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The 100 Best 90s Horror Movies

Scream, The Sixth Sense, The Silence of the Lambs, The Blair With Project: Our ’90s scary movies list is the best of the grunge era.

Oct 12, 2024 - 17:00
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The 100 Best 90s Horror Movies

(Photo by Buena Vista Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection. THE SIXTH SENSE.)

The Best 90s Horror Movies

Historically low gas prices. A boy band for every block. Philips CD-i. POGS. Maybe we just had it too good during the ’90s because audiences weren’t flocking much to horror movies this decade. As a result, there are less entries here than on our ’70s and ’80s lists. Nevertheless, if you feel like getting grungy and/or jiggy with it (in whichever order, we’re fair) then check out Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 40 Best ’90s Horror Movies!

The first half of this decade was notoriously rough for horror, as diminishing production value, lost craft, and sequel bloat buried the genre. Jason, Michael, and Freddy all got canceled, with only Wes Craven’s New Nightmare getting good enough reviews to show up on this list. Even more, New Nightmare‘s post-modern meta-story would pave the way for Craven’s own Scream, which would revive horror leading into the 21st century. Other highlights from this era in horror movies include the only one to ever win Best Picture (The Silence of the Lambs), the rise of Peter Jackson (Dead Alive, The Frighteners) and Guillermo del Toro (Cronos, Mimic), sophisticated adult fare (Jacob’s Ladder, Candyman), and winking B-movie mashups (From Dusk Till Dawn, Tremors).

Like a kiss from a rose or a rotting vegetable, here comes the best scary 1990s movies…TO THE EXTREME!

#1

The Ring (1998)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 100077%
Critics Consensus: Ringu combines supernatural elements with anxieties about modern technology in a truly frightening and unnerving way.
Synopsis: When her niece is found dead along with three friends after viewing a supposedly cursed videotape, reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako... [More]
Starring: Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani, Yuko Takeuchi
Directed By: Hideo Nakata

#2
#2
Adjusted Score: 109253%
Critics Consensus: Director Jonathan Demme's smart, taut thriller teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror, and benefits greatly from stellar performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
Synopsis: Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice... [More]
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Directed By: Jonathan Demme

#3

Arachnophobia (1990)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#3
Adjusted Score: 96232%
Critics Consensus: Arachnophobia may not deliver genuine chills, but it's an affectionate, solidly built tribute to Hollywood's classic creature features.
Synopsis: After a nature photographer (Mark L. Taylor) dies on assignment in Venezuela, a poisonous spider hitches a ride in his... [More]
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Harley Jane Kozak, John Goodman, Julian Sands
Directed By: Frank Marshall

#4

Misery (1990)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#4
Adjusted Score: 97055%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, this taut and frightening film is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date.
Synopsis: After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who... [More]
Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Frances Sternhagen, Richard Farnsworth
Directed By: Rob Reiner

#5

Cronos (1993)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#5
Adjusted Score: 95283%
Critics Consensus: Guillermo del Toro's unique feature debut is not only gory and stylish, but also charming and intelligent.
Synopsis: Antique dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) stumbles across Cronos, a 400-year-old scarab that, when it latches onto him, grants him... [More]
Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#6

Dead Alive (1992)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#6
Adjusted Score: 92546%
Critics Consensus: The delightfully gonzo tale of a lovestruck teen and his zombified mother, Dead Alive is extremely gory and exceedingly good fun, thanks to Peter Jackson's affection for the tastelessly sublime.
Synopsis: Overprotective mother Vera Cosgrove (Elizabeth Moody), spying on her grown son, Lionel (Timothy Balme), as he visits the zoo with... [More]
Starring: Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin
Directed By: Peter Jackson

#7

Tremors (1990)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#7
Adjusted Score: 91798%
Critics Consensus: An affectionate throwback to 1950s creature features, Tremors reinvigorates its genre tropes with a finely balanced combination of horror and humor.
Synopsis: Repairmen Val McKee (Kevin Bacon) and Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) are tired of their dull lives in the small desert... [More]
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross
Directed By: Ron Underwood

#8
#8
Adjusted Score: 94944%
Critics Consensus: Full of creepy campfire scares, mock-doc The Blair Witch Project keeps audiences in the dark about its titular villain, proving once more that imagination can be as scary as anything onscreen.
Synopsis: Found video footage tells the tale of three film students (Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams) who've traveled to... [More]
Starring: Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard, Bob Griffith
Directed By: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez

#9

The Sixth Sense (1999)
Tomatometer icon 86%

#9
Adjusted Score: 94487%
Critics Consensus: M Night Shayamalan's The Sixth Sense is a twisty ghost story with all the style of a classical Hollywood picture, but all the chills of a modern horror flick.
Synopsis: Young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened... [More]
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan

#10

Audition (1999)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#10
Adjusted Score: 86743%
Critics Consensus: An audacious, unsettling Japanese horror film from director Takashi Miike, Audition entertains as both a grisly shocker and a psychological drama.
Synopsis: This disturbing Japanese thriller follows Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a widower who decides to start dating again. Aided by a film-producer... [More]
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Jun Kunimura, Miyuki Matsuda
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#11

