4 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 43 | 2025 riod, they consistently brought strong box office performances. In 2022, three horror films were among the top 10 highest-grossing domestic productions (Taiwan Creative Content Agency, 2023). In fact, from 2020 to 2024, horror films have consistently ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing domestic productions. As shown in Figure 1, horror films have achieved a box office share more than six times their share of domestic production. The figure compares each genre’s representation in domestic film production with its presence among the top-grossing films over the same period. Whereas most genres exhibit ratios near 1, indicating a proportional relationship between commercial success and production share, horror demonstrates a significantly higher effect size, indicating that despite a limited share in overall production, Taiwanese horror films are received disproportionately well by domestic audiences. As explored later, a similar trend in horror consumption does not extend to other markets in East Asia. Moreover, according to the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development (2024), from 2019 to 2024, none of the top 10 highest-grossing foreign films screened in Taiwan belonged to the horror genre. Taiwanese filmmakers recognize this potential. Even though Hollywood blockbusters continue to dominate the local market, producers Aileen Li YiuWah and Michelle Yeh have identified horror as a strategic opportunity for Taiwan’s “toddling” film industry due to its relatively low production costs and strong box office performance (Mon, 2014). Taiwanese horror film In light of such a distinct genre preference, which varies between domestic and foreign offerings, along with the limited production volume of horror films, the question arises, which factors contribute to the noteworthy appeal of Taiwanese horror films among local audiences? Several key themes define the genre: its engagement with local folklore, contemporary societal anxieties, and a fragmented Taiwanese identity. Folklore Folklore is defined as “the unrecorded traditions of a people” (Brunvand, 1998). It broadly encompasses legends, superstitions, and stories. In Western horror, folklore has given rise to some of the genre’s most enduring antagonists, including Dracula, inspired by Eastern European vampire myths; Frankenstein’s monster, rooted in Gothic anxieties about the reanimation of the dead; and werewolves, drawn from medieval European legends. Despite the widespread popularity of Western horror and its well-established conventions, Figure 1 Ratio of box office representation to production share by genre in domestic Taiwanese films Source: Author’s calculations based on highest-grossing film lists from the Taiwan Creative Content Agency. Figure 1 Ratio of box office representation to production share by genre in domestic Taiwanese films Source: Author’s calculations based on highest-grossing film lists from the Taiwan Creative Content Agency
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==