The Most Popular Halloween Horror Movies in the U.S. According to Google Study
As fall sets in, many Americans get into the Halloween spirit by tuning into their favorite horror movies. And it seems that each state has their own collective horror film preferences.
- Get Out is the most Googled Halloween movie, topping the list in 9 states
- Jaws topped the list in 4 states, followed closely by The Shining and The Exorcist in 3 states each
- Creepy classics are still a Halloween treat for most states
According to data compiled by Bank Locations, some horror movies reign supreme in particular states — and some states are more into ‘classic’ horror movies on the whole than others.
The research team analyzed 200+ top-rated horror movies from IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, then studied specific searches for each movie.
For example, for The Shining, they gathered keywords like “watch the shining”, “the shining full movie”, “the shining streaming”, “the shining netflix”, and “where to watch the shining”.
The study showed some interesting results: old spooky movies are still a big hit for Halloween in most states. While the visuals might not be as good as today, the intense filming, ominous music, and chilling plots still make these movies a Halloween treat for most Americans.
When we split horror movies into two groups — those before 2000 and those after — the data tells us that ‘classic’ horrors are searched more.
In fact, 27 states preferred googling horror movies from the last century, while 23 states in total favored more recent horror releases.
The most googled horror movie across the U.S. was Get Out, a breakout horror hit and the debut of modern horror master Jordan Peele. It dominated the searches in 9 states, including Arizona, Georgia, and Illinois.
Next on the list is Spielberg’s first blockbuster and scariest movie Jaws. It was the top choice for horror movies in 4 states, including New Jersey.
Stephen King’s most popular horror novel The Shining, adapted by Stanley Kubrick, ranks third on the list. It took the lead in 3 states, notably, and perhaps unsurprisingly, in Colorado.
Sharing the third spot on the list with The Shining is The Exorcist, the critically acclaimed 1973 film that was the first of its genre to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was the most googled horror movie in 3 states, including Idaho.
Moving down the list, we have 8 movies that were the most searched horror films in 2 states each. These include popular ones like The Conjuring, A Quiet Place, IT, Trick R’ Treat, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Silence of the Lambs, Friday the 13th, and Halloween.
Lastly, there are 15 movies in total that topped the list of most googled horror movies in one state each. Notable movies include Hannibal, Frankenstein, Psycho, Aliens, and Scream.
The Most Googled Horror Movie in Each State:
State | Most Googled Horror Movie (and year) |
Alabama | The Conjuring (2013) |
Alaska | A Quiet Place (2018) |
Arizona | Get Out (2017) |
Arkansas | IT (2017) |
California | Hannibal (2001) |
Colorado | The Shining (1980) |
Connecticut | Jaws (1975) |
Delaware | Get Out (2017) |
Florida | Trick R’ Treat (2007) |
Georgia | Get Out (2017) |
Hawaii | The Thing (1982) |
Idaho | The Exorcist (1973) |
Illinois | Get Out (2017) |
Indiana | Frankenstein (1931) |
Iowa | The Shining (1980) |
Kansas | A Quiet Place (2018) |
Kentucky | Jaws (1975) |
Louisiana | Get Out (2017) |
Maine | The Ring (2002) |
Maryland | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) |
Massachusetts | The Silence of the Lambs (1991) |
Michigan | The Conjuring (2013) |
Minnesota | Get Out (2017) |
Mississippi | The Exorcist (1973) |
Missouri | Little Shop of Horrors (1986) |
Montana | The Evil Dead (1981) |
Nebraska | Friday the 13th (1980) |
Nevada | Get Out (2017) |
New Hampshire | IT (2017) |
New Jersey | Jaws (1975) |
New Mexico | Get Out (2017) |
New York | Psycho (1960) |
North Carolina | Halloween (1978) |
North Dakota | Aliens (1986) |
Ohio | Get Out (2017) |
Oklahoma | Poltergeist (1982) |
Oregon | Trick R’ Treat (2007) |
Pennsylvania | The Silence of the Lambs (1991) |
Rhode Island | Scream (1996) |
South Carolina | Jaws (1975) |
South Dakota | The Cabin in the Woods (2011) |
Tennessee | The Exorcist (1973) |
Texas | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) |
Utah | Halloween (1978) |
Vermont | The Shining (1980) |
Virginia | Drag Me to Hell (2009) |
Washington | Friday the 13th (1980) |
West Virginia | The Babadook (2014) |
Wisconsin | Shaun of the Dead (2004) |
Wyoming | A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) |
Methodology
The research team input 200+ movies into the Google Keywords Planner and analyzed the search volume over the past month to determine the most searched horror movie in each state.
For each horror movie, the study looked at specific keywords and phrases that were searched on Google, such as “watch the shining”, “the shining full movie”, “the shining streaming”, “the shining netflix”, and “where to watch the shining”.v
The team then calculated the total number of searches for each horror movie in each state to determine which horror movie had the highest number of searches.
Sources
Google Search Volume
IMDB – Top 50 Horror Movies
Rotten Tomatoes – The 200 Best Horror Movies of All Time
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About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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