Scream 2 (1997)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#11
Adjusted Score: 86549%
Critics Consensus: As with the first film, Scream 2 is a gleeful takedown of scary movie conventions that manages to poke fun at terrible horror sequels without falling victim to the same fate.
Synopsis: Sydney (Neve Campbell) and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) survived the events of the first "Scream," but their nightmare... [More]
Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Directed By: Wes Craven

#12

Scream (1996)
Tomatometer icon 77%

#12
Adjusted Score: 84540%
Critics Consensus: Horror icon Wes Craven's subversive deconstruction of the genre is sly, witty, and surprisingly effective as a slasher film itself, even if it's a little too cheeky for some.
Synopsis: The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There's a killer in their midst who's seen a few... [More]
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard
Directed By: Wes Craven

#13

Candyman (1992)
Tomatometer icon 79%

#13
Adjusted Score: 86104%
Critics Consensus: Though it ultimately sacrifices some mystery in the name of gory thrills, Candyman is a nuanced, effectively chilling tale that benefits from an interesting premise and some fine performances.
Synopsis: Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) befriends Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa Williams) while researching superstitions in a housing project on... [More]
Starring: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons
Directed By: Bernard Rose

#14
#14
Adjusted Score: 81494%
Critics Consensus: Wes Craven's New Nightmare adds an unexpectedly satisfying - not to mention intelligent - meta layer to a horror franchise that had long since lost its way.
Synopsis: Reality and fantasy meet in unsettling ways in this installment of the long-running horror series, which finds director Wes Craven... [More]
Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Miko Hughes, David Newsom
Directed By: Wes Craven

#15

Mute Witness (1995)
Tomatometer icon 85%

#15
Adjusted Score: 86193%
Critics Consensus: Mute Witness is a slickly crafted horror/thriller with some surprising comic twists.
Synopsis: Billy (Mary Sudina) is mute, but it hasn't kept her from becoming a successful makeup artist. While in Russia, working... [More]
Starring: Mary Sudina, Fay Ripley, Evan Richards, Oleg Jankovskij
Directed By: Anthony Waller

#16

Poison (1991)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#16
Adjusted Score: 81492%
Critics Consensus: Claustrophobic and quirky horror, this is a decently dirty debut for director Todd Haynes.
Synopsis: Three stories: "Hero," about a boy who kills his father; "Horror," black-and-white sci-fi; and "Homo," set in prison.... [More]
Starring: Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Scott Renderer, Millie White
Directed By: Todd Haynes

#17

Habit (1996)
Tomatometer icon 75%

#17
Adjusted Score: 75597%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Sam (Larry Fessenden), a down-and-out New Yorker who is grieving over his father's death and has just broken up with... [More]
Starring: Larry Fessenden, Meredith Snaider, Aaron Beall, Patricia Coleman
Directed By: Larry Fessenden

#18
#18
Adjusted Score: 72025%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A police detective falls under hallucinatory spells while trying to capture the sadistic man who raped her.... [More]
Starring: Asia Argento, Thomas Kretschmann, Marco Leonardi, Luigi Diberti
Directed By: Dario Argento

#19

Funny Games (1997)
Tomatometer icon 73%

#19
Adjusted Score: 75082%
Critics Consensus: Violent images and blunt audience provocation make up this nihilistic experiment from one of cinema's more difficult filmmakers.
Synopsis: An idyllic lakeside vacation home is terrorized by Paul (Arno Frisch) and Peter (Frank Giering), a pair of deeply disturbed... [More]
Starring: Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, Frank Giering, Arno Frisch
Directed By: Michael Haneke

#20

Body Bags (1993)
Tomatometer icon 73%

#20
Adjusted Score: 73191%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Filmmaker John Carpenter introduces a trio of terror tales: "Unleaded," "Hair" and Tobe Hooper's "Baseball Man."... [More]
Starring: Alex Datcher, Mark Hamill, Stacy Keach, Robert Carradine
Directed By: John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper

#21

Beloved (1998)
Tomatometer icon 72%

#21
Adjusted Score: 79882%
Critics Consensus: A powerful, emotional and successful film adaptation of the original novel.
Synopsis: In 1873 Ohio, Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is a mother of three haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate... [More]
Starring: Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Thandiwe Newton, Kimberly Elise
Directed By: Jonathan Demme

#22

Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Tomatometer icon 72%

#22
Adjusted Score: 77492%
Critics Consensus: Even with its disorienting leaps of logic and structure, Jacob's Ladder is an engrossing, nerve-shattering experience.
Synopsis: After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations... [More]
Starring: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven
Directed By: Adrian Lyne

#23
#23
Adjusted Score: 76207%
Critics Consensus: Gremlins 2 trades the spiky thrills of its predecessor for looney satire, yielding a succession of sporadically clever gags that add some flavor to a recycled plot.
Synopsis: The magical collectibles store that Gizmo calls home has just been destroyed, and the tiny monster finds his way into... [More]
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky
Directed By: Joe Dante

