Killing it at the box office, horror movies become unlikely cinema saviours
2025 box office successes like Sinners and Final Destination reflect a growing love among audiences for scary movies
Vampires, zombies and the Grim Reaper are killing it at the box office.
At a time when superheroes, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences, horror has emerged as an unlikely saviour, entertainment industry veterans say.
This year, scary movies account for 17 per cent of North American ticket purchases, up from 11 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent a decade ago, according to US-based data analytics firm Comscore.
“We have identified horror as really one of the primary film genres that we are targeting to grow,” says Brandt Gully, owner of the Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, in the US state of Georgia. “It can really fill a void when you need it.”
Producers, studio executives and cinema owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet to cope with contemporary anxieties. And there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence paranoia, the loss of control over one’s body, and resurgent racism.