The 5 Highest-grossing Horror Movies of 1991
The year is 1991. Headlines were dominated by shocking and transformative events: police in Milwaukee discovered the gruesome remains of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims, Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union, and Time magazine published a scathing critique of Scientology titled “The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power.”
Amidst these dramatic happenings across the globe, it was a historic year for all things spooky at the box office! The Silence of the Lambs was not only the highest-grossing horror movie of the year, but the 22nd highest-grossing horror flick of all time.
To anyone who is a fan of the genre, this will come as no surprise. However, the year saw a slew of other horror movies that brought in impressive box office returns, leaving a lasting impact on the genre.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, to browse the success stories that made 1991 a standout year for the genre.
#1 The Silence of the Lambs
The success of The Silence of the Lambs was insane. Making $248,820,940 worldwide at the box office. In case you missed it, this was the highest-grossing horror film of 1991 and the 22nd-highest-grossing horror movie of all time! It was also the 4th highest-grossing film of the year, regardless of genre!
In this classic horror flick, Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee on the search for a serial murderer known as “Buffalo Bill” who skins his female victims. To apprehend him, she seeks the counsel of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter.. brilliant psychologist and cannibalistic serial murderer.
#2 The Addams Family
While not strictly horror, and more of a family-friendly watch (with horror themes), The Addams Family comes second in this list making $113,502,426 worldwide at the box office.
The characters of The Addams Family are based on Charles Addams’ cartoons and David Levy’s 1964 television series. Former cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld makes his feature directorial debut in this flick. It tells the story of con artists who want to steal money from the eccentric and spooky titular family using an accomplice claiming to be their long-lost uncle.
It also stars Anjelica Huston, who played the Grand High Witch in the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches in 1990, which was a relatively successful box office hit.
#3 Cape Fear
Coming in third is Cape Fear, this revenge flick stars A-listers such as Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange, Gregory Peck and Nick Nolte. This film made $79,091,969 at the box office.
Max Cady (De Niro) was sentenced to 14 years in jail for rape and violence against a 16-year-old female fourteen years ago. His lawyer, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), was shocked by Cady’s crime and withheld proof of the victim’s promiscuity, which may have lowered Max’s sentence or even secured his acquittal. Sam thinks Max, who was illiterate during his trial, is oblivious of the poor defence he received. Unbeknownst to Sam, Max is a clever and ruthless sociopath – who is out for revenge!
#4 Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
Making $34,872,033 worldwide at the box office, in 4th place is Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. This installment did significantly better than its previous release, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, which raked in $22,168,359 worldwide in 1989.
This 6th installment to the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise features horror’s favorite child predator, Freddy Krueger (played again by Robert Englund), scouring new lands for teens to kill – after killing all his preferred demographic in his hometown.
Yet, there is a twist! These new killing grounds happen to be the home of his long-lost daughter Maggie (played by Lisa Zane), who is a therapist for troubled youths. Will Freddy be able to recruit Maggie for future slash-fests? Or will she have other ideas?!
#5 The People Under the Stairs
Our 5th movie made $24,204,154 worldwide at the box office, Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs, also being the 55th highest-grossing film of 1991 regardless of genre.
On his 13th birthday, a kid named Fool attempts to rob a house with two friends only to discover the chilling secret of what lies under the stairs of the house. Becoming trapped inside the sprawling suburban mansion, Fool uncovers a chilling secret: the 2 deranged siblings who own the house have been hiding and “raising” a group of children under the stairs. His only option is escape and to reveal the truth.
