The Wretched: How The Low-Budget Horror Movie Topped The Box Office – Screen Rant

Indie horror movie The Wretched did the unthinkable and broke box office records during a pandemic. Here's how the IFC film pulled it off.

The Wretchedproved how an indie horror film can top the box office, and managed to do so in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of writing this article,The Wretched has been at the top of box office reports for more than five weeks in a row the only other movies to ever cross this milestone wereBlack Panther, Titanic,Avatar andThe Sixth Sense.

The Wretched follows a teenage boy named Ben as he comes to terms with his parents' separation. He moves in with his dad for the summer and has to deal with another issue in his life a witch possessing his next door neighbor. Ben ends up working with other kids he meets that summer to try and take the witch down.

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IFC films likeThe Wretched typically don't see wide releases, but with audiences starved for new movies and Hollywood delaying nearly every upcoming film, the door was wide open forThe Wretchedto be a success. Itsunexpected success proves that a new indie-driven era of horror movies has begun.Let's break down how the fallout from the Coronavirus pandemicpropelled indie horror movie,The Wretched, into a commercial success.

Late spring traditionally starts blockbuster season, butdue to the Coronavirus pandemic,theaters across the globe were shuddered in spring 2020. Manystudios have opted to delay moviesbecause of Coronavirus. As a result, some movies are skipping theaters and going straight to VOD. Others are opting to debut movies at drive-in theaters. The once-deprecated form of movie viewing has seen new life, as it adheres to safety regulations surrounding the Coronavirus. Major movie studios would likely lose money if they sent their large-budget films to drive-in theaters. This provides a unique opportunity for smaller studios like IFC to find their niche.

While The Wretchedwas simultaneously released on VOD as a fail-safe, debuting a newmovie at a drive-in when many people around the world are opting to stay home was still a risk. But debuting a lower budget film such asThe Wretched made the risk worth it. Audiences flocked to drive-ins to see The Wretched, proving that there's a taste out there for smaller scale horror films. This isn't the only evidence that horror will be shifting towards indie films either.

Blumhouse is on the brink of changing horror movies with their recently announced plans to begin shooting a smaller scale movie in the near future. It goes without saying that Jason Blum's production company is something of a powerhouse in the horror genre.WithThe Wretchedbeing the smash hit that it has become, Blumhouse will have validation in this new business structure.WithBlumhousefollowingThe Wretched's lead, more studios will likely produce indie horror movies in the ever-changing future of Hollywood.

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Brynne is a lifelong lover of movies hailing from Chicago. Ever since discovering "The Ring" at age 13, she's had a slightly sadistic love affair with horror movies. Tweet her your horror movie recommendations @brynneramella. Please she's running out of movies to watch.

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The Wretched: How The Low-Budget Horror Movie Topped The Box Office - Screen Rant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero