Buzz
Our fascination with serial killers, ghost hunting, and the works of Stephen King reveals a deep-rooted love for fear. While modern films like 2019’s Midsommar and 2017’s Get Out offer new thrills, we continually revisit timeless horror legends that never lose their chilling appeal.
To identify which iconic villains still dominate our imaginations and online searches, FrontierBundles.com selected 12 pre-2000 horror movie antagonists and examined Google Trends data from the past year to determine their popularity across each state.
FrontierBundles.comAs expected, characters from Stephen King’s works claimed the top spot, dominating 20 states. Jack Torrance from The Shining led with 10 states, followed by Pennywise from It with eight, while Carrie’s protagonist secured two states: Vermont and Wyoming.
Chucky from the Child’s Play series and Frankenstein’s monster (referring to the doctor, not the creature) tied with six states each. Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs and Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre followed closely, claiming five and four states, respectively. Other notable mentions include Alien, Ghostface, Norman Bates, Count Dracula, and Freddy Krueger.
Geographically, no clear patterns emerged, highlighting how the fear of fictional killers and monsters unites the nation.
While the study focused on pre-2000 horror film characters, many of these iconic figures have recently reappeared in new adaptations. Bill Skarsgård revived Pennywise in 2017’s It and its 2019 sequel, Mark Hamill lent his voice to Chucky in the 2019 Child’s Play reboot, and Jack Torrance will return in Doctor Sleep, the follow-up to The Shining. Although Frankenstein’s monster didn’t get a direct remake, he inspired the quirky Netflix mockumentary Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein, featuring Stranger Things’s David Harbour.
Frontierbundles.comFeeling inspired to watch a chilling horror film after this read? Check out the 20 greatest horror movies ever made.
