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Horror movie trivia

Nine quizzes, ninety questions, from the black-and-white classics to last year's nightmares.

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  • 90 questions
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Questions and answers — printable list
  1. In the 1975 blockbuster Jaws, what kind of animal terrorizes a beach town?A sharkBritannica notes that problems with the mechanical sharks built for Jaws pushed Steven Spielberg to suggest the shark rather than show it, which is why John Williams's two-note motif carries so much of the film.
  2. Bela Lugosi starred in the 1931 film Dracula as a count who is what kind of creature?A vampireLugosi had originated the role of Count Dracula on Broadway in 1927, and the original release of the film ended with Edward Van Sloan warning audiences that vampires really exist, according to Britannica.
  3. The 1931 film Frankenstein was based on an 1818 novel written by which author?Mary ShelleyBritannica notes the film came from a stage adaptation of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
  4. The 1976 film Carrie was adapted from the first published novel of which author?Stephen KingBritannica notes that Brian De Palma's Carrie adapts Stephen King's first published novel, Carrie (1974).
  5. In A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), how does Freddy Krueger kill his victims?By invading their dreamsBritannica notes that Wes Craven wrote and directed the film and introduced Freddy Krueger, who kills his victims by invading their dreams.
  6. In the opening sequence of Scream (1996), which actress plays Casey, the teenager quizzed on horror trivia by the caller?Drew BarrymoreDrew Barrymore plays Casey, the girl alone in the house who is asked "What's your favorite scary movie?" and then forced to answer horror trivia by the caller. She was the best-known name in the cast, yet she appears only in the film's opening sequence.
  7. The Blair Witch Project (1999) popularized which filmmaking technique?Found footage shot by the charactersBritannica credits the film, written and directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, with popularizing the "found footage" technique.
  8. The American Film Institute ranks which character as the No. 1 film villain of all time?Dr. Hannibal LecterAFI's 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains list places Dr. Hannibal Lecter of The Silence of the Lambs at No. 1, ahead of Norman Bates at No. 2.
  9. Who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Silence of the Lambs at the 1992 ceremony?Jodie FosterAt the 64th Academy Awards the film won Best Picture, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, and Best Actress for Jodie Foster, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  10. Who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the horror film Get Out?Jordan PeeleJordan Peele won Best Original Screenplay for Get Out, becoming the first Black writer to win in that category, per AFI and Britannica.
  11. Which actress played Ellen Ripley in the 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien?Sigourney WeaverAFI notes that Alien was Sigourney Weaver's first leading role in a feature film, playing Ellen Ripley.
  12. In the 1933 film King Kong, what technique was used for most of the giant ape's scenes?Frame-by-frame stop-motion animation of a jointed modelKong was an 18-inch jointed model, built by Marcel Delgado and animated frame by frame by effects pioneer Willis O'Brien, whose combination of stop-motion, miniature rear projection and traveling mattes became foundational to movie special effects. Full-size arms, feet and a cable-operated head were reserved for a handful of close-ups.
  13. Who directed the 1960 shocker Psycho?Alfred HitchcockBritannica credits Alfred Hitchcock as director of Psycho, released in 1960 and loosely based on the real-life killer Ed Gein.
  14. Bernard Herrmann's screeching strings accompany the most famous scene in Psycho, which takes place in what setting?A motel showerBritannica describes Herrmann scoring Psycho's shower scene with violins, cellos, and violas screeching in unison with each slash of the knife.
  15. Which 1968 film established the pattern followed by modern zombie movies?Night of the Living DeadBritannica credits Night of the Living Dead with disassociating the monsters from Vodou and placing them in contemporary settings, setting the modern zombie pattern.
  16. Which 1973 horror film did William Friedkin direct from a novel by William Peter Blatty?The ExorcistBritannica notes The Exorcist (1973) was directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty, who adapted his own 1971 novel.
  17. Which filmmaker co-wrote the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist from his own original story?Steven SpielbergAFI notes Poltergeist was the highest-grossing horror film of its year and was co-written by Steven Spielberg from his own original story.
  18. Which actor played the title role in American Psycho (2000)?Christian BaleAFI notes American Psycho was directed by Mary Harron and adapted from the 1991 novel, with Christian Bale in the title role.
  19. House of Wax (1953), starring Vincent Price, helped spark a 1950s wave of films made in which format?3-DBritannica notes House of Wax was one of the first films shot in 3-D and helped spark a wave of 3-D films in the 1950s, while establishing Vincent Price as a leading horror actor.
  20. In The Wolf Man (1941), Larry Talbot is bitten and transformed into which kind of creature?A werewolfBritannica notes the film greatly influenced popular conceptions of werewolves and lycanthropy, with Bela Lugosi playing the werewolf whose bite transforms Talbot.
  21. Which actor played the monster in Universal's 1931 film Frankenstein?Boris KarloffBela Lugosi turned down the part, and director James Whale cast Boris Karloff as the monster, according to Britannica.
  22. The 1922 German film Nosferatu was an unauthorized adaptation of a famous vampire novel by which author?Bram StokerBritannica calls F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu the earliest surviving film adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, made without permission.
  23. Which actress played babysitter Laurie Strode in John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween?Jamie Lee CurtisBritannica notes that Halloween starred Jamie Lee Curtis as babysitter Laurie Strode, in what was her big-screen debut.
