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Aslasher film is a subgenre ofhorror films involving a killer or a group of killers stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools.[1] Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a generic term for any horror film involving murder, film analysts cite an established set of characteristics which set slasher films apart from other horror subgenres, such asmonster movies,splatter films,supernatural andpsychological horror films.[2]
Critics cite psychological horror films such asPeeping Tom (1960) andPsycho (1960) and the Italiangiallo films as early influences.[3][4][5] The genre hit its peak between 1978 and 1984 in an era referred to as the "Golden Age" of slasher films.[3] Notable slasher films includeBlack Christmas (1974),The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974),Halloween (1978),Friday the 13th (1980),A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984),Child's Play (1988),Scream (1996), andI Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). Many slasher films released decades ago continue to attractcult followings.[6] The slasher canon can be divided into three eras: the classical (1974–1993), the self-referential (1994–2000) and the neoslasher cycle (2000–2013).[7]
Slasher films typically adhere to a specific formula: a past wrongful action causes severe trauma that is reinforced by a commemoration or anniversary that reactivates or re-inspires the killer.[8][9] Built around stalk-and-murder sequences, the films draw upon the audience's feelings ofcatharsis,recreation, anddisplacement, as related to sexual pleasure.[10]Paste magazine's definition notes that, "slasher villains are human beings, or were human beings at some point ... Slasher villains are human killers whose actions are objectively evil, because they’re meant to be bound by human morality. That’s part of the fear that the genre is meant to prey upon, the idea that killers walk among us."[11] Films with similar structures that have non-human antagonists lacking a conscience, such asAlien orThe Terminator, are not traditionally considered slasher films (though many slasher antagonists are superhuman, have supernatural traits, or possess slightly warped or abstract anthropomorphic forms both physically and metaphysically).[12]
Thefinal girltrope is discussed infilm studies as being a young woman (occasionally a young man) left alone to face the killer's advances in the movie's end.[8]Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), the heroine inHalloween, is an example of a typical final girl.[9] Final girls are often, like Laurie Strode, virgins among sexually active teens.[13] Others have called the trope "self-mythologising" based on a handful of especially high-profile examples, asserting that its prominence has been overstated – particularly the innocent, virginal qualities ascribed to putative final girls – and that, in the 21st century, the trope has been filtered through the lens of parody, subversion, and self-aware humour rather than deployed sincerely.[14]
When slasher films become franchises, they typically take on villain protagonist characteristics, with the series following the continued efforts of their antagonists, rather than any of the killer's disposable victims, including any individual entry's heroes or final survivor(s) (who, in so far as they continue to appear within the series, are often killed off immediately after their next on-screen appearance, which has become its own trope). Examples of antiheroes around whom the respective series have become centered includeMichael Myers,Freddy Krueger,Jason Voorhees,Chucky andLeatherface.[15] The antagonist is envisioned and embedded into the public psyche as the main and most marketable/recognisable character, even if his screentime is dwarfed in any specific film by the nominal protagonists. TheScream film series is a rarity that follows its heroineSidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) rather than masked killerGhostface, whose identity changes from film to film, and is only revealed in each entry's finale.[16]
Another alleged trope frequently associated with slasher discourse – and horror more broadly – is that of the "black character(s) dying first" (often formulated as "always dying first"). Actual analyses of the films, such as a 2013 investigative piece inComplex, have found that the trope is largely self-mythologising as opposed to being a statistical reality (per Complex, in only 10% of the fifty analysed movies, all containing one or more speaking black characters, did any of them die first).[17]
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The appeal of watching people inflict violence upon each other dates back thousands of years toAncient Rome,[18]. The seventeenth century fairy tale,Bluebeard, "can be seen as one of the slasher film’s progenitors."[19] So too can the late 19th century horror plays produced at theGrand Guignol;Maurice Tourneur'sThe Lunatics (1912) used visceral violence to attract the Guignol's audience.[20] In the United States, public outcry over films like this eventually led to the passage of theHays Code in 1930.[21] The Hays Code is one of the entertainment industry's earliest set of guidelines restricting sexuality and violence deemed unacceptable.[21][22]
Crime writerMary Roberts Rinehart influenced horror literature with her novelThe Circular Staircase (1908),[23] adapted into the silent filmThe Bat (1926), about guests in a remote mansion menaced by a killer in a grotesque mask.[24] Its success led to a series of "old dark house" films includingThe Cat and the Canary (1927), based onJohn Willard's1922 stage play, andUniversal Pictures'The Old Dark House (1932), based on the novel byJ.B. Priestley.[24] In both films, the town dwellers are pitted against strange country folk, a recurring theme in later horror films. Along with the "madman on the loose" plotline, these films employed several influences upon the slasher genre, such as lengthypoint of view shots and a "sins of the father" catalyst to propel the plot's mayhem.[25]
George Archainbaud'sThirteen Women (1932) tells the story of asorority whose former members are set against one another by a vengeful peer who crosses out their yearbook photos, a device used in subsequent filmsProm Night (1980) andGraduation Day (1981).[26] Early examples include a maniac seeking revenge inThe Terror (1928), based on the play byEdgar Wallace.
