Box Office Theory's Top 100 Horror Movies: Vol. 2 | #1 has been revealed!

[Chrysaor]

21 hours ago, Tower said:

 

Glad my vote got this placed on this list. I saw this film a couple of days before the deadline and it ended up being my favourite amongst the all the horrors I watched preparing this list, even above the classics that will be very high on this list like Scream and the Evil Deads (good films that did well on my list).

Thanks for doing your part to help a truly great film make the list. I’d be curious to know who the third voter was.

[FilmFincher]

The score in the final act of Annihilation is incredible.

[WrathOfHan]

84. Possession (1981) (27 Points)

 

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: Andrzej Zulawski

 

Screenwriter: Frederic Tuten, Andrzej Zulawski

 

Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill

 

Synopsis: A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister.

 

Box Office: 1.1M

 

Critical Reviews: 89% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 4

Average Position: 34th

Top 5 Placements: 1

 

 

Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession has had a lengthy path to being the classic it’s regarded as today. After premiering at Cannes with an acting win for Isabelle Adjani, the film was a flop worldwide due to censorship and heavy editing. Now that the original cut is widely available, the film continues to be discovered and receive high praise for its storytelling. Possession mixes emotional drama with shocking horror, leading to an experience unlike any other.

 

Possession received a top five placement, giving it a comfortable boost on to the countdown.

 

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

83. Scream 2 (1997) (28 Points)

 

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: Wes Craven

 

Screenwriter: Kevin Williamson

 

Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, Sarah Michelle Geller, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O’Connell, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schreiber

 

Synopsis: Two years after the first series of murders, as Sidney acclimates to college life, someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.

 

Box Office: 172.4M

 

Critical Reviews: 81% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 3

Average Position: 34th

Top 5 Placements: 1

 

You can never outdo the original, but Scream 2 does a pretty good job holding its own against the first. Wes Craven’s third appearance on the countdown is another sequel and the second Scream film to show up. The film recaptures the comedy and scares from the first in a new environment while continuing to critique genre tropes. Fun additions to the ensemble round out a solid sequel.

 

Scream 2 appeared on three lists compared to four for Scream 4, but one top 5 placement gave it a healthy edge in points.

 

 

[Krissykins]

25 minutes ago, WrathOfHan said:

 

 

Scream 2 appeared on three lists compared to four for Scream 4, but one top 5 placement gave it a healthy edge in points.

 

 

Me doing God’s work. You’re all welcome  

 

I do think Scream 2 is the single best sequel of all time, any genre. 

[baumer]

31 minutes ago, Krissykins said:

Me doing God’s work. You’re all welcome  

 

I do think Scream 2 is the single best sequel of all time, any genre. 

 

Even though I don't agree that scream part 2 is the best sequel of all time nor do I absolutely love scream 2 I did enjoy it quite a bit and thought it continues the story quite nicely. I do understand why you love it so much because I know how much of a horror fan you are.

[Krissykins]

7 minutes ago, baumer said:

 

Even though I don't agree that scream part 2 is the best sequel of all time nor do I absolutely love scream 2 I did enjoy it quite a bit and thought it continue to story quite nicely. I do understand why you love it so much because I know how much of a horror fan you are.

For sure, it’s also the first ever film I remember being excited for. Seeing the posters, adverts and actively waiting on it being released. I remember seeing the standee appear in the video shop for the first time and just studying every inch of it. 
 

Holds a special place for me. 
 

I was only aged 10, so you can imagine the level of excitement, ha. 

[WrathOfHan]

82. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) (28 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: Joe Dante

 

Screenwriter: Charles S. Haas

 

Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert J. Prosky, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lee

 

Synopsis: The Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper.

 

Box Office: 41.5M

 

Critical Reviews: 71% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 4

Average Position: 22nd

 

 

Joe Dante threw out everything crowd pleasing about the first Gremlins and created one of the most chaotic sequels ever with The New Batch. A stark departure in tone from its predecessor, this sequel approaches a variety of ideas with cameos ranging from the Looney Tunes to Hulk Hogan. Audiences usually have strong opinions on which Gremlins film is better, and for some, The New Batch’s insanity reigns supreme over a more traditional horror comedy.

 

Gremlins 2 has the highest average position so far. The range for submissions is 11-37 with a median of 19. Will the first film show up?

