The Most Popular Horror Movies in The USA

Spooky season is officially upon us, and that means one thing: haunted houses, trick or treating, and horror films are everywhere. After all, who doesn’t want a good ol’ scare at Halloween?

With so many scary movies released over the years – whether as standalone films, or additions to classic series; if you’re looking for some serious scares, it can be hard knowing exactly what to watch.

So, we decided to take a break from reviewing casino sites to uncover the best horror movies according to Americans, by using Google Search Trends data. All that’s left to do now, is read on to see if your favorite made the top 20… 

Revealed: America’s Favorite Horror Movies

From Michael Myers to Freddy Krueger, Chucky to Annabelle, which iconic movie killers have made the cut with US audiences?

1. The Boogeyman

With a staggering 15 states stating it as their favorite horror film, including California, Illinois, and North Dakota; The Boogeyman is officially the USA’s top scary flick.

Released in 2023, it’s based off of Stephen King’s 1973 story, about two sisters who become haunted by a demon while they’re struggling to deal with their mum’s death, and are trying to get their dad to see what’s happening to them.

2. Halloween Ends

The most recent addition to the cult classic Halloween series, Halloween Ends has come out as top in 13 states, including New York, Kansas, and Washington.

Picking up straight after Halloween Kills at the house fire, this time, you’re introduced to a new killer: Corey Cunningham, who aspires to be the original Michael Myers, and kills a load of people because of it. Don’t worry, we won’t reveal if he lives or dies… you’ve got to watch it to find out!

3. Scream

An iconic 90s slasher-comedy, the first film centers around Sidney Prescott, who’s being terrorized by her own boyfriend (Skeet Ulrich) and his best friend (Matthew Lillard), as one-by-one, they attempt to kill off their friendship group, including her.

Sidney becomes one of cinema’s iconic Final Girls, and has made an appearance in the more recent sequels, except for Scream VI, where sisters Sam and Tara head to New York for a fresh start, but are still hounded by Ghostface.

The favored horror film in nine states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, and Massachusetts; it’s clear to see that Scream is a classic for a reason.

4. IT

In fourth place is IT, coming top in Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, Oregan, and Texas. Based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel, in the first film, you’re introduced to murderous clown, Pennywise, who terrorizes a group of friends, dubbed as ‘The Losers Club’. 

In the second film, 27 years have passed, with the group of friends returning to Derry, Maine as adults, to try and defeat Pennywise once and for all.

5. Get Out

Rounding off our top five favored horror films in the US is Get Out, which topped the boards in Mississippi, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Wyoming.

Perhaps more of a thriller than a horror, the film follows Chris, an African-American man, who visits his white girlfriend’s parents for the first time; leading him to reveal a horrifying discovery that highlights the ongoing race relations situation in the US.

Alternative fan favorites

Whilst these five films have the most number of top ratings across the US by far, there are three other films that make the cut, too.

A Quiet Place was named the top horror film in Georgia and Virginia; and follows real-life married couple Emily Blunt and John Krasinski; as they try to keep their family safe from blind, noise-sensitive killers; by using sign language to try and escape.

The Exorcist and A Nightmare on Elm Street also placed top in one state each – Colorado and Delaware, respectively. Absolute classics in their own right, some places actually banned The Exorcist when it came out, which follows the story of a young girl who’s possessed by a demon.

The first A Nightmare on Elm Street was released in 1984, with nine films created in total, with fedora-wearing Freddy Krueger the villain of the series; as a serial killer who haunts people in their dreams, before killing them in real life.

So, there you have it: the USA’s favorite horror films have been revealed, and if you were struggling for things to do on Halloween, you can always plan an epic movie marathon! For more inspiration, head on over to our blog; or alternatively, discover our free casino games and online casinos.

Methodology

The average monthly Google Trends data was gathered for 20 of the most popular horror movies in America on a state-by-state basis, in order to reveal the favorite horror movies in each state.