There are several different kinds of horror films: supernatural, psychological, biological (think zombies), monster movies. But the most popular subgenre in horror is the slasher film. At the center of any slasher flick is a murderous, blade-wielding villain. Whether they're using a knife, a chainsaw, or just a hook, these antagonists make us jump in our seats and prowl our nightmares. Many of them have become classic characters and are the reason people flock to see their movies.
Between these icons and their bloody rampages, slasher films have become some of the most successful movies in horror. What started out as stand-alone films have blossomed into multi-million dollar franchises with too many sequels and reboots to count. Here are the twelve highest grossing slasher films at the worldwide box office.
12 Halloween Ends (2022)
Halloween is one of the most popular horror franchises of all time, thanks to its iconic masked villain Michael Myers. It's hard to keep track of all the movies in this series. 2018's Halloween was meant to be a direct sequel to 1978's original Halloween, thus disregarding all the other sequels in the series. It was basically a semi-reboot that produced a trilogy of films. Although it's lucky number thirteen of the series, Halloween Ends is the final movie in that rebooted trilogy and supposedly the last Halloween movie. Is this really the end of Michael Myers? Probably not, especially when you consider the fact that it grossed $105 million globally.
11 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another popular slasher franchise with a deranged, masked killer. But what sets this antagonist, Leatherface, apart from his peers is his iconic weapon of choice: a chainsaw. The original 1974 film is one of the greatest horror movies of all time and is the influence behind every slasher film that followed. 2003 gave audiences a remake of this classic. The modern interpretation of Leatherface performed well at the box office, bringing in $107 million.
10 Freddy vs Jason (2003)
Hollywood loves pitting classic characters of the same genre against each other: Batman vs Superman, King Kong vs Godzilla. Freddy vs Jason gave horror fans what they'd all been waiting for: a match-up between two legendary, supernatural slashers. In one corner, donning his bladed glove, striped shirt, and brown fedora, was A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger. And in the other corner, carrying a machete and wearing a beat-up, old goalie mask, was Friday the 13th's Jason Vorhees. Audiences around the world flocked to the theater to see who would win in a fight, grossing $116 million for Freddy vs Jason. The two horror film titans duked it out to determine the undisputed, slasher champion. But the movie's ending left the winner ambiguous, leaving it open for a possible sequel.
9 A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
After the success of 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hollywood succumbed to one of its worst temptations and began pumping out remakes of horror classics. 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street tried to be a darker, edgier version of the 1984 original. The film CGIed Freddy Krueger's appearance to make him look like a realistic burn victim. It reverted to Wes Craven's original idea of making Krueger a child molester rather than a child murderer. And most notably, It replaced the iconic Robert Englund, who had been playing Krueger since 1984, with Jackie Earl Haley. The film received negative reviews from critics and movie-goers. Yet despite this, it still managed to gross $117 million worldwide.
8 I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
I Know What You Did Last Summer was one of the popular slasher films of the 90s. It featured an ensemble of young 90s stars, such as Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. The film's antagonist, the Fisherman, was unique as far as demented serial killers go. Instead of a mask, he wore a hooded raincoat that concealed his face, and rather than a knife, he murdered his victims with an oversized hook. I Know What You Did Last Summer was a hit with audiences and grossed $125 million globally. Its success birthed a new franchise of slasher films with another sequel reportedly in the works.
7 Halloween Kills (2021)
Halloween Kills is the twelfth installment of the Halloween franchise. But in terms of the aforementioned reboot, it's the second film in that trilogy. This film, too, was met with negative reviews and harsh backlash for its lack of innovation and originality. But audiences still flocked to the theater to watch Michael Myers brutally murder some more people, which allowed the film to gross $133 million at the global box office.
6 Scream (2022)
Scream was the slasher series of the 90s. The original 1996 film introduced a new iconic killer called Ghostface: a cloaked and hooded murderer, who claims his victims with a hunting knife and wears a mask inspired by Edvard Munch's famous Scream painting. Unlike other slasher antagonists, there's always a new killer behind Ghostface's mask. Scream's box office success launched a new slasher franchise that pumped out three sequels between 1997 and 2011. Everyone thought the franchise might be done with Scream 4, until the new Scream hit theaters in 2022. It's the fifth sequel in the series but oddly isn't called Scream 5. The film reunited the original cast members, like Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, and added up-and-coming star Jenna Ortega. Scream was a box office success and grossed $138 worldwide.
5 Scream VI (2023)
Scream's, or rather Scream 5's, success encouraged Hollywood to create yet another sequel. Scream VI was just released this month in March 2023. It grossed $139 million at the global box office and had the highest opening weekend of any installment in the slasher franchise. Despite its exclusion of Neve Campbell, the film was a huge hit with fans, featuring gorey moments, plot twists, and big scares that elevated the series. It also left the franchise's home of Woodboro, CA for a new setting in New York City, which led to one of the most chilling scenes in the franchise. As of now, it's the Scream film with the highest audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Will there be a Scream VII? Nothing's been confirmed yet, but judging by Scream VI's success, audiences can probably expect another sequel in the future.
4 Scream 3 (2000)
Scream 3 is (surprise, surprise) the third entry of the slasher franchise. Despite grossing $161 million worldwide, the film was less profitable than its predecessors and received mostly negative reviews. Of all the Scream movies, it has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score from both the critics and the audience and is generally perceived as the worst movie in the series. Fans felt like it was too rushed and too different from the other movies. Its poor performance put the franchise on hold until 2011 when Scream 4 was released.
3 Scream 2 (1997)
After the thrill of 1996's Scream, audiences were begging for more Ghostface and murder. And they got what they wanted the following year with Scream 2. Here, the original movie's events have been turned into a bestselling book and film and our high school protagonists are now college bound. Everyone seems to be moving past the gruesome murders of Woodsboro -- until a new Ghostface surfaces to wreak havoc. Interestingly, this Scream installment has the highest critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, though its audience score leaves something to be desired. Regardless of this conflicting perception, the film was a box office success and grossed $172 million globally.
2 Scream (1996)
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Here it is -- the original film that birthed one of the most successful slasher franchises ever made. Before Scream, the horror genre was on the decline, as audiences had lost interest in watching the same old villains and tropes. But Scream both revived and changed the genre by mocking the clichés of slasher films while also embracing them. The film was a pop culture phenomenon, partly because it was directed by the master of horror himself, Wes Craven (Craven also directed the next three sequels). Scream focused on a group of high school students, whose town of Woodsboro was being terrorized by the mysterious, masked killer that would come to be known as Ghostface. It also features an all-star cast, which includes a young Drew Barrymore, rocking that iconic blonde bob in the film's memorable opener. 1996's Scream was a critical and commercial success and grossed $173 million worldwide, making it the most successful film in the series.
1 Halloween (2018)
2018's Halloween is the eleventh installment in the Halloween franchise and was a semi reboot. Disregarding the other entries in the series, it was a direct sequel to 1978's Halloween. It brought back Jamie Lee Curtis' iconic Laurie Strode and takes place forty years after the original. It was the first in a trilogy of films that pit Laurie against the mass murdering Michael Myers. The movie received positive reviews from both critics and audiences. It's the highest grossing slasher film of all time with $255 million at the global box office.