#24

Body Snatchers (1993)
Tomatometer icon 71%

#24
Adjusted Score: 73357%
Critics Consensus: Body Snatchers may not topple previous adaptions, but it boasts an effective sense of dread and strong characterizations.
Synopsis: When Environmental Protection Agency inspector Steve Malone (Terry Kinney) travels to a remote military base in order to check for... [More]
Starring: Gabrielle Anwar, Terry Kinney, Billy Wirth, Meg Tilly
Directed By: Abel Ferrara

#25

Basket Case 2 (1990)
Tomatometer icon 71%

#25
Adjusted Score: 46765%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his Siamese twin in a wicker basket join an eccentric (Annie Ross) and her human... [More]
Starring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Annie Ross, Kathryn Meisle, Heather Rattray
Directed By: Frank Henenlotter

#26

Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Tomatometer icon 70%

#26
Adjusted Score: 76372%
Critics Consensus: It isn't Tim Burton's best work, but Sleepy Hollow entertains with its stunning visuals and creepy atmosphere.
Synopsis: Set in 1799, "Sleepy Hollow" is based on Washington Irving's classic tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Faithful to the... [More]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon
Directed By: Tim Burton

#27
#27
Adjusted Score: 72290%
Critics Consensus: Held aloft by gonzo black comedy and socially conscious subtext, The People Under The Stairs marks a unique -- though wildly uneven -- change of pace for director Wes Craven.
Synopsis: When young Fool (Brandon Adams) breaks into the home of his family's greedy and uncaring landlords, he discovers a disturbing... [More]
Starring: Brandon Quintin Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A.J. Langer
Directed By: Wes Craven

#28
#28
Adjusted Score: 80354%
Critics Consensus: Overblown in the best sense of the word, Francis Ford Coppola's vision of Bram Stoker's Dracula rescues the character from decades of campy interpretations -- and features some terrific performances to boot.
Synopsis: Adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel. Gary Oldman plays Dracula whose lonely soul is determined to reunite with his... [More]
Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

#29

Army of Darkness (1992)
Tomatometer icon 69%

#29
Adjusted Score: 76796%
Critics Consensus: Some of the evil magic is gone as this trilogy capper dispenses with most of the scares, but Bruce Campbell's hammy charm and Sam Raimi's homage to classic visual effects make for a fun enough adventure.
Synopsis: 3rd Evil Dead movie. Ash (Bruce Campbell) finds himself trapped in medieval times. He must quest for the Necronomicon, a... [More]
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert, Ian Abercrombie
Directed By: Sam Raimi

#30

Lost Highway (1997)
Tomatometer icon 69%

#30
Adjusted Score: 72546%
Critics Consensus: Marking a further escalation in David Lynch's surrealist style, Lost Highway is a foreboding mystery that arguably leads to a dead end, although it is signposted throughout with some of the director's most haunting images yet.
Synopsis: From this inventory of imagery, Lynch fashions two separate but intersecting stories, one about a jazz musician (Bill Pullman), tortured... [More]
Starring: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Blake
Directed By: David Lynch

#31

Stir of Echoes (1999)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#31
Adjusted Score: 73172%
Critics Consensus: Kevin Bacon's acting is so genuine that it's creepy and director David Keopp knows how to create true suspense.
Synopsis: Blue-collar family man Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) scoffs at supernatural phenomena -- until he lets his wife's sister, Lisa (Illeana... [More]
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Liza Weil
Directed By: David Koepp

#32
#32
Adjusted Score: 70198%
Critics Consensus: Night of the Living Dead doesn't quite reinvent the original's narrative, but its sleek action and amplified gore turn it into a worthy horror showcase.
Synopsis: For reasons unknown, the recently deceased are rising from the grave as flesh-hungry zombies. Fleeing from the undead horde, a... [More]
Starring: Tony Todd, Patricia Tallman, Tom Towles, McKee Anderson
Directed By: Tom Savini

#33

It (1990)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#33
Adjusted Score: 69351%
Critics Consensus: Though hampered by an uneven second half, It supplies a wealth of funhouse thrills and an idelible turn from Tim Curry as Pennywise.
Synopsis: In 1960, seven preteen outcasts fight an evil demon that poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite... [More]
Starring: Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Richard Masur, Annette O'Toole
Directed By: Tommy Lee Wallace

#34

The Frighteners (1996)
Tomatometer icon 67%

#34
Adjusted Score: 69441%
Critics Consensus: Boasting top-notch special effects and exuberant direction from Peter Jackson, The Frighteners is visually striking but tonally uneven.
Synopsis: Once an architect, Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster... [More]
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin
Directed By: Peter Jackson

#35
#35
Adjusted Score: 67196%
Critics Consensus: Tim Matheson's gripping performance and a strong mood make Sometimes They Come Back an effective, if not wholly revelatory, Stephen King adaptation.
Synopsis: High school teacher Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) reluctantly returns to his hometown with his wife (Brooke Adams) to pursue a... [More]
Starring: Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams, William Sanderson, Robert Gorman
Directed By: Tom McLoughlin

