What was highest grossing horror movie of 1996?
Wes Craven's *Scream* was the highest-grossing horror film of 1996, marking a turning point for a genre that had grown stale after years of formulaic slasher sequels and low-budget copycats. The film's self-aware, satirical take on slasher conventions, combined with genuine scares, revitalised horror cinema and set a template that influenced the genre for years afterwards.
*Scream*, directed by Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, grossed $173 million and faced little serious competition that year, with other 1996 horror releases including *Children of the Corn IV*, *Leprechaun 4: In Space* and *Hellraiser: Bloodline*. Its blend of humour and horror, meta commentary on genre tropes, and a shocking opening sequence featuring Drew Barrymore helped it stand out as the first genuinely exciting horror film in years.
In short
- *Scream* was 1996's top-grossing horror film, earning $173 million
- Wes Craven's meta slasher revived a genre stuck in formulaic decline
- Drew Barrymore's early death in the film became a horror landmark
Explained simply
In the 1990s, horror films often relied on familiar slasher stories: a killer pursued young people, and sequels repeated the same basic formula. By 1996, audiences had also seen many low-budget films borrowing from earlier hits.
Wes Craven directed Scream, with a screenplay by Kevin Williamson. It follows teenagers targeted by a masked killer and uses jokes and references to horror conventions alongside suspense and violence; actors including Neve Campbell and Drew Barrymore appear in the film.
The film’s success helped bring renewed attention to horror and encouraged more films that played with familiar genre rules. Its standing among that year’s releases gives context to why it is often discussed as a turning point for 1990s horror.