B-movie mogulVal Lewton producedThe Leopard Man (1943), about a murderer framing his crimes against women on an escaped showleopard.[27]Basil Rathbone'sThe Scarlet Claw (1944) seesSherlock Holmes investigate murders committed with a five-pronged garden weeder that the killer would raise in the air and bring down on the victim repeatedly, anediting technique that became familiar in the genre.[28]Robert Siodmak'sThe Spiral Staircase (1946), based onEthel White's novelSome Must Watch, starsEthel Barrymore as a sympathetic woman trying to survive black-gloved killers.The Spiral Staircase also features an early use ofjump scares.[29]
British writerAgatha Christie's particularly influential 1939 novelTen Little Indians (adapted in 1945 asAnd Then There Were None), centers on a group of people with secret pasts who are killed one-by-one on an isolated island. Each of the murders mirrors a verse from anursery rhyme, merging the themes of childhood innocence and vengeful murder.[30][31][32]House of Wax (1953),The Bad Seed (1956),Screaming Mimi (1958),Jack the Ripper (1959), andCover Girl Killer (1959) all incorporated Christie's literary themes.[33]
Alfred Hitchcock'sPsycho (1960) used visuals that had been deemed unacceptable by movie studios, including scenes of violence, sexuality, and the shot of a toilet flushing. The film featured an iconic score byBernard Herrmann that has been frequently imitated in slasher and horror films.[34] That same year,Michael Powell releasedPeeping Tom, showing the killer's perspective as he murders women to photograph their dying expressions.[4][35]
Psycho was nominated for four Academy Awards, includingBest Supporting Actress forJanet Leigh andAnthony Perkins garnering universal acclaim for his role asNorman Bates.[36][34] This notice drew bankable movie stars to horror films.[37]Joan Crawford starred inWilliam Castle'sStrait-Jacket (1964)[38] and inJim O'Connolly'sBerserk! (1967),[39] whileAlbert Finney starred inMGM'sNight Must Fall (1964) (a remake of the1937 British film)[40] andPeter Cushing starred inCorruption (1968).[41]
Hammer Studios, a London-based company, followedPsycho's success withTaste of Fear (1961),Maniac (1963),Paranoiac (1963),Nightmare (1964),Fanatic (1965),The Nanny (1965), andHysteria (1965).[42][43] Hammer's rivalAmicus hadRobert Bloch, author of 1959Psycho novel, write the script forPsychopath (1968).[44]
Francis Ford Coppola's debut,Dementia 13 (1963), takes place in an Irish castle where relatives gather to commemorate a family death but are murdered one by one.[28]William Castle'sHomicidal (1961) features gore in its murder scenes, something bothPsycho andPeepingTom had edited out.[45][46] Richard Hillard'sViolent Midnight (1963) showed a black-gloved killer's point of view as they pull down a branch to watch a victim and also featured askinny-dipping scene.[47]Crown International'sTerrified (1963) features a masked killer.[48] Spain'sThe House That Screamed (1969) features violent murders and preempted later campus-based slashers.[49]
Subgenres that influenced slasher films includesplatter films,Krimi films, andgiallo films.[28][50]
Splatter films focus on gratuitous gore.Herschell Gordon Lewis'sBlood Feast (1963) was a hit atdrive-in theaters and is often considered the first splatter film.[51] Lewis followed with gory filmsTwo-Thousand Maniacs! (1964),Color Me Blood Red (1965),The Gruesome Twosome (1967) andThe Wizard of Gore (1970). This grotesque style translated toAndy Milligan'sThe Ghastly Ones (1969),Twisted Nerve (1968),Night After Night After Night (1969) as well asThe Haunted House of Horror (1969).[52]
Post-World War II Germany adapted British writerEdgar Wallace's crime novels into a subgenre of their own calledKrimi films.[53] TheKrimi films were released in the late 1950s through the early 1970s and featured villains in bold costumes accompanied by jazz scores from composers such asMartin Böttcher andPeter Thomas.[28][54]Fellowship of the Frog (1959), about a murderer terrorizing London, was successful in America, leading to similar adaptations likeThe Green Archer (1961) andDead Eyes of London (1961). TheRialto Studio produced 32Krimi films between 1959 and 1970.[55]
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Italy'sgiallo thrillers arecrime procedurals ormurder mysteries interlaced witheroticism and psychological horror.[50]Giallo films feature unidentified killers murdering in grand fashions.[50] Unlike most American slasher films the protagonists ofgialli are frequently (but not always) jet-setting adults sporting the most stylishMilan fashions.[28] These protagonists are often outsiders reluctantly brought into the mystery through extenuating circumstances, like witnessing a murder or being suspected of the crimes themselves.[56] Much likeKrimi films,gialli plots tended to be outlandish and improbable, occasionally employingsupernatural elements.[28][50]Mario Bava'sA Bay of Blood (1971) is awhodunit featuring a subplot depicting creative death sequences on a secluded lakeside setting, which greatly inspiredFriday the 13th (1980),its 1981 sequel and subsequent slashers.[57][58]Sergio Martino'sTorso (1973) featured a masked killer preying upon beautiful and promiscuous young women in retribution for a past misdeed.Torso's edge-of-your-seat climax finds a sensible "final girl"[59] facing off with the killer in an isolated villa.[60][61]Umberto Lenzi'sEyeball (1975), which unfolds in an Agatha Christie manner, is noted by some as a slasher precursor, as American tourists are targeted by a killer wearing a red raincoat.[62][63]
The influence of Hitchcock'sPsycho extended also togialli, with films such asThe Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971),[64]The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971)[65] andThe Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)[66] paying homage to Hitchcock's film.Gialli were popular in American cinemas anddrive-in theaters. ThrillerAssault (1971) and Spanish mysteryA Dragonfly for Each Corpse (1974) share many traits with Italiangialli.[67]Death Steps in the Dark (1977) spoofed the familiar conventions found ingiallo films.[68] Despite successes fromDeep Red (1975) andThe Blood-Stained Shadow (1978),giallo films gradually fell out of fashion by the mid-1970s as diminishing returns forced budget cuts.[50] Films such asPlay Motel (1979) andGiallo a Venezia (1979) exploited their low-budgets with shockinghardcore pornography.[69]
