2021 keeps it scary
We're not talking about inflation or the pandemic here, but the fact that horror movies are having their best (relative) year for a long time.
Data from The Numbers reveals that horror movies are responsible for almost 18% of box office receipts in the US this year, way above the average of 5% from the last 20 years.
Box office hits like A Quiet Place: Part II, Candyman, Halloween Kills and the third movie in The Conjuring series have all propelled horror to its highest ranking in the box office in years.
That horror movies are doing so well during the pandemic is perhaps no surprise. If you're into being scared on a regular basis, the experience is presumably more intense at a proper cinema than it is at home. That's not necessarily as true for other genres.
Horror movies are also often surprisingly profitable. Low budget breakout hits like Paranormal Activity — which had a budget of just $15k and went on to gross $100m+ in cinemas — are just way more common in horror than in other genres.
As we head into Halloween, horror is probably only going to climb further up the ranks. Spooky season indeed.