  24. The 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, directed by Tobe Hooper, introduced which masked movie killer?LeatherfaceBritannica notes that Tobe Hooper directed the 1974 film and lists Leatherface among the screen villains inspired by killer Ed Gein.
  25. Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thriller The Birds is set in the coastal town of Bodega Bay, in which state?CaliforniaBritannica places the action of The Birds in Bodega Bay, California, where Tippi Hedren made her first credited feature appearance.
  26. John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) unfolds on Halloween night in Haddonfield — a holiday that grew out of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which began on the evening of which date?October 31Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the start of the dark half of the Celtic year. Because the Celtic day was reckoned from sunset, the festival opened on the evening of October 31 and carried into November 1 — the same night Michael Myers stalks Haddonfield in Carpenter's slasher.
  27. Who directed the 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien?Ridley ScottBritannica credits Ridley Scott as the director of Alien, with Swiss artist H.R. Giger designing the creature.
  28. In the 1941 film The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot buys a cane decorated with a wolf that is made of which metal?SilverBritannica notes that Larry Talbot buys a silver cane decorated with a wolf, in a film that shaped popular ideas about werewolves.
  29. Which actor played Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films?Robert EnglundThe American Film Institute notes that Freddy Krueger, played by Robert Englund, ranks among its 100 greatest screen villains of all time.
  30. Which actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Silence of the Lambs at the 1992 ceremony?Anthony HopkinsAt the 64th Academy Awards in March 1992, The Silence of the Lambs won Best Picture along with Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins and Best Actress for Jodie Foster, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  31. Which film does Britannica describe as the first great work of the horror genre and the first film of the German Expressionist movement?The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariBritannica calls the 1920 German silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari the first great work of horror and the first film of German Expressionism.
  32. The Phantom of the Opera (1925), starring Lon Chaney as the masked, disfigured Erik, was adapted from a 1910 novel by which author?Gaston LerouxUniversal's 1925 silent film was adapted from Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, the novel Gaston Leroux published in Paris in 1910. Lon Chaney designed his own makeup for Erik, and the studio kept the face secret until the premiere so the unmasking scene would land cold.
  33. Before starring in Universal's 1931 film Dracula, Bela Lugosi originated the role of the count on Broadway in what year?1927Lugosi had played Count Dracula on Broadway in 1927 before Tod Browning cast him in the 1931 film, per Britannica.
  34. Which actor declined the lead in Frankenstein (1931), after which James Whale was assigned to direct and cast Boris Karloff as the monster?Bela LugosiBela Lugosi turned down the role, and Whale then cast Boris Karloff, according to Britannica.
  35. In Bride of Frankenstein (1935), which actress played the newly animated bride?Elsa LanchesterElsa Lanchester played the bride in the film Britannica calls director James Whale's masterpiece.
  36. In Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), which actor made his final screen appearance as Dracula?Bela LugosiBela Lugosi played Dracula for the last time in the 1948 film, with Lon Chaney, Jr., as the Wolf Man and Glenn Strange as Frankenstein's monster, per the Library of Congress.
  37. The crimes of the real-life killer Ed Gein inspired which pair of movie villains?Norman Bates and LeatherfaceBritannica notes that Leatherface of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Norman Bates of Psycho were both inspired by Gein's crimes.
  38. Bernard Herrmann scored the shower scene in Psycho (1960) using only which family of instruments?StringsHerrmann used violins, cellos, and violas screeching in unison with each slash of the knife, per Britannica.
  39. Which actress made her first credited appearance in a theatrical feature in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963)?Tippi HedrenThe Birds marked Tippi Hedren's first credited theatrical feature role, according to the American Film Institute.
  40. Which actress won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Minnie Castevet in Rosemary's Baby (1968)?Ruth GordonRuth Gordon won Best Supporting Actress for the role in Roman Polanski's first American production, per Britannica.
  41. Night of the Living Dead (1968) opens with Barbra and Johnny visiting their father's grave in a rural cemetery in which state?PennsylvaniaBritannica places the opening cemetery scene in rural Pennsylvania; George A. Romero financed the film with friends in Pittsburgh.
  42. The Exorcist (1973) earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. How many Oscars did it win?TwoIt won two, for sound and adapted screenplay, according to Britannica.
  43. Which Swiss artist designed the creature in Ridley Scott's Alien (1979)?H.R. GigerH.R. Giger designed the creature, while Italian effects artist Carlo Rambaldi built its mechanical head, per Britannica.
  44. Jamie Lee Curtis was offered the lead in Halloween (1978) partly because her mother had appeared in the shower scene in Psycho. Who was her mother?Janet LeighJanet Leigh's role in Psycho helped her daughter land the part of Laurie Strode, which was Curtis's big-screen debut, per Britannica.
  45. Which actor made his film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as a teenager eaten by his own bed?Johnny DeppJohnny Depp's film debut came in Wes Craven's 1984 film, according to Britannica.
