The Most Popular Halloween Movies by State 2024

Spooky season is once again upon us! For many, nothing beats curling up on the sofa to watch the latest spine-tingling movie releases or perhaps a timeless creepy classic. But amid the chills, some questions linger… Is this really the scariest part of the year? Could a midsummer festival or Thanksgiving actually be scarier than Halloween?

Surprisingly, in some states, it appears that the answer is yes. Can you guess which horror movie is casting a spell over your state this Halloween?

Here at Comparitech, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular horror movies by state (based on what’s been the hottest topic on Google Trends over the past year) to see what people are finding most spooktacular.

Creepy new movie releases take the majority of states by storm

It seems movie fanatics are on the hunt for bigger and better thrills this October. Our research uncovered that a whopping 92 percent of states are choosing a modern fright film over a timeless terror this year.

Can you handle the unknown with these spooky new releases?

• Longlegs (2024): With an IMDb rating of 6.7, Longlegs is by far the most popular movie this year. It came out on top across 29 states and in the US overall. This year’s highest-grossing indie horror movie follows an FBI agent who’s after a mysterious serial killer on a spine-chilling spree. As she gets deeper into her investigation, she realizes she’s dealing with something far more disturbing than she could have feared.
• Thanksgiving (2023): Directed by Eli Roth, this slasher horror film revolves around a killer who wreaks havoc in a small Massachusetts town during the Thanksgiving holiday. Not lacking in either a chilling premise or gory scenes, this holiday-themed horror has become the biggest hit in nearly one-third of the US (at least 15 states).
• Abigail (2024): The most popular movie in Alabama, Florida, and Massachusetts, shows a group of kidnappers who abduct the daughter of a powerful crime lord, demanding a high ransom. What they fail to realize is that Abigail is no ordinary child–she’s a centuries-old vampire. As the group goes through an ordeal to survive against her unearthly powers, tensions rise and there’s blood everywhere. Abigail delivers a unique take on the vampire genre, bringing quite an unusual fusion of horror, action, and even humor.
• Late Night with the Devil (2023): The awarded horror film portrays a live talk show on Halloween night in the late 1970s. When an occult ritual goes wrong on air, both the host and spectators face an unimaginable evil. With its palpable tension and retro vibe, Late Night with the Devil has been a standout hit across the US, especially in Iowa and Virginia, where this was the most popular horror movie over the past 12 months. It has also earned a solid 7 IMDb rating so far. 

Midsommar (2019)

Perhaps the most standout cinematic achievement on this list is the folk movie Midsommar. It was the most popular horror movie in the state of Wyoming in the past twelve months and the highest-rated IMDb (7.1) movie in this article. The spine-tingling psychological horror film, directed by Ari Aster, follows a group of friends on their exciting trip to Sweden for a once-in-a-lifetime midsummer festival (it only occurs every 90 years). What begins as an idyllic gateway in a picturesque rural retreat soon turns into a nightmare, as the group discovers they have unknowingly stepped into the heart of a pagan cult. With traditions both unsettling and increasingly violent, the festival’s true nature slowly unravels, forcing the participants into an agonizing struggle for survival.

The central character Dani (played by Florence Pugh) is a young woman reeling from a devastating family tragedy. Accompanied by her emotionally distant boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) and his friends, Dani’s grief and isolation keep transforming as she becomes drawn further into the rituals of the cult. With the village’s festivities growing more and more bizarre, Dani must confront the horrors around her as well as the painful dynamics within her own relationship.

Midsommar, appraised and awarded for its unsettling atmosphere, offers striking cinematography and explores deeply disturbing themes. Unlike most movies of this genre, much of the terror happens in broad daylight, making spectators further disoriented and uneasy. Successfully combining folk horror with psychological tension, while exploring themes of grief, codependency, and cultural alienation, the movie offers a haunting and memorable experience.

The top 5 most popular horror movies in the US as a whole  

Besides the aforementioned new releases and their unexpected storylines, Immaculate and Imaginary have made it to the list of the most popular horror movies when we researched the US as a whole:

1. Longlegs (2024): This chilling cat-and-mouse thriller with supernatural undertones claimed the top spot as the most popular horror movie nationwide. Its gripping suspense and eerie atmosphere made it the most searched film on Google, dominating both state-level searches and national rankings in the US.
2. Abigail (2024): Another horror story that was very successful across both our searches. Its unique blend of humor and scares suggests that a large portion of Americans are seeking both entertainment and a good fright in the same movie.
3. Immaculate (2024): This psychological horror centers on a devout woman who joins a religious convent in Italy. But, as she begins to experience disturbing visions and uncover dark secrets, she starts questioning the sanctity of the convent and her own faith. Although it has quite a poor rating of 5.8 on IMDb, the movie is the third most popular Google search term when it comes to horror movies in the US.
4. Imaginary (2024): Although it has received quite negative reviews from critics, this movie managed to earn millions and intrigue the American audience. The story follows a woman who returns to her childhood home only to discover that her imaginary friend from her youth has returned–this time with wicked intentions. As strange events unfold, she must confront the horrors of her past and find a way to protect her new family from this once-playful presence.
5. Late Night with the Devil (2023): The eerie, intimate atmosphere of a late-night talk show spiraling into chaos captivated audiences across the US. Its unique premise drew significant interest, making it a popular choice both in individual states and the country as a whole.

Methodology

Using Google Trends to search for the film genre “horror” in each state, we looked to see which movie was a rising topic in the related topics section. Rising topics are the top related search terms users looking at horror movies also searched for over the past year and saw the biggest influx in searches during that period. The top result for each state was the designated movie for that state. We then repeated the process at the national level, using “The United States” as a filter to get an average result for the country as a whole. While the top choice remained consistent, there were notable differences in the second and third positions nationwide. In some cases, a movie franchise may have appeared on top, e.g.“American Horror Story” – TV series, but we only noted the title when it was a specific film.

Data researcher: Danka Delić