Fans of the horror genre, have you ever wondered what are the top 5 grossing horror movies of all time? You would be surprised. A lot of the classics are not even close to cracking the top 20. It’s a shock, but flicks like The Shining, 28 Days Later, The Exorcist and The Evil Dead don’t even come close to cracking it. In fact most of your favorite zombie and vampire films don’t even come close. It goes to show you that the general masses just don’t have an appreciation of true horror. So without further delay, here are the top 5 horror films.
#5 The Ring (2002)
US Box Office Sales = $129M
The Ring was the introduction by Hollywood of the Japanese horror film. Pretty much done shot for shot of the original film Ring U, The Ring follows a young journalist introduced to a disturbing video that according to urban legend, leads to the mysterious death of whoever watches it after 7 days.
#4 The Blair Witch Project (1999)
US Box Office Sales = $141M
The Blair Witch Project took theaters by storm in 1999. It was a low budget independent horror film costing a mere $35,000. It was shot documentary style about 3 young filmmakers searching out a legendary witch in the woods and when they head into the forest to investigate strange things begin to happen to them. The Blair Witch Project was in no way a great film, but showed that with a small budget and enough imagination, you could create a high grossing horror movie. It later paved the way for other similar horror films like Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.
#3 Gremlins (1984)
US Box Office Sales = $148M
Gremlins is a cross between a horror movie and a bizarre version of the muppets. It’s in no way scary and definitely contains more comedy then horror, but it is still a great film nonetheless. It’s a fun romp that is perfect to watch every Christmas at the very least.
#2 What Lies Beneath (2000)
US Box Office Sales = $155M
What Lies Beneath is a supernatural horror film starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a well off couple who are experiencing all kinds of strange activity in their Vermont home. It’s filled with suspense as it’s slowly revealed why their house is being haunted and the mystery becomes solved.
#1 Jaws (1975)
The Steven Spielberg classic Jaws made sure that no one ever wanted to go into the water ever again. Following a police chief of a small island community investigating mysterious missing people, it’s found that a giant, psychotic killer Great White Shark is hungry for blood and eating all those who enter the ocean. While it’s not the scariest film in the world, it kept me from going into lakes as a child even though I was assured that Sharks can’t live in fresh water.
Horror 4 All 
slightly amazed that What Lies Beneath is up there, it isn’t talked about as much as the other films on the list
I know. It seems odd that it came in the top 5. Must have been the draw of Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer that put put audience’s into seats.