 

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

81. Angel Heart (1987) (28 Points)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Alan Parker

 

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling

 

Synopsis: A private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.

 

Box Office: 17.2M

 

Critical Reviews: 79% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 4

Average Position: 32nd

Top 10 Placements: 1

 

 

Alan Parker’s Angel Heart has been underrated thanks in part to its controversies upon release. On paper, everything about the film sounds like a hit: the main three cast members were at the peak of their popularity in a project unlike anything they’ve done before. However, the film’s explicit content put it on the verge of an X rating, and reception at the time was mixed. Nowadays, the film is credited with influencing the fractured narrative, and modern audiences have been willing to embrace the cult classic.

 

Angel Heart broke a tiebreaker with Gremlins 2 by having a top ten placement. Without that, it wouldn’t have made the countdown.

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

80. The Conjuring 2 (2016) (28 Points)

 

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: James Wan

 

Screenwriters: Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes, James Wan, David Leslie Johnson

 

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O’Connor, Madison Wolfe, Simon McBurney, Franka Potente

 

Synopsis: Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit.

 

Box Office: 321.8M

 

Critical Reviews: 80% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 6

Average Position: 42nd

 

James Wan makes his first appearance on the list with The Conjuring 2, a stellar sequel to one of the best studio horrors of the past decade. Although it might not feel as fresh as its predecessor, Conjuring 2 provides the same level of scares and mystery anchored by the strong chemistry between Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson. Plus, it features the latter singing. What’s not to enjoy?

 

Conjuring 2 has the second lowest average position in the 80s ahead of Jennifer’s Body. Similar to that film, having six submissions gave it a healthy boost up the charts.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by WrathOfHan

[WrathOfHan]

A look ahead at the 70s:

 

Only one film is pre-2000

Six films are from 2014 or later

Two films appeared on the previous countdown

One film was in the Top 20 on the previous countdown and fell over 50 spots

 

Additionally, here are the films that received 2 or fewer points (419-64 received 2, 465-66 1.5, and 467-507 1):

Spoiler

419. Alien: Resurrection (1997)

420. Annabelle: Creation (2017)

421. Bad Taste (1987)

422. Bay of Blood (1971)

423. Black Sunday (196)

424. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

425. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

426. Burnt Offerings (1976)

427. Captive State (2019)

428. Cat People (1982)

429. Coma (1978)

430. Dust Devil (1992)

431. Eden Lake (2008)

432. Excision (2012)

433. Fear Street: 1978 (2021)

434. Final Destination 5 (2011)

435. Frailty (2001)

436. Friday the 13th VI (1986)

437. Fright Night (1985)

438. Hostel Part 2 (2007)

439. In Fabric (2008)

440. Joy Ride (2001)

441. Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

442. Ma (2019) 

443. Martin (1977)

444. Night of the Living Dead (1990)

445. Ninja Scroll (1993)

446. Nomads (1986)

447. Pet Sematary (1989)

448. Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)

449. Slaughter High (1986)

450. Society (1989)

451. Spree (2020)

452. The Brood (1979)

453. The Burning (1981)

454. The Face of Another (1966)

455. The Fly (1958)

456. The Fury (1978)

457. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

458. The Legend of Hell House (1973)

459. The People Under the Stairs (1990)

460. The Stir of Echoes (1999)

461. The Witches (1990)

462. Unfriended (2014)

463. Village of the Damned (1963)

464. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

465. Phenomena (1985)

466. Vampires (1998)

467. Apartment Zero (1988)

468. Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

469. Creepshow 2 (1987)

470. Dagon (2001)

471. Duel (1971)

472. Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)

473. Frozen (2010)

474. Gerald's Game (2017)

475. Ghost Story (1981)

476. Hostel (2006)

477. John Dies at the End (2012)

478. Lifeforce (1981)

479. Mark of the Devil (1970)

480. Orphan (2009)

481. Possessor (2020)

482. Rabid Dogs (1974)

483. Saw 2 (2005)

484. Silver Bullet (1985)

485. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

486. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

487. The Bay (2012)

488. The Beyond (1981)  

489. The Company of Wolves (1985)

490. The Corpse Bride (2006)

491. The Craft (1996)

492. The Crow (1994)

493. The Den (2010)

494. The Hitcher (1986)

495. The Initiation (1984)

496. The Invitation (2015)

497. The Lift (1983)

498. The Nightingale (2018)

499. The Raven (1963)

500. The Ruins (2008)

501. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

502. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

503. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

504. The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

505. Them (2006)

506. Trollhunter (2010)

507. Witchboard (1986)

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

79. Ready or Not (2019) (30 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

 

Screenwriters: Guy Busick, R. Christopher-Murray

 

Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell

 

Synopsis: A bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game.