The early 1970s saw an increase in exploitation films that lured audiences togrindhouses and drive-ins by advertising of sex and violence.Robert Fuest'sAnd Soon the Darkness (1970) set off the '70s exploitation wave by maximizing its small budget and taking place in daylight.The Jekyll and Hyde Portfolio (1971) follows an insane killer who stalks and murders victims at a nursing academy.[70][71]Hands of the Ripper (1971) depicts the psychological trauma suffered byJack the Ripper's daughter, who continues the murderous reign of her father.[72]Fright (1971) is based on the "babysitter and the man upstairs"urban legend whileTower of Evil (1972) features careless partying teens murdered in a remote island lighthouse.[73]Pete Walker broke taboos by advertising his films' negative reviews to attract viewers looking for the depraved, using a "no press is bad press" mantra withThe Flesh and Blood Show (1972),Frightmare (1974),House of Mortal Sin (1976),Schizo (1976) andThe Comeback (1978).[74] Other filmmakers followed Walker's lead, as posters dubbedBlood and Lace (1971) as "sickest PG-rated movie ever made!", whileScream Bloody Murder (1973) called itself "gore-nography."[75]
By 1974 the exploitation film battledpolitical correctness and their popularity waned, and while films likeThe Love Butcher (1975) andThe Redeemer: Son of Satan (1976) were accused of promoting bigotry, the low-budget independent filmThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) became a major hit and the most commercially successful horror film sinceThe Exorcist. The story concerns a violent clash of cultures and ideals between thecounter-culture and traditional conservative values, with the film's squealing antagonistLeatherface carrying a chainsaw and wearing the faces of victims he and his family eat.The Texas Chain Saw Massacre spawned imitators and its false "based on a true story" advertisements gave way to reenactments oftrue crime.The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), based on thePhantom Killer case, andAnother Son of Sam (1977), based on theSon of Sam slayings, cashed-in on headlines and public fascination.Wes Craven modernized theSawney Bean legend inThe Hills Have Eyes (1977) by building upon themes presented inThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre.The Hills Have Eyes was another huge financial success, relaunching Craven's career after it had been damaged by controversy surrounding his previous film,The Last House on the Left (1972).[76]
Following holiday-themed exploitation filmsHome for the Holidays (1972),All Through the House (1972) andSilent Night, Bloody Night (1973),Christmas horror filmBlack Christmas (1974) uses horror as a board to debate social topics of its time, includingfeminism, abortion, and alcoholism. Using the"killer calling from inside the house"gimmick,Black Christmas is visually and thematically a precursor toJohn Carpenter'sHalloween (1978), as young women are terrorized in a previously safe environment during an iconic holiday. LikeHalloween, Clark's film opens with a lengthypoint-of-view, but it differs in the treatment of the killer's identity. Despite making $4,053,000 on a $620,000 budget,Black Christmas was initially criticized, withVariety complaining that it was a "bloody, senseless kill-for-kicks" flick that exploited unnecessary violence. Despite its modest initial box office run, the film has garnered critical reappraisal, with film historians noting its importance in the horror film genre and some even citing it as the original slasher film.[77]
Jumpstarted by the massive success ofJohn Carpenter'sHalloween (1978), the era commonly cited as the Golden Age of slasher films is 1978–1984, with some scholars citing over 100 similar films released over the six-year period.[3][10][28] Despite most films receiving negative reviews, many Golden Age slasher films were extremely profitable and have establishedcult followings.[6] Many films reusedHalloween's template of a murderous figure stalking teens, though they escalated the gore and nudity from Carpenter's restrained film. Golden Age slasher films exploited dangers lurking in American institutions such as high schools, colleges, summer camps, and hospitals.[78]
Cashing in on thedrive-in success ofThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974),The Toolbox Murders was quickly and cheaply shot but did not generate the interest of the former films. ExploitativeKiller's Delight is a San Francisco-set serial killer story claiming to take inspiration fromTed Bundy and theZodiac Killer.[79] Leading up toHalloween's October release were August'sgialli-inspiredEyes of Laura Mars (written by John Carpenter) and September's "babysitter in peril" TV MovieAre You in the House Alone? Of them,TheEyes of Laura Mars grossed $20 million against a $7 million budget.[80]
Influenced by theFrench New Wave'sEyes Without a Face (1960), science fiction thrillerWestworld (1973) andBlack Christmas (1974),Halloween was directed, composed and co-written by Carpenter, and produced and co-written byDebra Hill on a budget of $300,000 provided by Syrian-American producerMoustapha Akkad. To minimize costs, locations were reduced and time took place over a brief period.[81]Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter ofJanet Leigh, was cast as the heroineLaurie Strode while veteran actorDonald Pleasence was cast asDr. Sam Loomis, an homage toJohn Gavin's character inPsycho.[81]Halloween's opening tracks a six-year-old's point-of-view as he kills his older sister, a scene emulated in numerous films such asBlow Out (1981) andThe Funhouse (1981). Carpenter and Hill deny writing sexually active teens to be victims in favor of a virginal "final girl" survivor, though subsequent filmmakers copied what appeared to be a "sex-equals-death" mantra.[82]
When shown an early cut ofHalloween without a musical score, all major American studios declined to distribute it, one executive even remarking that it was not scary. Carpenter added music himself, and the film was distributed locally in four Kansas City theaters through Akkad'sCompass International Pictures in October 1978.Word-of-mouth made the movie asleeper hit that was selected to screen at the November 1978 Chicago Film Festival, where the country's major critics acclaimed it.Halloween grew into a major box office success, grossing over $70 million worldwide and selling over 20 million tickets in North America, becoming the most profitable independent film until being surpassed byTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).[81]
Though thetelekinesis-themed slasherTourist Trap was initially unsuccessful, it has undergone a reappraisal by fans. 1979's most successful slasher wasFred Walton'sWhen a Stranger Calls, which sold 8.5 million tickets in North America. Its success has largely been credited to its opening scene, in which a babysitter (Carol Kane) is taunted by a caller who repeatedly asks, "Have you checked the children?"[83] Less successful wereRay Dennis Steckler'sburlesque slasherThe Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher andAbel Ferrara'sThe Driller Killer, both of which featured gratuitous on-screen violence against vagrant people.
