An A24 Longlegs received great reviews, with other well-received hits included Speak No Evil and Smile 2. For some of these titles, critical praise has been matched with box office success. Longlegs, for instance, is the no. 3 horror film of the year, making over $74 million domestically. Two franchise horror films also managed to cross $100 million at the domestic box office, Alien: Romulus and A Quiet Place: Day One.

On the other hand, a series of horror films have underperformed despite their high expectations. Abigail, while well-reviewed, struggled to make a huge impact at the box office, making only $42.7 million internationally. This was not likely enough to recoup its estimated $28 million budget. A similar fate was true for The First Omen, another film whose critical reviews were far more fruitful than its ticket sales. As the horror titles continue to roll in this year, an A24 movie just crossed a notable box office milestone.

Heretic Has Crossed A Major Box Office Milestone (And Hit A Horror Record)

Heretic Beat Out Some Other 2024 Horror

Heretic has crossed a global box office milestone and ed an elite list for 2024 horror. Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Adams, Heretic is a dialogue-heavy religious horror film about two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes, who bestow the words of their prophet on Mr. Reed. While Mr. Reed is at first responsive to their ideas, it soon becomes apparent that he has something far more sinister planned. Heretic's leading cast includes Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, and Topher Grace.

As reported by Collider, Heretic has now achieved two major box office feats. First, the movie's totals from its most recent theatrical weekend have allowed it to cross the $35 million mark worldwide. This total consists of $26 million domestically and $9 million overseas. Because of this milestone, Heretic has also made its way into the top 10 highest-grossing horror movies of 2024 at the domestic box office. In order to achieve this honor, it beat out movies such as Abigail, The First Omen, and The Watchers.

Our Take On Heretic's Success

Heretic Is Not A Conventional Horror Film

Having watched Heretic, I cannot help but be a little (pleasantly) surprised at how far it has come. Featuring high-minded themes and meditations on the meaning of religion and belief, Heretic takes a very different approach to the genre than something like Tarot, which is far more conventional horror fare. Perhaps it's this uniqueness that audiences are responding to, propelling them to the theater even as large-budget competitors like Gladiator II and Wicked get released.

Source: Collider