 

Box Office: 57.6M

 

Critical Reviews: 88% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 5

Average Position: 39th

 

 

A late summer 2019 hit, Ready or Not has come onto this year’s countdown. The film surprised audiences with its darkly comic premise and star-making performance from Samara Weaving. The film leans into its absurdity with an ending so disjointed from the rest of the film that somehow works well. 

 

Ready or Not received a healthy boost from two placements right outside the top ten. The rest of the submissions were between 47-70.

 

[WrathOfHan]

78. Under the Skin (2014) (30 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: Jonathan Glazer

 

Screenwriters: Walter Campbell, Jonathan Glazer

 

Starring: Scarlett Johansson

 

Synopsis: A mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.

 

Box Office: 7.3M

 

Critical Reviews: 84% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 5

Average Position: 42nd

Top 10 Placements: 2

 

Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin has polarized audiences for nearly a decade now. Some say its slow pacing translates into an incredible on-screen atmosphere, but others say the film joins the line of pretentious arthouse horror with no real purpose. Fortunately for Under the Skin, enough members fall into the former camp for it to appear on this year’s countdown. Featuring one of Scarlett Johnasson’s most memorable performances, Glazer’s film taps into the fear of the unknown and explores the purpose of life. Under the Skin will remain an underground favorite for years to come.

 

Under the Skin is the first film on the countdown to have multiple top 10 placements. The other submissions were much lower in the 40s and 70s.

 

 

[baumer]

Gremlins 2 might be one of the best sequels of all time in any genre. Joe Dante said he would only make that movie if he had no studio interference and he got it. That's why he was allowed to make fun of Warner Brothers and Batman and even the original gremlins. Then you had Hulk Hogan and other pop culture stars to the film and it really ended up being bat shit crazy.

 

Angel heart is one of the all-time great convoluted films. There's some genuinely terrifying images in that film and Robert de Niro actually kind of looks like Martin Scorsese from the 80s. I'm really glad that @Tower seems to like that film as much as I do.

[WrathOfHan]

77. American Psycho (2000) (31 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: Mary Harron

 

Screenwriters: Mary Harron, Guinevere Turner

 

Starring: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Bill Sage, Chloe Sevigny, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, Guinevere Turner, Reese Witherspoon

 

Synopsis: A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.

 

Box Office: 34.3M

 

Critical Reviews: 69% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 4

Average Position: 20th

Top 10 Placements: 1

Mary Harron’s American Psycho is one of a handful of horror comedies to make it onto this year’s countdown and the second female directed film to appear after Jennifer’s Body (another one is coming next!). A favorite of Redditors everywhere, the film’s popularity has yet to dwindle thanks to its endlessly quotable screenplay and Christian Bale’s committed performance as Patrick Bateman. Simultaneously blending the horrors of a serial killer and corporate America together, the drive for success lies central to American Psycho. To top it off, Jared Leto gets brutally murdered, making American Psycho just as relevant as it was over 20 years ago.

 

Horror comedies struggled to get into this year’s countdown despite 50 more spots, often relying on passion votes to make the cut. American Psycho is one such example as every vote it received was high ranking with a top ten placement.

 

[Ipickthiswhiterose]

More films that I didn't include but have plenty of time for in Ready or Not, any Gremlins film and Under the Skin. Really enjoyable movies.

 

Wan's formula isn't my thing and the Conjuringverse is to the supernatural-jump-scare era what Friday 13th was to the slasher era (ie. I largely pretend they don't exist and just let the kind of people who like it get on with their business) but I appreciate that the Conjuring series has done effective things for its fans.