The election of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States drew in a new age of conservatism that ushered concern of rising violence on film.[1][28] The slasher film, at the height of its commercial power, also became the center of a political and cultural maelstrom.Sean S. Cunningham's sleeper hitFriday the 13th was the year's most commercially successful slasher film, grossing more than $59.7 million and selling nearly 15 million tickets in North America.[84] Despite a financial success, distributorParamount Pictures was criticized for "lowering" itself to release a violent exploitation film, withGene Siskel andRoger Ebert famously despising the film.[85] Siskel, in hisChicago Tribune review, revealed the identity and fate of the film's killer in an attempt to hurt its box office, and provided the address of the chairman of Paramount Pictures for viewers to complain.[86] TheMPAA was criticized for allowingFriday the 13th an R rating, but its violence would inspire gorier films to follow, as it set a new bar for acceptable levels of on-screen violence. The criticisms that began withFriday the 13th would lead to the genre's eventual decline in subsequent years.[87]
The small-budget thrillersSilent Scream andProm Night were box office hits with 3.2 and 5.5 million admissions, respectively.[88] Jamie Lee Curtis starred in the independentProm Night, as well studio filmsTerror Train andThe Fog to earn her "scream queen" title.[9]MGM's theHalloween-cloneHe Knows You're Alone sold nearly 2 million tickets, thoughParamount PicturesJohn Huston-directedPhobia only sold an estimated 22,000 tickets.[88] Two high-profile slasher-thrillers were met with protest,William Friedkin'sCruising andGordon Willis'Windows, both of which equate homosexuality withpsychosis.Cruising drew protests from gay rights groups, and though it pre-dates theAIDS crisis, the film's portrayal of the gay community fueled subsequent backlash once the virus became an epidemic.[28][89]
Low budget exploitative filmsNew Year's Evil,Don't Go in the House andDon't Answer the Phone! were called-out formisogyny that dwelled on the suffering of females exclusively.[8] Acclaimed filmmakerBrian De Palma'sPsycho-homageDressed to Kill drew a wave of protest from theNational Organization for Women (NOW), who picketed the film's screening on the University of Iowa campus.[90] The year's most controversial slasher wasWilliam Lustig'sManiac, about a schizophrenic serial killer in New York.Maniac was maligned by critics.Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times said that watching the film was like "watching someone else throw up."[91] Lustig released the film unrated on American screens, sidestepping theMPAA to still sell 2.2 million tickets at the box office.[92][88]
Alfred Hitchcock'sPsycho's influence was felt two decades later inCries in the Night[93] andThe Unseen.[94]Joe D'Amato's gruesome Italian horror filmAntropophagus and the Australian slasherNightmares showed that the genre was spreading internationally.[95]
Slasher films reached a saturation point in 1981, as heavily promoted movies likeMy Bloody Valentine andThe Burning were box office failures.[28][10][88] After the success ofFriday the 13th,Paramount Pictures picked upMy Bloody Valentine with hopes to achieve similar success. The film became the subject of intense scrutiny in the wake ofJohn Lennon's murder, and was released heavily edited; lacking the draw of gore,My Bloody Valentine barely sold 2 million tickets in North America, much less than the 15 million sold byFriday the 13th the year beforehand.[88] Thematically similar toMy Bloody Valentine,The Prowler hoped to lure an audience with gore effects byFriday the 13th'sTom Savini but largeMPAA edits contributed to its failure to find a nationwide distributor.[28] Suffering similar censorship wasThe Burning, which also employed Savini's special effects, though it does mark the feature film debuts ofBrad Grey,Holly Hunter,Jason Alexander,Fisher Stevens,Bob Weinstein andHarvey Weinstein.
Profits ofHalloween andFriday the 13th drew studio interest, to varying success.Warner Bros.'sEyes of a Stranger (402,386 admissions)[96] andNight School (420,818 admission),[97]Paramount Pictures'The Fan (1.1 million admissions),[98]Universal PicturesThe Funhouse (2.8 million admissions),[99] andColumbia PicturesHappy Birthday to Me (3.8 million admissions).[88]CBS' TV movie,Dark Night of the Scarecrow brought the genre to the small screen.[28] Two sequels had bigger body counts and more gore than their predecessors, but not higher box office intakes.Friday the 13th Part 2 sold 7.8 million tickets andHalloween II sold 9.2 million. Both sequels sold under half of their original film's tickets, though they were still very popular (Halloween II was the second highest-grossing horror film of the year behindAn American Werewolf in London).[88]
Independent companies churned out slasher filmsFinal Exam,Bloody Birthday,Hell Night,Don't Go in the Woods... Alone!,Wes Craven'sDeadly Blessing andGraduation Day.[88] Fantasy and sci-fi genres continued to blend with the slasher film inStrange Behavior,Ghostkeeper andEvilspeak. The international market found Italy'sAbsurd andMadhouse and Germany'sBloody Moon.
Straight-to-video productions cut costs to maximize profit. The independent horror filmMadman opened in New York City's top 10, according toVariety, but soon fell out of theaters for a much healthier life on home video.[28]The Dorm That Dripped Blood andHoneymoon Horror, each made for between $50–90,000, became successful in the early days ofVHS.[88] Because of this change, independent productions began having difficulties finding theatrical distribution.Girls Nite Out had a very limited release in 1982 but was re-released in 1983 in more theaters until finally finding a home on VHS.Paul Lynch'sHumongous was released throughAVCO Embassy Pictures, but a change in management severely limited the film's theatrical release. Films such asHospital Massacre andNight Warning enjoyed strong home rentals from video stores, thoughDark Sanity,The Forest,Unhinged,Trick or Treats, andIsland of Blood fell into obscurity with little theatrical releases and only sub-par video transfers.[100]
Supernatural slasher films continued to build in popularity withThe Slayer,The Incubus,Blood Song,Don't Go to Sleep andSuperstition (the supernatural-themedHalloween III: Season of the Witch, though part of theHalloween franchise, does not adhere to the slasher film formula).Alone in the Dark wasNew Line Cinema's first feature film, released to little revenue and initially dismissed by critics, though the film has gained critical reappraisal. DirectorAmy Holden Jones and writerRita Mae Brown gender-swapped to showcase exploitative violence against men inThe Slumber Party Massacre,[100] whileVisiting Hours pitted liberal feminism against macho right-wing bigotry with exploitative results.
Friday the 13th Part III, the first slasher trilogy, was an enormous success, selling 12 million tickets and dethroningE.T.: The Extra Terrestrial from the top of the box office.[88] The film's iconichockey mask has grown topop-cultureiconography.Universal Pictures had a tiny release forDeath Valley, whileColumbia Pictures found modest success withSilent Rage. Independent distributorEmbassy Pictures releasedThe Seduction to a surprising 3.9 million admissions, making a hit erotic slasher-thriller that predatesblockbustersFatal Attraction (1987) andBasic Instinct (1992) by several years.[88]
Internationally, Australia releasedNext of Kin while Puerto Rico'sPieces was filmed inBoston andMadrid by an Italian-American producer with a Spanish director. Italiangialli saw slasher film influences in their releases forSergio Martino'sThe Scorpion with Two Tails,Lucio Fulci'sThe New York Ripper andDario Argento'sTenebrae.[100]
Traditional slasher films saw less frequent output.The House on Sorority Row followed the same general plot asProm Night (1980) with guilty teens stalked and punished for a terrible secret.The Final Terror borrows visual and thematic elements fromJust Before Dawn (1981), asSweet Sixteen borrows fromHappy Birthday to Me (1981). The most successful slasher of the year wasPsycho II, which sold over 11 million theatrical admissions.[101] The film also reunited originalPsycho (1960) cast membersAnthony Perkins andVera Miles.[102]10 to Midnight, inspired by the real-life crimes ofRichard Speck, promoted starCharles Bronson's justice-for-all character above its horror themes.[102]Robert Hiltzik'sSleepaway Camp was a home video hit, being unique for itspubescent victims and themes ofpaedophilia andtransvestism.Sleepaway Camp featured homosexual scenes, which were taboo at the time.[102][103]
In Canada,whodunitCurtains had a brief theatrical life before finding new life on VHS, while criticism towardAmerican Nightmare's portrayal of prostitutes, drug addicts, andpornography addicts hurt its video rentals.[102]Sledgehammer was shot-on-video for just $40,000, with a gender-reversal climax showingPlaygirl modelTed Prior as a "final guy."[28][88] Other home video slashers from the year includeBlood Beat,Double Exposure, andScalps, the latter claiming to be one of the most censored films in history.[102] Releases began to distance from the genre. The poster forMortuary features a hand bursting from the grave, though the undead have nothing to do with the film. Distributors were aware of fading box office profits, and they were attempting to hoodwink audiences into thinking long-shelved releases likeMortuary were different.
