Have you been feeling like a lot of new movies coming out belong to the horror genre? Are all your formerly scared friends talking about the newest scary flick? Does it seem like suddenly horror movies are in play for the biggest awards?
It’s not in your head! Horror movies are making a comeback in a major way. The genre may have fizzled after the success of ‘80s slasher films, but now horror movies are the films to see, earning production companies huge sums of money and bringing viewers to the theaters in droves.
So, how did we get here? Let’s take a look at the recent rise of horror movies and just why they are doing so well right now.
More Horror Than Ever
If you’ve noticed that a lot of new films seem to be horror movies, you’ve observed correctly! According to the Washington Post, “horror is now the fastest-rising film genre, having doubled its market share from 4.87 percent in 2013 to 10.08 percent in 2023.”
That is a huge increase! Whereas horror used to only account for a tiny share of movies produced, it is now compromising a substantial portion of all movies.
“But cinema is dying!” some critics might shout. This sadly may be true, but it’s not true of horror cinema. According to the statistics reporting site Statista, “as of 2023, the number of domestic cinema releases has halved compared to 2019.”
This is definitely a sizable blow to the movie industry. But, never fear because “despite this, horror movie production has managed to weather the storm and has been exponentially growing since 2000” (Statista).
Keep reading to find out why there are suddenly so many horror movies and why they keep being made, even when other production in other areas has slowed.
Horror Movies Save and Make Money
One reason there have been so many new horror releases is that horror films have a huge profit margin. That is, they’re cheap to make and, currently, result in large payouts. “Because it can be made with no stars, small budgets and limited special effects, the genre is built for success,” writes the Washington Post.
Horror movies don’t need the big name A-listers or sci-fi sets and effects in order to sell, they just need to be scary and entertaining. Even an extremely low budget film can still be epicly frightening and therefore a successful box office draw. Which brings me to my next point…
Horror is a genre that people want to view in theaters. In the age of streaming, cinema has taken a blow as people prefer to watch movies from the comfort of their own homes instead of buying tickets at a theater.
The thing is, horror is about anything but comfort. Horror is best viewed in the abyss of a big dark room, far away from your door at home that can be easily locked to keep your fears away.
Also, horror is a communal experience. Horror movies are enhanced by screaming in unison and the feeling of widespread anxiety that can only be felt in a crowd.
The numbers are, once again, proving this. According to Reuters, “this year, scary movies account for 17 percent of the North American ticket purchases, up from 11 percent in 2024 and 4 percent a decade ago.”
While people are staying home for other movies, they know that they must Get Out to see horror movies on the big screen.
Additionally, members of Gen Z, who embody the future of film, are more likely to go to the theater than any older generation right now and “as of 2024, more than 90 percent of Gen Z consumers watched horror movies or TV shows—the highest share among all the considered age brackets” (Statista).
So, horror movies are seeing profitable success as people, especially Gen Z, are turning out to the theaters to watch them. But what is making horror so appealing to this generation of young adults?
Social Commentary and Meaningful Themes
Whereas horror used to be written off as an unsophisticated and unrespected genre, now horror movies are being nominated for and winning some of the biggest awards in the industry. For example, at the 97th Academy Awards, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance was nominated for five Oscars and won one.
So what caused this change in respectability? Well, in my, and the Washington Post’s, humble opinions, about “a decade ago, an audacious trio of convention-shirking horror films signaled a tectonic shift in genre storytelling.” And they may not be the ones you think.
First, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook (2014). Your average monster horror flick? Not so. The Babadook explores intense themes of grief and parenthood and it paved the way for other psychologically complex films such as Smile (2022) and M3gan (2022) (a personal favorite of mine).
Next, A24’s The VVitch (2015). This film launched the careers of writer-director Robert Eggers and actress Anya Taylor-Joy as well as bringing the young company A24 major success for the first time.
This film, and all of A24’s horror endeavours, represented a new kind of aesthetically and artistically rich horror that had never been seen before. This type of arthouse horror continues with more recent A24 films such as Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), and Heretic (2024).
The final member of this trio is Jordan Peele’s 2017 film Get Out. Get Out tackled racism and the Black experience in America through the lens of horror. It was a knockout success and opened the gates of horror movies being recognized as valuable and respectable art, as it was nominated for four Oscars and won Jordan Peele the award for best screenplay.
Get Out initiated a new wave of social issues and commentary being the focus of horror films and legitimized horror in the public eye. This trend has continued with films focused on class division (Parasite (2019)), beauty standards (The Substance (2024)), and abuse (The Invisible Man (2020)), as well as many other societal ills and systematic oppressions.
These three films and the trends they spurred have moved horror from a niche genre with a cult following to the genre of some of the highest-grossing and well-received films in recent years.
And who appreciates meaningful psychological themes, thoughtful depictions of horror themes, and the fight for social justice more than anyone? That’s right, those movie-going members of Gen Z.
Per Statista, “these thematically dense and thought-provoking movies particularly speak to Gen Z viewers, a generation that deeply values social justice and diversity.
And, to circle back, “focusing on Gen Z viewers as a target audience, the age bracket that is more inclined to go to the movies, proves to be a winning strategy for the market” (Statista).
A Question to the Fans
While it is great that horror movies and horror creators are receiving the long-overdue recognition they deserve, does this impact the nature of the genre? That is, is an essential part of horror its counterculture position?
For better or for worse, it seems to me that the role of horror movies in society will definitely be changed by moving from midnight showings at theaters few and far between to primetime, blockbusters by some of the biggest production companies. Just a thought.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/08/01/horror-movies-growing-genre/
https://www.statista.com/topics/12896/horror-movies/#topicOverview
Featured photos: A24, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Mubi
