enormous money, and films that became cultural landmarks. This article covers both, since the biggest earners and the most influential horror films overlap only partly.
Rankings shift depending on how a “horror” film is defined. Some lists count The Sixth Sense or I Am Legend as horror, others treat them as thrillers or sci-fi. Box office totals also keep changing, so treat the numbers below as approximate.
Part 1: The Box Office Champions
1. It (2017)
The highest-grossing horror movie at the global box office is It, adapted from Stephen King’s novel about a shape-shifting entity that often appears as a clown. It earned around $700 million, and current tallies put it slightly higher. Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise, a strong Stephen King brand, and a wave of 1980s nostalgia drove its success. Its 2019 sequel, It: Chapter Two, made about $467 million, which was still a huge result.
2. The Sixth Sense (1999)
M. Night Shyamalan’s ghost story, with its famous twist ending and Haley Joel Osment’s “I see dead people” performance, earned about $670 million worldwide and was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture. Whether it counts as horror or a supernatural drama, it is on nearly every list.
3. The Conjuring Universe
The Conjuring series is the most successful horror franchise in history. The Conjuring Universe has earned more than $2.9 billion across eleven films, and the latest entry, Last Rites (2025), earned around $499 million, the highest gross in the series. James Wan’s original The Conjuring (2013) helped restart mainstream supernatural horror, and spin-offs like Annabelle and The Nun followed.
4. Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg’s shark thriller is often called the first summer blockbuster. It was the first film to pass $100 million at the box office, and its total is around $480 million. Adjusted for inflation, it ranks among the biggest horror hits ever.
5. The Exorcist (1973)
Made for about $11 million, it grossed roughly $193 million at the time. Adjusted to 2026 money, that is around $1.4 billion. William Friedkin’s film reportedly caused fainting and walkouts, and it was the first horror film nominated for Best Picture. Inflation-adjusted, it and Jaws are widely considered the two most financially successful horror films ever.
6. A Quiet Place (2018)
The film earned $340.9 million against a modest $17 million budget. Its clever premise, monsters that hunt by sound, made audiences afraid to rustle their popcorn, and it launched a franchise.
7. Sinners (2025)
Ryan Coogler’s vampire film mixing horror with Southern blues history was a major surprise. It opened to $48 million, held remarkably well in its second weekend, and finished with roughly $366 million worldwide against a $90 million budget. It stood out as an original, non-franchise hit.
8. Obsession (2026)
The newest name on the list is Obsession. Wikipedia’s tally lists it at over $519 million worldwide and still playing in late September 2026, which puts it among the top few horror-classified earners. I don’t have detailed information about it, so I’d suggest checking recent coverage for specifics.
Other big earners
I Am Legend (2007) and World War Z (2013) each grossed over $500 million, but they lean toward sci-fi action and are often listed separately. Alien: Romulus (2024), Smile (2022), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and Interview with the Vampire (1994) also sit in the top 50.
Part 2: The Cultural Icons
Some of horror’s most beloved films did modest business at first and grew into legends through home video, cult screenings and endless imitation.
- Psycho (1960): Alfred Hitchcock’s shower scene changed what audiences expected from a thriller and helped invent the slasher genre.
- Night of the Living Dead (1968): George A. Romero’s low-budget zombie film created the modern zombie template.
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974): A raw, grimy shocker that became a landmark of independent horror.
- Halloween (1978): John Carpenter’s masterpiece made Michael Myers an icon and defined the slasher formula.
- Alien (1979): Ridley Scott’s “haunted house in space” remains one of the most influential sci-fi horror films.
- The Shining (1980): Stanley Kubrick’s chilling adaptation, loved for its atmosphere and Jack Nicholson’s performance, though Stephen King famously disliked it.
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Freddy Krueger brought dreams into horror and spawned a huge franchise.
- Friday the 13th (1980): It launched Jason Voorhees and a long-running slasher series.
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991): One of the rare horror-adjacent films to win Best Picture, along with Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
- Scream (1996): Wes Craven’s self-aware slasher revived the genre and inspired a generation of imitators.
- The Blair Witch Project (1999): A low-budget found-footage sensation that helped popularize the format.
- Ringu / The Ring (1998 / 2002): Japanese horror that sparked a wave of remakes in Hollywood.
- Saw (2004): A cheap, twisty thriller that launched a long-running franchise.
- Paranormal Activity (2007): Made for a tiny sum, it earned hundreds of millions and proved found footage could still work.
- Get Out (2017): Jordan Peele’s social thriller won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and reshaped how critics view horror.
- Hereditary (2018): An unsettling family tragedy often cited as a leading example of modern “elevated horror.”
Why Are Horror Movies So Popular?
- Low risk, high reward. Horror can be made cheaply, and a hit can multiply its budget many times over.
- Built-in audience. Fans reliably show up, especially for franchises, and group viewing makes it a social experience.
- Universal emotion. Fear translates across languages, helping horror travel worldwide.
- Cultural mirror. From Cold War paranoia in the 1950s to social anxieties in Get Out, the best horror reflects the fears of its time.
- Franchise potential. Iconic villains and worlds like The Conjuring Universe keep audiences returning.
Horror is one of cinema’s most dependable genres, reaching from Jaws and The Exorcist to It and Sinners. The biggest earners are not always the best-loved, and the most influential films, like Halloween, Psycho and Alien, were often quieter hits that grew over time. Whether you like slashers, ghost stories or psychological dread, the genre has something to keep you up at night.
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