#36

Mimic (1997)
Tomatometer icon 65%

#36
Adjusted Score: 67775%
Critics Consensus: Mimic finds director Guillermo del Toro struggling to inject his unique sensibilities into a studio picture - and delivering just enough genre thrills to recommend.
Synopsis: When a cockroach-spread plague threatens to decimate the child population of New York City, evolutionary biologist Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino)... [More]
Starring: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin, Giancarlo Giannini
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#37

Nadja (1994)
Tomatometer icon 64%

#37
Adjusted Score: 65080%
Critics Consensus: Nadja approaches the Dracula legend from an idiosyncratic angle - and with just enough visual style to overcome uneven storytelling.
Synopsis: After her father, Dracula, is killed, vampire Nadja (Elina Lowensohn) launches a feud against her father's murderer, Dr. Van Helsing... [More]
Starring: Elina Löwensohn, Jared Harris, Peter Fonda, Suzy Amis
Directed By: Michael Almereyda

#38
#38
Adjusted Score: 56340%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After spending all the reward money from his first encounter with the giant man-eating worms called "Graboids," Earl Bassett (Fred... [More]
Starring: Fred Ward, Michael Gross, Chris Gartin, Helen Shaver
Directed By: S.S. Wilson

#39
#39
Adjusted Score: 67241%
Critics Consensus: Despite lacking some of the book's subtler shadings, and suffering from some clumsy casting, Interview with a Vampire benefits from Neil Jordan's atmospheric direction and a surfeit of gothic thrills.
Synopsis: Born as an 18th-century lord, Louis is now a bicentennial vampire, telling his story to an eager biographer. Suicidal after... [More]
Starring: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea
Directed By: Neil Jordan

#40
#40
Adjusted Score: 66777%
Critics Consensus: Though it is ultimately somewhat undone by its own lofty ambitions, The Devil's Advocate is a mostly effective blend of supernatural thrills and character exploration.
Synopsis: Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) accepts a high-powered position at a New York law firm headed by... [More]
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones
Directed By: Taylor Hackford

#41

Wolf (1994)
Tomatometer icon 62%

#41
Adjusted Score: 65991%
Critics Consensus: Wolf misses the jugular after showing flashes of killer instinct early on, but engaging stars and deft direction make this a unique horror-romance worth watching.
Synopsis: After being bitten by a wolf in rural Vermont, aging book editor Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) finds himself full of... [More]
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan
Directed By: Mike Nichols

#42

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#42
Adjusted Score: 66158%
Critics Consensus: A pulpy crime drama/vampire film hybrid, From Dusk Till Dawn is an uneven but often deliriously enjoyable B-movie.
Synopsis: On the run from a bank robbery that left several police officers dead, Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and his paranoid,... [More]
Starring: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

#43

Cube (1997)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#43
Adjusted Score: 65082%
Critics Consensus: Cube sometimes struggles with where to take its intriguing premise, but gripping pace and an impressive intelligence make it hard to turn away.
Synopsis: Without remembering how they got there, several strangers awaken in a prison of cubic cells, some of them booby-trapped. There's... [More]
Starring: Maurice Dean Wint, Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni, David Hewlett
Directed By: Vincenzo Natali

#44
#44
Adjusted Score: 64058%
Critics Consensus: If you're only going to watch one black comedy about a real-life explorer whose fellow travelers ended up eaten, make it Cannibal! The Musical.
Synopsis: A man (Juan Schwartz) convicted of cannibalism tells a reporter his story, complete with singing and dancing.... [More]
Starring: Trey Parker, Ian Hardin, Matt Stone, Jon Hegel
Directed By: Trey Parker

#45

Raising Cain (1992)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#45
Adjusted Score: 65953%
Critics Consensus: Raising Cain doesn't rank with Brian De Palma's best work, but John Lithgow's spellbinding split-personality performance makes this thriller hard to dismiss.
Synopsis: A highly regarded child psychologist, Dr. Carter Nix (John Lithgow) has shown signs of being unstable, but he completely snaps... [More]
Starring: John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Steven Bauer, Frances Sternhagen
Directed By: Brian De Palma

#46

Cemetery Man (1995)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#46
Adjusted Score: 64698%
Critics Consensus: Cemetery Man will frustrate viewers seeking narrative cohesion or coherence, but this surreal blend of humor and horror should satisfy B-movie fans in the mood for quirk.
Synopsis: Something is causing the dead to rise from their graves as flesh-eating zombies, and cemetery custodian Francesco Dellamorte (Rupert Everett)... [More]
Starring: Rupert Everett, François Hadji-Lazaro, Anna Falchi, Stefano Masciarelli
Directed By: Michele Soavi