The public had largely lost interest in theatrically released slashers, drawing a close to the Golden Age.[1][13] Production rates plummeted and major studios all but abandoned the genre that, only a few years earlier, had been very profitable. Many 1984 slasher films with brief theatrical runs found varying degrees of success on home video, such asSplatter University,Satan's Blade,Blood Theatre,Rocktober Blood andFatal Games. Movies likeThe Prey andEvil Judgement were filmed years prior and finally were given small theatrical releases.Silent Madness used3D to ride the success ofFriday the 13th Part III (1982), though the effect did not translate to theVHS format.[28]
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter brought the saga ofJason Voorhees to a close, with his demise the main marketing tool. It worked, withThe Final Chapter selling 10 million tickets in North America, hinting the series would continue even if Jason's demise marked a shift in the genre.[88]
This shift was emphasized by the controversy fromSilent Night, Deadly Night (1984): Unlike the recent appearance of otherChristmas horror films, including the same year'sDon't Open till Christmas, promotional material forSilent Night, Deadly Night pictured a killer Santa with the tagline: "He knows when you've been naughty!" According toGoing to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, a 2006 documentary, the movie "became the flashpoint, igniting protests across the nation".[104] Protesters picketed theaters playing the film with placards reading, "Deck the hall with holly – not bodies!"[105][88] Released in November 1984 byTriStar Pictures, persistentcarol-singers forced oneBronx cinema to pullSilent Night, Deadly Night a week into its run. The widespread outrage led to the film's removal, with only 741,500 tickets sold.[105][88]
As interest in the Golden Age slasher waned,Wes Craven'sA Nightmare on Elm Street revitalized the genre by mixing fantasy and the supernatural in a cost-effective way. Craven had toyed with slasher films before inDeadly Blessing (1981), though he was frustrated that the genre he had helped create withThe Last House on the Left (1972) andThe Hills Have Eyes (1977) had not benefited him financially. DevelopingA Nightmare on Elm Street since 1981, Craven recognized time running out due to declining revenues from theatrical slasher film releases.[106]A Nightmare on Elm Street and especially its villainFreddy Krueger (Robert Englund) became cultural phenomenons.[107] On a budget of just $1.8 million, the film was a commercial success, grossing more than $25.5 million (7.6 million admissions) in North America and launched one of the most successful film series in history.[88][107]A Nightmare on Elm Street provided the success thatNew Line Cinema needed to become a major Hollywood company. To this day, New Line is referred to as "The House That Freddy Built".[108] The final slasher film released during the Golden Age,The Initiation, was greatly overshadowed byA Nightmare on Elm Street (though both films feature dreams as plot points and a horribly burned "nightmare man").[28] The success ofA Nightmare on Elm Street welcomed in a new wave of horror films that relied on special effects, almost completely silencing the smaller low-budget Golden Age features.[1][109]
DespiteA Nightmare on Elm Street's success, fatigue hit the slasher genre, and its popularity had declined substantially. The home video revolution, fueled by the popularity ofVHS, provided a new outlet forlow-budget filmmaking. Withoutmajor studio backing for theatrical release, slasher films became second only to pornography in the home video market. The drop in budgets to accommodate a more economic approach was usually met with a decline in quality. Holdovers filmed during the Golden Age such asToo Scared to Scream (filmed in 1981, released in 1985),The Mutilator (filmed in 1984, released in 1985),Blood Rage (filmed in 1983, released in 1987),Killer Party (filmed in 1984, released in 1986) andMountaintop Motel Massacre (filmed in 1983, released in 1986) found video distribution.
Mirroring thepunk rock movement, novice filmmakers proved anyone could make a movie on home video, resulting in shot-on-video slashersBlood Cult (1985),The Ripper (1985),Spine (1986),Truth or Dare? (1986),Killer Workout (1987), andDeath Spa (1989).[110] Lesser-known horror propertiesSleepaway Camp,The Slumber Party Massacre andSilent Night, Deadly Night became series on home video.The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1985) andFriday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) were theatrically released but neither film was embraced by fans or critics and took steep box office declines from their predecessors; still,Friday the 13th: A New Beginning was a modest hit opening at the top of the box office and finishing its run with 6.2 million admissions.[111] Rushed into production,A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) became the highest grossing horror film of 1985. The success of the first twoElm Street films inspired a wave of "dream" slashers that includedDreamaniac (1986),Bad Dreams (1988),Deadly Dreams (1988), andDream Demon (1988). Of those films,Bad Dreams was a minor hit with 2.4 million admissions.[112]
Paramount Pictures released the parodyApril Fool's Day (1986) with hopes to start a sister series to itsFriday the 13th property, though the film's modest 3.5 million admissions never led to a series.[113] Three otherspoofs,Evil Laugh (1986),The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) andFriday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), were box office disappointments;Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 sold just 2 million tickets whileJason Lives sold 5.2 million, both significantly down from their predecessors.[114] Thehome video market saw the output of low-budget, tongue-in-cheek slashers likeStripped to Kill (1987),Return to Horror High (1987), andKiller Workout (1987), and previous franchises forgoing theaters fordirect-to-videoself-parody sequels inHello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987),Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987),Slumber Party Massacre II (1987),Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988), andSleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989).
Trying to cater the public of adult action thrillers that were popular in the 1980s,Sylvester Stallone's cop-thrillerCobra (1986) is a thinly-veiled slasher film advertised as an action movie, and sold 13.2 million tickets. The home video market made stars out ofcharacter actors such asTerry O'Quinn andBruce Campbell, whose respective independent horror-thrillersThe Stepfather (1987) andManiac Cop (1988) found more support on home video than in theaters. Quinn returned forStepfather II (1989) but chose not to reprise his role inStepfather III (1992),Destroyer (1988), while Campbell followed a similar route with a cameo inManiac Cop 2 (1990) and no participation inManiac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1993).