  46. In Scream (1996), which actress gave up the lead role of Sidney to play Casey Becker, the teenager terrorized and killed in the film's opening sequence?Drew BarrymoreDrew Barrymore was originally set to play Sidney Prescott, but she asked screenwriter Kevin Williamson for the opening-sequence role of Casey Becker instead; Neve Campbell was then cast as Sidney, and killing off the film's biggest name in the first act became Scream's signature shock.
  47. The Silence of the Lambs swept Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay — the first film to do so since One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, released in what year?1975The Academy notes the 1991 film was the first since 1975's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest to take all five categories.
  48. Rick Baker won the first Academy Award for Makeup, for An American Werewolf in London, at a ceremony held in what year?1982The makeup Oscar was presented for the first time at the 54th Academy Awards on March 29, 1982, per the Academy.
  49. Jordan Peele became the first Black writer to win which Academy Award, for Get Out?Best Original ScreenplayPeele won Best Original Screenplay for Get Out, which received four nominations in all, per the American Film Institute and Britannica.
  50. Richard Donner's The Omen (1976) won an Academy Award in which category?Best Original ScoreThe Omen took the Oscar for Best Original Score, according to the American Film Institute.
  51. Which film was the top public vote-getter in the balloting for the 2025 National Film Registry class, announced in January 2026?The ThingJohn Carpenter's The Thing (1982) led the public vote for the 2025 class, which brought the registry to 925 titles, per the Library of Congress.
  52. Made for well under $1 million, which 1999 film had grossed roughly $249 million worldwide as of September 2026?The Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch Project stands at $248,639,881 worldwide, one of the largest returns on a micro-budget shoot in film history. The Sixth Sense, the other 1999 horror hit, cost $40 million and took $672.8 million; Paranormal Activity (2007) and Halloween (1978) are from other decades entirely.
  53. As of September 2026, which horror film made for $35 million had grossed about $720 million worldwide?It (2017)Box Office Mojo lists It (2017) at $719,766,009 worldwide on a $35 million budget, as of September 2026.
  54. As of September 2026, which of these slasher films has the highest box office gross in the United States and Canada, at about $159 million?Halloween (2018)The 2018 Halloween, which brought Jamie Lee Curtis back opposite Michael Myers, took $159,342,015 in the United States and Canada. Five Nights at Freddy's follows at $137,275,620, then Scream at $103,046,663 and Freddy vs. Jason at $82,622,655.
  55. In King Kong (1933), the title character was brought to the screen using a puppet of roughly what size?18 inchesBritannica notes Kong was an 18-inch puppet designed by Willis O'Brien, whose stop-motion work became the basis of movie special effects.
  56. William Castle's gimmick called "Percepto," used for screenings of The Tingler (1959), consisted of what?Buzzers wired under theater seatsCastle installed buzzers under theater seats, triggered when Vincent Price told the audience to scream, per Britannica.
  57. Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a name whose Old Irish origin is usually translated as what?Summer's EndSamhain comes from the Old Irish samain, read as sam ("summer") plus fuin ("end") — "summer's end." The festival ran from the evening of October 31 into November 1, marking the close of the harvest and the start of winter, and it is the ancestor of modern Halloween.
  58. Of the five Classic Movie Monsters stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1997, which actor appeared on two of them?Boris KarloffBoris Karloff appeared as both the Mummy and Frankenstein's monster on the 32-cent stamp sheet, per the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
  59. The 1987 vampire film Near Dark, set in small-town Oklahoma, was the solo directorial debut of which filmmaker?Kathryn BigelowThe American Film Institute notes that Near Dark (1987) was Kathryn Bigelow's solo directorial debut; she later became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director.
  60. Which 1982 release was the highest-grossing horror film of its year and was co-written by Steven Spielberg from his own original story?PoltergeistAccording to the American Film Institute, Poltergeist (1982) was the top-grossing horror film of its year and was co-written by Steven Spielberg from his own original story.
  61. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), which actor played Cesare, the sleepwalker who carries out his master's commands?Conrad VeidtConrad Veidt played Cesare while Werner Krauss played Dr. Caligari himself, according to Britannica.
  62. Florence Stoker blocked Nosferatu's London premiere in 1925 but could not stop its American debut. In what year did that American debut happen?1929Britannica notes the 1929 American debut went ahead because Dracula was already in the public domain in the United States.
  63. The original release of Dracula (1931) ended with an epilogue warning audiences that vampires really exist. Which actor delivered that warning?Edward Van SloanEdward Van Sloan delivered the epilogue, which the studio cut for a 1936 rerelease under the Production Code; the original ending is lost, per Britannica.
  64. Which actor turned down the role of the monster in Frankenstein (1931), the part that eventually went to Boris Karloff?Bela LugosiBela Lugosi declined the lead, after which James Whale was assigned to direct and cast Boris Karloff, according to Britannica.
  65. Who devised the lightning and electricity effects for the laboratory creation scene in Frankenstein (1931)?Kenneth StrickfadenSet designer Kenneth Strickfaden, a former electrician, built the lab's electrical effects, per Smithsonian Magazine.
  66. Jack Pierce, head of Universal's makeup department, spent how long applying Boris Karloff's makeup for The Mummy?Eight hoursSmithsonian Magazine reports that Pierce spent eight hours on Karloff's Mummy makeup.
  67. In Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), which actor played Frankenstein's monster?Glenn StrangeGlenn Strange played the monster, with Lon Chaney, Jr., as the Wolf Man and Lugosi making his final appearance as Dracula, per the Library of Congress.