#47

Two Evil Eyes (1990)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#47
Adjusted Score: 63788%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Directors Dario Argento and George Romero adapt Edgar Allan Poe's "The Facts About Mr. Valdeman" and "The Black Cat."... [More]
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Adrienne Barbeau, Ramy Zada, Bingo O'Malley
Directed By: Dario Argento, George A. Romero

#48

Maniac Cop 2 (1991)
Tomatometer icon 62%

#48
Adjusted Score: 62296%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Renegade police officer Matthew Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) once roamed the streets of New York City unleashing his murderous brand of... [More]
Starring: Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Michael Lerner, Bruce Campbell
Directed By: William Lustig

#49

The Dark Half (1993)
Tomatometer icon 62%

#49
Adjusted Score: 65008%
Critics Consensus: The Dark Half is a highly serious psychological study that can be faulted for being more curious than actually scary.
Synopsis: Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) has had success writing novels under both his real name and his pseudonym, George Stark, which... [More]
Starring: Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan, Michael Rooker, Julie Harris
Directed By: George A. Romero

#50

Kolobos (1999)
Tomatometer icon 60%

#50
Adjusted Score: 17167%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Terror strikes five young adults who agreed to be filmed for three months in a remote mountain home.... [More]
Starring: Amy Weber, Donny Terranova, Nicole Pelerine, John Fairlie
Directed By: Daniel Liatowitsch, David Todd Ocvirk

#51

Frankenhooker (1990)
Tomatometer icon 60%

#51
Adjusted Score: 60411%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A New Jersey mad doctor (James Lorinz) rebuilds his girlfriend (Patty Mullen) with body parts from exploded hookers.... [More]
Starring: James Lorinz, Patty Mullen, Charlotte J. Helmkamp, Shirley Stoler
Directed By: Frank Henenlotter

#52
#52
Adjusted Score: 62300%
Critics Consensus: If it fails to make the most of its intriguing premise, In the Mouth of Madness remains a decent enough diversion for horror fans and John Carpenter completists.
Synopsis: When horror novelist Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow) goes missing, insurance investigator John Trent (Sam Neill) scrutinizes the claim made by... [More]
Starring: Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, Charlton Heston
Directed By: John Carpenter

#53

The Exorcist III (1990)
Tomatometer icon 59%

#53
Adjusted Score: 62328%
Critics Consensus: The Exorcist III is a talky, literary sequel with some scary moments that rival anything from the original.
Synopsis: Police Lt. Kinderman (George C. Scott) notices similarities between his current murder investigation and the methods used by the "Gemini"... [More]
Starring: George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller
Directed By: William Peter Blatty

#54

Lord of Illusions (1995)
Tomatometer icon 58%

#54
Adjusted Score: 59192%
Critics Consensus: Lord of Illusions may come as something of a disappointment in the context of writer-director Clive Barker's best work, but genre fans should be reasonably diverted.
Synopsis: Private eye Harry D'Amour (Scott Bakula) travels to Los Angeles and meets with a new client, Dorothea Swann (Famke Janssen).... [More]
Starring: Scott Bakula, Kevin J. O'Connor, Famke Janssen, Vincent Schiavelli
Directed By: Clive Barker

#55

Tales From the Hood (1995)
Tomatometer icon 58%

#55
Adjusted Score: 59024%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A creepy mortician, Mr. Simms (Clarence Williams III), attempts to scare teenage drug dealer Stack (Joe Torry) and his friends... [More]
Starring: Clarence Williams III, Joe Torry, Wings Hauser, Anthony Griffith
Directed By: Rusty Cundieff

#56

The Faculty (1998)
Tomatometer icon 58%

#56
Adjusted Score: 61476%
Critics Consensus: Rip-off of other sci-fi thrillers.
Synopsis: To the students at Harrington High, the principal and her posse of teachers have always been a little odd, but... [More]
Starring: Jordana Brewster, Clea Duvall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

#57

The Craft (1996)
Tomatometer icon 57%

#57
Adjusted Score: 60795%
Critics Consensus: The Craft's campy magic often overrides the feminist message at its story's core, but its appealing cast and postmodern perspective still cast a sporadic spell.
Synopsis: After transferring to a Los Angeles high school, Sarah (Robin Tunney) finds that her telekinetic gift appeals to a group... [More]
Starring: Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True
Directed By: Andrew Fleming

#58
#58
Adjusted Score: 59896%
Critics Consensus: Halloween: H2O is the best of the many sequels, yet still pales in comparison to the original Halloween.
Synopsis: Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former baby sitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finds herself... [More]
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Adam Arkin, Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams
Directed By: Steve Miner

#59

Death Becomes Her (1992)
Tomatometer icon 55%

#59
Adjusted Score: 59535%
Critics Consensus: Hawn and Streep are as fabulous as Death Becomes Her's innovative special effects; Zemeckis' satire, on the other hand, is as hollow as the world it mocks.
Synopsis: When a novelist loses her man to a movie star and former friend, she winds up in a psychiatric hospital.... [More]
Starring: Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

#60
#60
Adjusted Score: 55191%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A teen (J. Trevor Edmond) uses an Army chemical to revive his dead girlfriend (Mindy Clarke) after a motorcycle accident.... [More]
Starring: Melinda Clarke, J. Trevor Edmond, Kent McCord, Basil Wallace
Directed By: Brian Yuzna

#61
#61
Adjusted Score: 46614%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An innocent young woman finds refuge from her wicked stepmother (Sigourney Weaver) with seven forest-dwelling outcasts.... [More]
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Sam Neill, Gil Bellows, Taryn Davis
Directed By: Michael Cohn

#62

Apt Pupil (1998)
Tomatometer icon 54%

#62
Adjusted Score: 56917%
Critics Consensus: A somewhat disturbing movie that works as a suspenseful thriller, yet isn't completely satisfying.
Synopsis: A high-school student (Brad Renfro) forms an unhealthy relationship with a former Nazi death-camp officer (Ian McKellen).... [More]
Starring: Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro, Bruce Davison, Elias Koteas
Directed By: Bryan Singer

#63

Nightbreed (1990)
Tomatometer icon 53%

#63
Adjusted Score: 55199%
Critics Consensus: Nightbreed's imaginative world-building and startling creature designs are no match for its clumsy, uneven plotting.
Synopsis: Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer) is haunted by terrifying nightmares of a city of monsters. He goes to see a psychiatrist,... [More]
Starring: Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg, Charlie Haid
Directed By: Clive Barker

#64

Ravenous (1999)
Tomatometer icon 52%

#64
Adjusted Score: 54772%
Critics Consensus: Ravenous tries bringing cannibal horror into an Old West setting, ending up with an uneven blend that will fail to satisfy most fans of either genre.
Synopsis: Upon receiving reports of missing persons at Fort Spencer, a remote Army outpost on the Western frontier, Capt. John Boyd... [More]
Starring: Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Davies, Jeffrey Jones
Directed By: Antonia Bird

#65

Casper (1995)
Tomatometer icon 52%

#65
Adjusted Score: 54541%
Critics Consensus: A meandering, mindless family movie that frequently resorts to special effects and transparent sappiness.
Synopsis: Casper (voiced by Malachi Pearson) is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James... [More]
Starring: Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle
Directed By: Brad Silberling

#66
#66
Adjusted Score: 51010%
Critics Consensus: A by-the-numbers slasher that arrived a decade too late, the mostly tedious I Know What You Did Last Summer will likely only hook diehard fans of the genre.
Synopsis: A year after running over a fisherman and dumping his body in the water, four friends reconvene when Julie (Jennifer... [More]
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr.
Directed By: Jim Gillespie

#67
#67
Adjusted Score: 47257%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The first of three dark tales involves resentful student Bellingham (Steve Buscemi) looking to an Egyptian mummy for help in... [More]
Starring: Deborah Harry, Christian Slater, David Johansen, William Hickey
Directed By: John Harrison

#68

Bride of Chucky (1998)
Tomatometer icon 45%

#68
Adjusted Score: 47077%
Critics Consensus: Bride of Chucky is devoid of any fright and the franchise has become tiresomely self-parodic, although horror fans may find some pleasure in this fourth entry's camp factor.
Synopsis: After being cut apart by the police, killer doll Chucky (Brad Dourif) is resurrected by Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), an ex-girlfriend... [More]
Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile, John Ritter
Directed By: Ronnie Yu

#69

Child's Play 2 (1990)
Tomatometer icon 44%

#69
Adjusted Score: 44506%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two years after serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) inserted his soul into a Chucky doll, a toy company... [More]
Starring: Alex Vincent, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Christine Elise
Directed By: John Lafia

#70
#70
Adjusted Score: 44204%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Ex-soldier Frank Brayker (William Sadler) is the guardian of an ancient key that can unlock tremendous evil; the sinister but... [More]
Starring: Billy Zane, William Sadler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Brenda Bakke
Directed By: Ernest R. Dickerson

#71

Species (1995)
Tomatometer icon 42%

#71
Adjusted Score: 47155%
Critics Consensus: Species shows flashes of the potential to blend exploitation and sci-fi horror in ingenious ways, but is ultimately mainly interested in flashing star Natasha Henstridge's skin.
Synopsis: When government scientist Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley) intercepts a space transmission containing the genetic sequence for an alien life form,... [More]
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker
Directed By: Roger Donaldson

#72

Body Parts (1991)
Tomatometer icon 42%

#72
Adjusted Score: 42894%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A psychologist (Jeff Fahey) loses his arm in an accident and gets another one grafted on, from a serial killer.... [More]
Starring: Jeff Fahey, Lindsay Duncan, Kim Delaney, Brad Dourif
Directed By: Eric Red

#73
#73
Adjusted Score: 39076%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After learning in "Hellraiser II" that he used to be British air force Capt. Elliot Spencer (Doug Bradley) -- before... [More]
Starring: Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, Paula Marshall, Kevin Bernhardt
Directed By: Anthony Hickox

#74

Popcorn (1991)
Tomatometer icon 38%

#74
Adjusted Score: 39094%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Real mayhem mars a B-movie revival featuring "Mosquito" and "Attack of the Amazing Electrified Man."... [More]
Starring: Jill Schoelen, Tom Villard, Dee Wallace, Derek Rydall
Directed By: Mark Herrier

#75
#75
Adjusted Score: 40238%
Critics Consensus: Buffy the Vampire Slayer's supernatural coming of age tale is let down by poor directing and even poorer plotting -- though Kristy Swanson and Paul Reubens' game performances still manage to slay.
Synopsis: For Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson), nothing is the same after she meets Merrick Jamison-Smythe (Donald Sutherland). Merrick tells the teen... [More]
Starring: Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens
Directed By: Fran Rubel Kuzui

#76

Leprechaun (1993)
Tomatometer icon 35%

#76
Adjusted Score: 35841%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Dan O'Grady (Shay Duffin) steals 100 gold coins from a leprechaun (Warwick Davis) while on vacation in Ireland. The leprechaun... [More]
Starring: Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton
Directed By: Mark Jones

#77

Disturbing Behavior (1998)
Tomatometer icon 35%

#77
Adjusted Score: 36798%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Steve Clark (James Marsden) is a newcomer in the town of Cradle Bay, and he quickly realizes that there's something... [More]
Starring: James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, Steve Railsback
Directed By: David Nutter

#78

Evil Toons (1991)
Tomatometer icon 33%

#78
Adjusted Score: 19739%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Four sorority sisters get more than they bargained for when they agree to renovate a haunted mansion.... [More]
Starring: David Carradine, Dick Miller, Monique Gabrielle, Suzanne Ager
Directed By: Fred Olen Ray

#79

Needful Things (1993)
Tomatometer icon 32%

#79
Adjusted Score: 34032%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When a creepy older man named Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow) moves to a small town in Maine and sets... [More]
Starring: Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer
Directed By: Fraser C. Heston

#80
#80
Adjusted Score: 33543%
Critics Consensus: Unsophisticated and unoriginal film fails to produce scares.
Synopsis: A millionaire with theatrical tendencies, Stephen Price (Geoffrey Rush) invites a number of people to stay in a vast creepy... [More]
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Peter Gallagher
Directed By: William Malone

#81
#81
Adjusted Score: 29650%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A newsman (Terence Knox) and his son (Paul Scherrer) snoop around a Nebraska town where children kill many adults.... [More]
Starring: Terence Knox, Paul Scherrer, Ryan Bollman, Christie Clark
Directed By: David Price

#82

Sleepwalkers (1992)
Tomatometer icon 29%

#82
Adjusted Score: 29680%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When newcomers Charles (Brian Krause) and his mother, Mary (Alice Krige), settle into town, the local residents do not suspect... [More]
Starring: Brian Krause, Mädchen Amick, Alice Krige, Jim Haynie
Directed By: Mick Garris

#83

Urban Legend (1998)
Tomatometer icon 29%

#83
Adjusted Score: 32616%
Critics Consensus: Elements of Scream reappear in a vastly inferior vehicle.
Synopsis: A university is beset by a rash of gruesome murders that resemble old urban legends. When her friend Michelle (Natasha... [More]
Starring: Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Michael Rosenbaum
Directed By: Jamie Blanks

#84

Wishmaster (1997)
Tomatometer icon 25%

#84
Adjusted Score: 26466%
Critics Consensus: Wishmaster searches for horror in the exploits of a supernatural being -- one whose powers, alas, evidently do not include the ability to summon a compelling script.
Synopsis: A gemologist (Tammy Lauren) unwittingly frees an evil genie (Andrew Divoff) that plays deadly tricks on her friends and acquaintances.... [More]
Starring: Tammy Lauren, Andrew Divoff, Robert Englund, Tony Todd
Directed By: Robert Kurtzman

#85

The Good Son (1993)
Tomatometer icon 25%

#85
Adjusted Score: 27033%
Critics Consensus: The Good Son is never good enough to live up to its unsettling potential, failing to drum up much suspense and unable to make Macaulay Culkin a credible psychopath.
Synopsis: Mark (Elijah Wood), a young boy who loses his mother, must stay with his extended family while his father is... [More]
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, Wendy Crewson, David Morse
Directed By: Joseph Ruben

#86

The Guardian (1990)
Tomatometer icon 25%

#86
Adjusted Score: 25129%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Optimistic about their future, well-off parents Kate (Carey Lowell) and Phil (Dwier Brown) hire the pleasant and lovely young Camilla... [More]
Starring: Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown, Carey Lowell, Brad Hall
Directed By: William Friedkin

#87
#87
Adjusted Score: 25279%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Three generations of the same family deal with the consequences of unleashing the forces of hell. In 18th-century France, Paul... [More]
Starring: Bruce Ramsay, Valentina Vargas, Doug Bradley, Kim Myers
Directed By: Kevin Yagher, Joe Chappelle

#88

The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
Tomatometer icon 23%

#88
Adjusted Score: 24229%
Critics Consensus: As disposable as its predecessor is indispensable, The Rage: Carrie 2 mimics the arc of Stephen King's classic story without adding anything of value.
Synopsis: When her closest friend commits suicide after being manipulated by the popular crowd, quiet and bookish Rachel Lang (Emily Bergl)... [More]
Starring: Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno, J. Smith-Cameron
Directed By: Katt Shea

#89

Dr. Giggles (1992)
Tomatometer icon 23%

#89
Adjusted Score: 25064%
Critics Consensus: Larry Drake's deranged performance as the titular doctor is just about all that distinguishes Dr. Giggles from its slasher brethren.
Synopsis: In 1957, Evan Rendell (Larry Drake) flees after his father is lynched for killing multiple patients in his effort to... [More]
Starring: Larry Drake, Holly Marie Combs, Cliff DeYoung, Glenn Quinn
Directed By: Manny Coto

#90
#90
Adjusted Score: 25490%
Critics Consensus: Reducing the once-terrifying Dream Reaper into a goofy caricature, this joyless climax will leave audiences hoping Freddy stays dead.
Synopsis: Murderous ghoul Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has slaughtered every last child in his hometown. He ventures on to a new... [More]
Starring: Robert Englund, Lisa Zane, Shon Greenblatt, Lezlie Deane
Directed By: Rachel Talalay

#91

Stigmata (1999)
Tomatometer icon 22%

#91
Adjusted Score: 26315%
Critics Consensus: The story is unconvincing and the acting is weak.
Synopsis: A young woman with no strong religious beliefs, Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) begins having strange and violent experiences, showing signs... [More]
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long
Directed By: Rupert Wainwright

#92
#92
Adjusted Score: 22782%
Critics Consensus: Doubling down on gore while largely abandoning the subtext and wit that made the original worthwhile, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh disappoints.
Synopsis: As her brother stands trial for the killing of an outspoken New Orleans professor, inner-city schoolteacher Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan)... [More]
Starring: Tony Todd, Kelly Rowan, Timothy Carhart, Veronica Cartwright
Directed By: Bill Condon

#93

Mikey (1992)
Tomatometer icon 20%

#93
Adjusted Score: 9884%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Bad things happen around a nice little boy (Josie Bissett) who has a hammer, a slingshot, a bow and an... [More]
Starring: Brian Bonsall, Josie Bissett, Ashley Lawrence, David Rogge
Directed By: Dennis Dimster-Denk

#94

Child's Play 3 (1991)
Tomatometer icon 19%

#94
Adjusted Score: 19595%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: It's been years since Chucky, the doll with the soul and the voice (Brad Dourif) of a psychopathic killer, was... [More]
Starring: Justin Whalin, Perrey Reeves, Jeremy Sylvers, Travis Fine
Directed By: Jack Bender

#95
#95
Adjusted Score: 20161%
Critics Consensus: A bland, weightless horror film that seems to want to mock itself as the proceedings drag on.
Synopsis: Billy Halleck (Robert John Burke) is an obese lawyer who accidentally hits a Gypsy with his car after his wife... [More]
Starring: Robert John Burke, Joe Mantegna, Michael Constantine, Lucinda Jenney
Directed By: Tom Holland

#96

The Haunting (1999)
Tomatometer icon 17%

#96
Adjusted Score: 21886%
Critics Consensus: Sophisticated visual effects fail to offset awkward performances and an uneven script.
Synopsis: This horror tale focuses on visitors to the secluded mansion of Hill House who have been called to the isolated... [More]
Starring: Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Lili Taylor
Directed By: Jan de Bont

#97
#97
Adjusted Score: 18204%
Critics Consensus: The Next Generation has the fortune of starring early-career Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger, but it services neither headliner well in a convoluted and cheap-looking slasher that doesn't live up to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre legacy.
Synopsis: After leaving their prom early, innocent Jenny (Renée Zellweger) and three other teenagers crash their car in the backwoods of... [More]
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Jacks, Tony Perenski
Directed By: Ken Henkel, Kim Henkel

#98

Jack Frost (1997)
Tomatometer icon 16%

#98
Adjusted Score: 16464%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: As notorious serial killer Jack Frost is being driven to his execution, the truck carrying the murderer encounters a bizarre... [More]
Starring: Scott MacDonald, Christopher Allport, Stephen Mendel, Eileen Seeley
Directed By: Michael Cooney

#99
#99
Adjusted Score: 17058%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After being blown away by a team of FBI agents, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) needs to find a way to... [More]
Starring: John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Kane Hodder, Steven Williams
Directed By: Adam Marcus

#100

Idle Hands (1999)
Tomatometer icon 16%

#100
Adjusted Score: 18200%
Critics Consensus: An uneasy mix of slapstick and gore, Idle Hands lacks the manic energy and comedic inspiration required to pull off its goofy premise.
Synopsis: When slacker teen Anton Tobias (Devon Sawa) has his right hand possessed by a demonic force, he finds that his... [More]
Starring: Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba
Directed By: Rodman Flender
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