TheNightmare on Elm Street series dominated the late 1980s horror wave, withA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) selling 11.5 million tickets in North America, andA Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) following another 12 million tickets. By comparison,Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) andHalloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) sold approximately 4.5 million tickets each, less than half of theElm Street films. The personality-driven appeal ofFreddy Krueger was not lost on filmmakers, as characters likeChucky and Candyman were given ample dialogue and placed in urban settings that had largely been ignored by the Golden Age. Chucky'sChild's Play (1988) andits 1990 sequel sold over 14.7 million tickets combined, whileCandyman (1992) sold a healthy 6.2 million. Both series fell out rather quickly, whenChild's Play 3 (1991) selling only 3.5 million tickets in North America andCandyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) selling only 3.2 million.[115]
Internationally, the slasher film remained profitable. Mexico releasedZombie Apocalypse (1985),Don't Panic (1988),Grave Robbers (1990) andHell's Trap (1990). Europe saw releases from Sweden'sBlood Tracks (1985), The United Kingdom'sLucifer (1987), Spain'sAnguish (1987) and Italy'sStageFright (1987) andBodyCount (1987). In the Pacific, Australia releasedSymphony of Evil (1987),Houseboat Horror (1989), andBloodmoon (1990), while Japan releasedEvil Dead Trap (1988).[116]
By 1989 the major series had faded from public interest, resulting in box office failures fromFriday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan,A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, andHalloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.[15]The Dream Child's 5.6 million tickets were a sharp decline, whileJason Takes Manhattan andThe Revenge of Michael Myers each sold roughly 3 million tickets. Due to the declining ticket sales, rights to theFriday the 13th andHalloween series were sold toNew Line Cinema andMiramax Films, respectively. Now owning both theJason Voorhees andFreddy Krueger characters, New Line would look into a series-crossover event film.Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) andJason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) began this crossover series, but profit losses from both films stalled the project for a decade.Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) was released under Miramax'sDimension Films banner to negative fan reaction and a weak box office, forcing its producers to reboot the franchise with the next entry.[117]
Wes Craven'sNew Nightmare (1994) used characters fromhis originalElm Street film in self-referential and ironic ways, as the actors played versions of their true personas targeted by a movie-inspired demon. Despite solid critical reviews,New Nightmare failed to attract moviegoers and sold only 2.3 million tickets the North American box office, the lowest of anyElm Street film.[118][119] The slasher genre's surprising meta-resurgence came in the form of Craven'ssleeper hitScream (1996).[citation needed] Directed by Craven and written byKevin Williamson,Scream juggled postmodern humor with visceral horror. The film played on nostalgia for the golden age of slasher films, but appealed to a younger audience with contemporary stars and popular music. Williamson, a self-confessed fan of slasher films, wrote the characters as well-versed in horror film lore and knowing all theclichés that the audience were aware of.[citation needed] With 23.3 million admissions,Scream became both the highest grossing slasher film of all time and the first of the genre to cross $100 million at the domestic box office,making it the most successful horror film sinceThe Silence of the Lambs (1991).[failed verification][120] The marketing forScream distanced itself from the slasher genre as it passed itself as a "new thriller" that showcased the celebrity of its starsDrew Barrymore,Courteney Cox andNeve Campbell over its horror elements.[citation needed]
Williamson's follow-up,I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), was inspired byProm Night (1980) andThe House on Sorority Row (1983).[citation needed] Released less than a year afterScream to "critic proof" success, the film sold nearly 16 million tickets at the North American box office. Two months laterDimension Films releasedScream 2 (1997)to the highest grossing opening weekend of any R-rated film at the time[failed verification]; the sequel sold 22 million tickets and was a critical hit.[121] Taking note of the marketing success ofScream, the promotional materials forI Know What You Did Last Summer andScream 2 relied heavily on the recognizability of cast-membersPortia de Rossi,Rebecca Gayheart,Sarah Michelle Gellar,Heather Graham,Jennifer Love Hewitt,Joshua Jackson,Laurie Metcalf,Jerry O'Connell,Ryan Phillippe,Jada Pinkett,Freddie Prinze Jr. andLiev Schreiber.[citation needed]
The twoScream films andI Know What You Did Last Summer were also popular in international markets. In Asia, Hong Kong releasedThe Deadly Camp (1999) and South Korea releasedBloody Beach (2000),The Record (2001), andNightmare (2000).[citation needed] Australia's postmodern slasherCut (2000) cast American actressMolly Ringwald as its heroine.[citation needed] Britain releasedLighthouse (1999) and the Netherlands had two teen slashers,School's Out (1999) andThe Pool (2001).[citation needed]Bollywood produced two unofficial remakes of I Know What You Did Last Summer: the first was a musical-slasher hybrid calledKucch To Hai (2003), while the second was a more straightforward slasher calledDhund: The Fog (2003).[citation needed]
Scream 2 marked a high-point of public interest in the 1990s slasher revival with a massive marketing campaign and a culturalzeitgeist.[citation needed] This anticipationgreenlit the production of several other slasher films to be released the following year.[citation needed]Urban Legend (1998) was a reasonable hit, selling 8 million tickets, though its decline from theScream films andI Know What You Did Last Summer showed that slasher film sales were already starting to decline.[citation needed] Three 1998 sequels were each significant successes at the domestic box office;Halloween H20: 20 Years Later had 11.7 million admissions,Bride of Chucky had 6.9 million admissions, andI Still Know What You Did Last Summer had 8.9 million admissions.[122][123][124] Again, the marketing for these sequels relied on the appeal their casts, which includedAdam Arkin,Jack Black,LL Cool J,Jamie Lee Curtis,Joseph Gordon-Levitt,Josh Hartnett,Katherine Heigl,Brandy Norwood,Jodi Lynn O'Keefe,Mekhi Phifer,John Ritter,Jennifer Tilly, andMichelle Williams.[citation needed] Low-budget slasher filmsThe Clown at Midnight (1998) andCherry Falls (2000) had trouble competing with big-budget horror films that could afford bankable actors.[citation needed]
