Nofilmschool iconNofilmschoolAug 3, 2026 ~1 min source read

Why Horror Is the Last Real 'Genre Film' Left at the Box Office

It feels like every week there's a new horror movie opening in theaters that's getting lots of traction and buzz. While they're not all like Weapons, Backrooms, and Obsession, even smaller performers like Evil Dead:

Why Horror Is the Last Real 'Genre Film' Left at the Box Office

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It feels like every week there's a new horror movie opening in theaters that's getting lots of traction and buzz.

While they're not all like Weapons, Backrooms, and Obsession, even smaller performers like Evil Dead:

We're in an era where it feels like comedy, romance, mid-budget thrillers, and original sci-fi have largely migrated to streaming or need intellectual property (IP) to open big.

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The useful part

It feels like every week there's a new horror movie opening in theaters that's getting lots of traction and buzz. While they're not all like Weapons, Backrooms, and Obsession, even smaller performers like Evil Dead: We're in an era where it feels like comedy, romance, mid-budget thrillers, and original sci-fi have largely migrated to streaming or need intellectual property (IP) to open big.

How it works

  • YouTube www.youtube.com The Death of the Traditional "Genre Film" There are lots of reasons other genres aren't as popular as horror, but we should make an important distinction before we dig in.
  • People are rarely buying tickets just because of the genre anymore… outside of horror.

Details worth keeping

Horror keeps telling original stories and keeps succeeding. Back in the day, moviegoers routinely bought tickets simply to see "the new western," "the new rom-com," or "the new erotic thriller." But with so many different choices now, especially the choice to stay home, the competition for eyeballs is at an all-time high.

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