The Devil Inside's 'shocking' box office win: 4 theories

Despite atrocious reviews and a shoestring budget, the new horror flick's unlikely $34.5 million haul knocked Mission: Impossible from the weekend's top spot

"The Devil Inside"
(Image credit: Insurge Pictures)

Critics and audiences alike reviled The Devil Inside. Reviews for the weekend's new release, about a woman who performs unauthorized exorcisms, were abysmal at best, while audiences gave it an extremely rare "F" CinemaScore grade after screenings. Yet, in what's being called a "box office shocker," The Devil Inside won the weekend, knocking blockbuster Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol from its perch. The low-budget horror flick earned $34.5 million, one of the biggest January openings ever. How did this star-less film overcome its dreadful reviews? Here, four theories:

1. Young moviegoers turned out

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