Scream 3 (2000), the first entry in theScream series not written by Kevin Williamson, was another huge success with 16.5 million tickets sold,though poorword-of-mouth prevented it from reaching the heights of the first twoScream films.[failed verification][125][126]Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) sold a meager 4 million tickets,less than half of what its predecessor had sold just two years earlier.[failed verification][127] The third films in theI Know What You Did Last Summer andUrban Legend sequels were relegated to thedirect-to-video market with a lack of bankable stars.[citation needed]
After the turn of the millennium, the post-Scream wave of slasher films were both critically and financially disappointing, leading to the genre's sharp decline.[citation needed] These films include 2001'sValentine (11% Rotten Tomatoes, 3.5 million admissions) andJason X (19% Rotten Tomatoes, 2.3 million admissions), and 2002'sHalloween: Resurrection (10% Rotten Tomatoes, 5.2 million admissions).[128][129][130][131][132][133] In development for 17 years with 17 different writers attached to at different points,New Line Cinema'sFreddy vs. Jason (2003) took note from theScream films and mixed nostalgia and self-aware humor with recognizable actors.[134] It sold a massive 14 million tickets at the domestic box office and beatScream 2's record opening weekendfor a slasher film[failed verification] with a gross of $36.4 million over three days.[135]
Successful horror films includingFinal Destination (2000),Jeepers Creepers (2001) andAmerican Psycho (2000) used slasher tropes but deviated from the standard formula set forth by movies such asHalloween (1978),A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) andScream (1996).[citation needed] The filmmakers behindMake a Wish (2002) andHellBent (2004) diversified their films to appeal toLGBT audiences.[citation needed]African American filmmakers with largely black casts inKilljoy (2000),Holla If I Kill You (2003),Holla (2006), andSomebody Help Me (2007).[citation needed]
2003 saw a turning point and minor-revival of the slasher where filmmakers sought to return the genre to its grittier, exploitative roots.[citation needed] MusicianRob Zombie's directorial debutHouse of 1000 Corpses had atroubled production[failed verification] and only sold approximately 2 million tickets at the domestic box office,but it quickly developed a cult following on the home video market which allowed Zombie to make a sequel,The Devil's Rejects (2005).[failed verification][136]The Devil's Rejects was better-received thanHouse of 1000 Corpses[failed verification] and finished with 2.7 million admissions at the box office.[137] 2003 also saw the release of20th Century Fox'sWrong Turn. Made on a $12.6 million budget,Wrong TurncontinuedScream's trend of starring popular actors likeEliza Dushku andDesmond Harrington, but returned to the violent and exploitative approach of films likeThe Hills Have Eyes (1977) andJust Before Dawn (1981).[failed verification]Wrong Turn sold 2.5 million admissionsand launched a successfulseries of straight-to-video sequels.[failed verification][138]
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) became asleeper hit by playing on public's familiarity ofthe 1974 original but promising updated thrills and suspense.TheTexas Chainsaw Massacre remake sold over 13.5 million tickets in North America and was followed byThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), which sold a respectable 6 million tickets, though it was still struck by diminishing returns.[citation needed]
Riding on the success of theChainsaw Massacre remake wasHouse of Wax (2005),Black Christmas (2006),April Fool's Day (2008),Train (2008). Remakes ofThe Fog (2005),When a Stranger Calls (2006) andProm Night (2008) were watered down, and released with PG-13 ratings to pull in the largest teenage audience possible, though onlyProm Night sold more tickets than its original counterpart.[citation needed]Rob Zombie'sHalloween (2007) took the simplicity ofthe original 1978 film but added an extreme vision that, according to critics, replaced everything that made the first film a success.[failed verification][139] Zombie'sHalloween sold nearly 8.5 million tickets,but its negative reception hurt its sequelHalloween II (2009)[failed verification], which sold under 4.5 million tickets.[140][141]Extremepost-9/11 violence hit its peak withThe Hills Have Eyes (2006) and its sequelThe Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007); the 2006Hills Have Eyes was a financial success with 6.4 admissions,[failed verification] while its 2007 sequel received less enthusiasm with only 3 million admissions.[142][143]
The remake-era peaked in 2009 with releases ofMy Bloody Valentine,Friday the 13th,The Last House on the Left,Sorority Row,The Stepfather andHalloween II. Of those,Friday the 13th was most successful selling 8.7 million tickets andSorority Row was least successful with under 1.6 million tickets sold.[144][145] The following yearA Nightmare on Elm Street remake, like theFriday the 13th remake, had a large opening weekend but quickly fell off the box office charts after with 7.8 million admissions.[146] Straight-to-video remakesMother's Day (2010),Silent Night (2012) andSilent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming (2013) were met with little reception or praise.[147][148][149] Released on3D format,the rebootTexas Chainsaw (2013) acts as a direct sequel to the1974 original film, but its lackluster box office profits (4.2 million admissions) led to its prequelLeatherface (2017) being a direct-to-download release (Leatherface was filmed in 2015 but shelved for two years)[failed verification].[150]
Coming off the success of theParanormal Activity andInsidious franchises,Jason Blum and hisBlumhouse Productions began looking into rebooting popular slasher titles with "legacy sequels" that largely ignored the proceeding films in favor of new chapters, though not strict remakes. Blumhouse teamed with popular televisionshowrunnerRyan Murphy to produce ametafictional sequel toThe Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), though[failed verification]the newer film received mixed critical reviews and failed financially with an estimated $154,418 instreaming sales.[151][152] For their next slasher film, Blumhouse recruited directorDavid Gordon Green and writerDanny McBride to reunite producer/composerJohn Carpenter and starJamie Lee Curtis forHalloween (2018).[153] As a direct sequel toCarpenter's 1978 original film that ignored all otherfilms in the franchise, 2018'sHalloween opened to record-breaking numbers, including the largest debut for a slasher film and the largest debut of a female-led horror film.[154] The film was a massive success and would go on to sell 17.4 million tickets at the domestic box office, second only to the 1978 original and the first twoScream films in terms of audience attendance for a slasher film.[155] The film's success spawned two sequels,Halloween Kills (2021) andHalloween Ends (2022), though they were struck with diminishing returns by selling a respective 9 million and 6.1 million tickets during their domestic runs.[156][157] Blumhouse andUniversal Pictures re-teamed to release a second remake ofBlack Christmas in 2019, which was poorly received and bombed at the box office.[158]