  68. Tod Browning's Freaks (1932), which cast real sideshow performers, was banned in the United Kingdom for roughly how long?About 30 yearsBritannica and the Library of Congress note the film was banned in the UK for some 30 years after MGM's Louis B. Mayer curtailed its distribution.
  69. Kong in King Kong (1933), designed by Willis O'Brien, was chiefly a stop-motion puppet of roughly what height?18 inchesBritannica describes Kong as an 18-inch (45-centimeter) puppet designed by Willis O'Brien for directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack.
  70. To promote which film did producer William Castle, the self-styled "King of the Gimmick," offer a $1,000 insurance policy against death by fright?MacabreBritannica credits the death-by-fright insurance stunt to Castle's promotion of Macabre (1958).
  71. Which actor played the Creature in Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) before taking the title role in Dracula the following year?Christopher LeeChristopher Lee played the Creature and then Dracula, while Peter Cushing played Baron Victor Frankenstein and later Van Helsing, per Britannica.
  72. Which film sits at No. 1 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years…100 Thrills list of the most thrilling American movies?PsychoAFI ranks Psycho (1960) No. 1 on 100 Years…100 Thrills; The Birds sits at No. 7.
  73. The Birds (1963), adapted for the screen by Evan Hunter, was based on a novella by which writer?Daphne du MaurierBritannica credits the source novella to Daphne du Maurier; Evan Hunter, who also wrote as Ed McBain, wrote the screenplay.
  74. On AFI's 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains, which character is ranked the No. 1 film villain of all time?Hannibal LecterAFI ranks Dr. Hannibal Lecter No. 1, ahead of Norman Bates at No. 2 and Regan MacNeil at No. 9.
  75. Who built the mechanical head, including the head-within-a-head, for the creature in Alien (1979)?Carlo RambaldiBritannica credits Italian effects artist Carlo Rambaldi with the mechanical head; Swiss artist H.R. Giger designed the creature itself.
  76. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson conceived which film after learning about the Gainesville Ripper, who killed five college students in Florida in 1990?ScreamBritannica traces the origin of Scream (1996) to Williamson learning about the Gainesville Ripper case.
  77. The Exorcist entered the National Film Registry in a class that also included Airplane!, The Empire Strikes Back, and Saturday Night Fever. What year was that?2010The Library of Congress added The Exorcist to the National Film Registry in 2010.
  78. The Academy Award for Makeup was handed out for the first time in 1982, for An American Werewolf in London. Who won it?Rick BakerRick Baker won the first makeup Oscar at the 54th Academy Awards; he has since won seven from eleven nominations, per the Academy.
  79. John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), starring Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, was made on a production budget of roughly how much?$325,000Box Office Mojo lists a $325,000 budget for Halloween, which has grossed about $47 million in the United States and Canada.
  80. Paranormal Activity was shot on a reported production budget of about how much?$15,000Box Office Mojo reports a $15,000 budget for Paranormal Activity, against about $193 million worldwide; The Blair Witch Project's reported budget was $60,000.
  81. As of September 2026, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse led Box Office Mojo's Vampire genre chart with a US and Canada gross closest to what figure?$300 millionBox Office Mojo put Eclipse atop the Vampire genre chart at $300,531,751 domestically as of September 2026.
  82. As of September 2026, what was the total domestic gross of The Shining (1980) across all of its releases, including its many re-releases?About $47 millionBox Office Mojo lists $47,194,352 domestically for The Shining across all releases as of September 2026, against a $19 million budget.
  83. Rick Baker won the very first Academy Award for Makeup, handed out in 1982 for An American Werewolf in London. How many makeup Oscars did he win in all?SevenThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences credits Rick Baker with seven Academy Awards for makeup from eleven nominations — the eleven being his nomination count, not his win count.
  84. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), which actor played the title character, the sinister Dr. Caligari himself?Werner KraussBritannica notes that Werner Krauss played Dr. Caligari, while Conrad Veidt played Cesare, the sleepwalker who carries out his master's commands.
  85. Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) has no musical score at all. What did Hitchcock use on the soundtrack instead?Electronic soundsBritannica notes that The Birds carries no musical score and that Hitchcock used electronically produced sounds in its place.
  86. Alfred Hitchcock shot Psycho (1960) cheaply in black and white with his television crew. Where did the finished film rank among the year's highest-grossing releases?No. 2Britannica notes that Psycho was the second highest grossing film of its year, a return that made Hitchcock's self-financing gamble pay off handsomely.
  87. AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores places Bernard Herrmann's Psycho at No. 4. Where does John Williams's score for Jaws sit on that list of 25 scores?No. 6The American Film Institute ranks Williams's two-note Jaws theme No. 6 among the 25 greatest film scores, two places behind Herrmann's Psycho.
  88. George A. Romero, who financed Night of the Living Dead by pooling money with friends, graduated in 1960 from which Pittsburgh institution?Carnegie Institute of TechnologyBritannica notes that Romero graduated in 1960 from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University.
  89. Tod Browning's Dracula entered the National Film Registry in 2000. In what year was the separately filmed Spanish-language version, shot on the same sets, added?2015The Library of Congress notes that the Spanish-language Dracula, made on the same sets as the 1931 Browning film, was added to the registry in 2015.
  90. As of September 2026, Paranormal Activity had grossed about $193 million worldwide. What was its first reported domestic weekend gross?About $78,000Box Office Mojo lists the film's first reported domestic weekend at $77,873, against a reported production budget of roughly $15,000.

