2 New Horror Movies Defy Box Office Curse Despite Rotten Reviews

The Strangers: Chapter 3 and Dracula post strong second-week holds despite poor Rotten Tomatoes scores.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Strangers: Chapter 3 and Dracula, two new horror movies released on February 6, 2026, have both managed to avoid the typical steep second-week box office drop that plagues many genre films. Despite earning dismal Rotten Tomatoes scores of 18% and 53% respectively, the films saw weekend-over-weekend declines of just 34.5% and 31.8%, an impressive feat for the horror genre.

Why it matters

Horror movies are typically frontloaded, with box office receipts dropping sharply in the second weekend. The fact that these two films have bucked that trend suggests they may have found an audience that is sticking with them, potentially making them sleeper hits at the domestic box office despite their poor critical receptions.

The details

The Strangers: Chapter 3, directed by Renny Harlin, is the concluding chapter of Harlin's new trilogy set in the universe of the Strangers movies. Dracula, directed by Luc Besson, is a new adaptation of the classic Bram Stoker novel starring Caleb Landry Jones. Both films debuted on February 6 and have managed to post impressive second-week holds, with The Strangers: Chapter 3 earning a projected $2.3 million 3-day total and Dracula earning $3 million.

  • The Strangers: Chapter 3 and Dracula both debuted on February 6, 2026.
  • As of Sunday, February 15, 2026, The Strangers: Chapter 3 is projected to earn $2.3 million in its 3-day second weekend, a 34.5% drop from its opening.
  • As of Sunday, February 15, 2026, Dracula is projected to earn $3 million in its 3-day second weekend, a 31.8% drop from its opening.

The players

Renny Harlin

The director of The Strangers: Chapter 3, the concluding chapter of his new trilogy set in the universe of the Strangers movies.

Luc Besson

The director of Dracula, a new adaptation of the classic Bram Stoker novel.

Caleb Landry Jones

The actor who stars in the title role of Dracula.

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What’s next

It remains to be seen how The Strangers: Chapter 3 and Dracula perform in their third weekends, but if they continue to show a similar level of audience retention, they could ultimately become sleeper successes at the domestic box office.

The takeaway

The strong second-week holds of The Strangers: Chapter 3 and Dracula, despite their poor critical receptions, suggest that these horror films have found an audience that is sticking with them, potentially making them sleeper hits at the domestic box office and defying the typical horror movie curse of steep second-week drops.