The enormous financial success of 2018'sHalloween inspired other legacy sequels. In 2021, theJordan Peele producedCandyman (2021) sold approximately 6 million ticketsand brought back original starsVanessa Estelle Williams andTony Todd.[failed verification][159] The directing teamRadio Silence rebooted theScream franchise in 2022 byuniting original actorsNeve Campbell,Courteney Cox, andDavid Arquette with new stars includingMelissa Barrera andJenna Ortega.[failed verification] 2022'sScream became a sleeper hit with 8 million admissions, and the following yearScream VI sold an impressive 10.3 million tickets at the domestic box office.[160][161] LikeHalloween,Netflix'sTexas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) brought back its franchise's famous villain (Leatherface) to face off against its originalfinal girl (Sally Hardesty, played byOlwen Fouéré replacing the lateMarilyn Burns).[162][163]Texas Chainsaw Massacre was marred by production difficulties and received negative critical reviews, though it still received high viewership.[164][165][166] Buddy Cooper, director ofThe Mutilator (1985), has reunited with his film's original stars forMutilator 2, which is currently looking for distribution.[167]
In the early 2010s, the success ofFX'sAmerican Horror Story andAMC'sThe Walking Dead encouraged network television to develop horror franchises as series. Several networks structured or based their developing TV series on slasher films.A&E producedBates Motel as a contemporary prequel toAlfred Hitchcock's 1960s classicPsycho, which depicted the lives ofNorman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his deranged motherNorma (Vera Farmiga). The series remains A&E's longest-running scripted drama program, and particular praise was given to Highmore and Farmiga, with the latter receiving a Primetime Emmy nomination.[168][169]
MTV tried to ride off the success ofBates Motel by producingScream: The TV Series. Being a completely different story from the film series and not featuring the iconicGhostface villain,Scream: The TV Series ran for two seasons between 2015 and 2016. After the conclusion of its second season, a two-hour Halloween special aired in October 2016. A third season was released byVH1 in 2019 titledScream: Resurrection, which used the Ghostface moniker, though was met with negative reviews and poor ratings.[170][171] A TV remake ofThe Bad Seed aired onLifetime in fall 2018.[172] Beginning in October 2021,Child's Play creatorDon Mancini continued his flagship franchise by moving its story to the small screen withSyfy Channel'sChucky.[173][174] StarringChild's Play regularsBrad Dourif,Jennifer Tilly,Fiona Dourif, andAlex Vincent,Chucky has received critical acclaim and is currently in its third season.[175][176][177] Also in 2021, Amazon released one season ofI Know What You Did Last Summer, a modern adaptation ofLois Duncan's1973 novel and the1997 slasher of the same title. LikeFreeform'sPretty Little Liars andThe CW'sRiverdale, theI Know What You Did Last Summer series took more restrained approaches to theyoung adult demographic and toned down the slasher violence.Bryan Fuller is currently writing aFriday the 13th television series titledCrystal Lake forA24 andPeacock.[178]
Slasheranthologies allowed filmmakers to explore new settings and mysteries every season. In 2015Ryan Murphy, the creator ofAmerican Horror Story, produced the comedy-slasher seriesScream Queens forFox.[179] StarringJamie Lee Curtis,Emma Roberts,Keke Palmer,Niecy Nash,Billie Lourd, andAbigail Breslin, the series developed a devoted cult following but was cancelled after two seasons.[180] Created by Aaron Martin, an anthology series simply titledSlasher premiered on thestreaming platformChiller in 2016.[181] The first season, subtitledThe Executioner, received positive reviews.[182]Slasher moved to Netflix for its second and third seasons, titledGuilty Party andSolstice, and then to Shudder for its fourth and fifth seasons, titledFlesh & Blood andRipper.[183][184][185] In 2022, writerRyan J. Brown debuted his comedy-horror seriesWreck onBBC Three which takes inspiration from slasher and horror fiction.[186][187]
Adam Wingard directed two films that put postmodern spins on the slasher genre:You're Next (2011) andThe Guest (2014),[failed verification] both of which were critical successes with 80% and 93% respectively on Rotten Tomatoes.[188][189]The home invasion slasher[failed verification]Don't Breathe (2016) was a commercial success with 10.3 million admissions and an 88% critical approval on Rotten Tomatoes.[190][191]More traditional slasher movies[failed verification] likeThe Strangers: Prey at Night (2018),Hell Fest (2018),Haunt (2019) andThere's Someone Inside Your House (2021) found success onstreaming services such asShudder andNetflix, whileEli Roth's long-awaitedThanksgiving (2023) was a minor hit at the box office with 3.5 million admissions.[192]
A series of original, low-budget slasher franchises began to emerge in the early 2020s.Damien Leone'sTerrifier (2016) drew attention for its villainArt the Clown (David Howard Thornton) and its inventivepractical effects,but its perceived asmisogynistic violence became controversial and the film failed to catch on with the general public.[failed verification] Leone'skickstarter-funded sequelTerrifier 2 (2022)[failed verification] received much more attention and positive reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) with many reviewers commenting on the development of its final girl (played byLauren LaVera). Released byBloody Disgusting,Terrifier 2 became a box office success with over one million domestic admissions.[2][5]Terrifier 3 was released in 2024 with Leone, Thornton, and LaVera returning.[7] The film became the highest-grossing unrated film of all time, raking in over $50 million in box office. Also working on low-budgets for independent distributorA24, directorTi West delivered a trilogy of slashers that received critical acclaim. West's first film, the 1970s-setX (2022), starredMia Goth,Scott Mescudi,Brittany Snow, andJenna Ortega and scored 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and sold over a million tickets.[193][194] West reunited with Goth forX's 1920s-set prequelPearl (2022), which scored even higher at 93% and sold just under a million tickets.[195][196] BothX andPearl were successful on streaming downloads.X's 1980s-set sequelMaXXXine, the final film in the trilogy, also stars Goth and was released in 2024.[197]
Blumhouse Productions releasedHappy Death Day (2017) andTruth or Dare (2018).[citation needed] Pitched asGroundhog Day (1993) meetsScream (1996),Happy Death Day was a sleeper hit, selling 6.2 million tickets at the box office.[198] It was followed byHappy Death Day 2U in 2019, which only had half its predecessor's admissions with 3 million tickets sold.[199]Happy Death Day's director,Christopher Landon, returned forFreaky (2020), which mixedFreaky Friday (2003) withFriday the 13th (1980). StarringKathryn Newton andVince Vaughn,Freaky was released during the COVID-19 Pandemic, becoming a hit on streaming services and received favorable critical reviews.[200] The success ofHappy Death Day andFreaky inspired a wave of high-concept slasher comedies, includingTotally Killer andIt's a Wonderful Knife (both 2023).[citation needed]
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