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About the horror movie trivia quiz

Horror is the genre with the most devoted trivia players, because horror fans watch the same films over and over and remember them in detail. These 9 quizzes run 90 questions across the whole genre — the slashers, the hauntings, the creature features, the modern wave — from the films everyone has seen to the ones only the genre crowd has.

Easy stays with the titles that reached everybody. Medium assumes you have actually sat through them. Hard is for the person who can name the director, the year and the budget, and would like to prove it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the number one scariest movie ever?

There is no honest single answer — it depends on what frightens you, and every list you have seen was someone's opinion dressed up as a ranking. The quizzes here do not pretend otherwise: they ask what can be checked, which is who made a film, when, and what happens in it, not which one wins.

Are these classic horror trivia questions, or recent films?

Both. The easy quizzes lean on the titles that broke out beyond the genre; the hard ones go into the decades and the directors that only regular viewers follow.

Are there spoilers?

Yes, unavoidably — a question about what happens in a film gives away what happens in that film. If you are working through a watchlist, the easy levels stick to films old enough that the endings are common knowledge.

Can I use these for a Halloween party?

That is what they are for. The full set of 90 questions and answers opens at the bottom of this page and prints on paper, and there is a wider Halloween trivia page if you want questions about the holiday itself rather than the films.

No made-up answers

Every question here was written from a named source and reviewed before it went live.