 

Always find DeNiro an absolute car crash in horror. Indeed I find pretty much any of the 'great' American naturalist actors to be disasters in horror apart from Nicholson - partly because he was an Adler guy and partly because he intuitively isn't a naturalist. The method has always been a disaster for American horror cinema IMO and it's only recently the US has been turning out actors of mainstream prominence capable of leading non-naturalist films outside of the occasional stage-seasoned outlier like Willem Defoe and John Lithgow, and when American actors have given incredible blended non-naturalistic performances they generally haven't been rewarded (Rachel McAdams not being nominated for any major award for her masterpiece in Mean Girls tells you everything you need to know about perceptions of "character acting" and its place against "worthy acting"). Watching ScarJo learning to blend acting styles in Under the Skin and Jojo Rabbit was a treat and really promising to see this sort of thing just staaaart to be appraised differently now. Until then American audiences will continue to be confused as to why the Brits and Australians keep wandering over and taking plum blended and gestic roles.

 

American Psycho I need to rewatch. Haven't seen it since the early 2000s.

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

76. The Babadook (2014) (32 Points)

 

Previous Ranking: #46 (-30)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Jennifer Kent

 

Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, Ben Winspear

 

Synopsis: A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.

 

Box Office: 10.3M

 

Critical Reviews: 69% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 6

Average Position: 35th

 

 

The Babadook marks the first film from the 2018 countdown to appear on this year’s iteration, arriving at a somewhat steep drop. Jennifer Kent’s debut still has plenty of fans and is one of the 2010s’ best horror films and helped launch Essie Davis into more high profile projects over the last few years. The Babadook’s horror blends together trauma and grief with fear driven by uncertainty, be it the protagonist’s own troubles with her son or the titular monster peeking around the corner. All the elements in The Babadook simply work, making it an effective yet innovative genre film.

 

While maintaining the same number of submissions as 2018, The Babadook’s average position dropped quite a bit from 22nd to 35th. Alas, it is far from the worst drop in the Top 100 let alone the entirety of submissions.

 

 

[The Panda]

4 hours ago, WrathOfHan said:

78. Under the Skin (2014) (30 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: Jonathan Glazer

 

Screenwriters: Walter Campbell, Jonathan Glazer

 

Starring: Scarlett Johansson

 

Synopsis: A mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.

 

Box Office: 7.3M

 

Critical Reviews: 84% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 5

Average Position: 42nd

Top 10 Placements: 2

 

 

Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin has polarized audiences for nearly a decade now. Some say its slow pacing translates into an incredible on-screen atmosphere, but others say the film joins the line of pretentious arthouse horror with no real purpose. Fortunately for Under the Skin, enough members fall into the former camp for it to appear on this year’s countdown. Featuring one of Scarlett Johnasson’s most memorable performances, Glazer’s film taps into the fear of the unknown and explores the purpose of life. Under the Skin will remain an underground favorite for years to come.

 

Under the Skin is the first film on the countdown to have multiple top 10 placements. The other submissions were much lower in the 40s and 70s.

 

 

 

I didn't realize we were counting this as horror, otherwise I would have voted for it.

[WrathOfHan]

19 minutes ago, The Panda said:

 

I didn't realize we were counting this as horror, otherwise I would have voted for it.

Eligible through IMDb!

[WrathOfHan]

75. The Others (2001) (32 Points)

 

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Alejandro Amenabar

 

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccelston, Elaine Cassidy, Eric Skyes, Alkina Mann, James Bentley

 

Synopsis: A woman who lives in her darkened old family house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that the home is haunted.

 

Box Office: 209.9M

 

Critical Reviews: 83% on RT

 

Nominated for Best Actress (Nicole Kidman) and Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTAs

 

Submissions Received: 7

Average Position: 52nd

Top Ten Placements: 1

 

 

One of the highest grossing horror films of all time, Alejandro Amenabar’s The Others caught the world by surprise upon release. The film stayed in the top five at the box office for eight weeks straight and didn’t peak until its 7th week when it reached second place with an increase from its previous weekend (albeit partially due to larger circumstances in the country). Amenabar’s gothic horror injects elements from a variety of subgenres to create a haunting portrayal of a mother’s descent into insanity. Nicole Kidman’s performance captivated audiences and critics alike, garnering her BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations the same year she received an Oscar nomination for Moulin Rouge. That indescribable feeling we get… Kidmanmania was in the air back in 2001, and The Others was caught up in it.

 

The Others is tied with Black Christmas for the most submissions received so far with 7. However, it has the second worst average position ahead of the same film. The single top ten placement did the heavy lifting to get it onto the list; otherwise, it would have just barely missed.