Scariest 90s Horror Movies

Movie fans like Quentin Tarantino often consider the 90s to be the worst decade for horror movies. It was the era that spawned terrible blockbusters and commercially-driven cash grab films. Despite how much people may malign the scariest 90s horror movies, there are still genuine pieces of cinema to be found in the the realm of horror. This era was an experimental period where horror fans saw the rise of found footage, psychological slashers, and meta horror about the genre itself. This period proved to be a breeding ground for films sufficient for any horror aficionado.

Ah, the late 90s horror movies. Some of cinematic history’s greatest and worst hits have come from this short period of time. Luckily, the Sarah Michelle Gellar-headed horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer falls into the former category. The story follows a classic slasher formula with a slight twist. Just as Final Destination would do a few years later, I Know What You Did Last Summer toys with the idea that the characters for whom we root aren't always the good guys. With a series of moral questions and a surprisingly solid plot, I Know What You Did Last Summer has actually made a lasting impression on the world of cinema—just don’t go anywhere near the remake.

However, the remake for this Austrian Michael Haneke film is just as good—if not better—than the original. Funny Games is a strange, captivating, and utterly terrifying meta-narrative on horror films. What has the audience come to expect of a genre designed to disgust us? Haneke has repeatedly criticized those who exit theaters feeling enchanted by the gore they had witnessed onscreen. If you like what you're watching, you're not doing horror correctly! While this is not the most accessible of horror films, it makes up for its obscurity through its unique approach to the construction of narrative plots. Haneke directed both the original Austrian version as well as the US remake (which uses the exact same script and an almost-identical set). The American version uses different actors in order to expose the film to a wider audience.

It’s never long until a Stephen King adaptation ends up on lists like these. The man is a prolific writer in the literal sense, and the film adaptations—although hit or miss nowadays—used to be guaranteed cinematic gold. It is a simple story on the surface, but the script plays upon our most subversive and common fears. Not for the faint of heart—and potentially scarring for many,—It has stood the test of time. Although some find the performance of Tim Curry a little too exuberant, I personally believe it remains one of the most chilling depictions of clowns in the past half-century.

Perhaps one of the more polarizing films on the list, Event Horizon had the distinct advantage of people eagerly anticipating its release. The now-popular Sam Neill (thanks to a stint in 1993’s Jurassic Park) paired with Laurence Fishburne to make an unusually high-budget, high-concept horror movie. For most, Event Horizon delivered on its promise of demonic scares. Heavily feeding off the lore of video games like Doom, Event Horizon was crushed by critics upon release. However, with the popularization of home video, the film soon found itself a dedicated cult following that eventually got an extended and more graphic edition released.

The Blair Witch Project is, in my mind, the absolute definition of lightning in a bottle. The movie released at just the right time. The internet was going through its first phase of total popularity, and the marketing campaign took advantage of the web by promoting the "truth" of the film's events on an obscure website. This marketing went to such an extent that many who went to see the film believed it was a chilling documentary rather than a fictional piece of horror. The Blair Witch Project can also claim responsibility for the “found footage” method.

It’s pretty difficult to find someone who wouldn’t agree that this is one of the best films of the 90s. The breakout hit of a young David Fincher, Se7en mixed the morbid with crime thriller conventions, making it a box office smash hit. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman lead the film on a strong and charismatic note, and the repulsive murders that are shown in vivid detail have ascended to the level of urban legend. Let’s just say that I’d rather not think about the lust killing any more than necessary. The strong script made this film feel like a step above many of its horror peers. Infused with the classically dry and depressing feeling of Fincher movies, Se7en is still revered as one of the director’s best works.

Many of the films that are selected on this list are significant for one reason or another. Ringu, in terms of international film culture, may well be the most important. Although foreign films have always been a niche interest in Western markets, it took the 1998 release of Ringu, a Japanese film, to really show wide audiences that foreign film is not as inaccessible as many are led to believe. The film’s story has now cemented itself into pop culture. After watching a strange video of a well, if the viewer does not find the mysterious escape clause, he or she will die in seven days. Latching on to the same fever in which The Blair Witch Project found itself embroiled, Ringu became a cult classic almost overnight. Hell, even the American remake isn’t that bad, and it still maintains a lot of what makes the original creepy. Modern classics don’t get much more apparent than this, folks.

Jacob’s Ladder is totally disarming in how it manages to scare you. The story follows a Vietnam vet in his small apartment, but a mixture of events that occur in relatively short succession lead to some of the trippiest dream sequences I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. Jacob’s Ladder has no intention of being a normal slasher film, and instead uses dissociative editing techniques, a stellar script, and raw, creepy imagery to produce scares. This is a great film to watch with a few friends and talk about for the rest of the night. Jacob’s Ladder never really found the mainstream audience that it may have been seeking, but it has found itself a passionate and loyal fanbase instead.

“I see dead people.” C’mon, it doesn’t get any more iconic than that. Although M. Night Shyamalan had some minor successes before the release of The Sixth Sense, this was the film that skyrocketed him into mainstream consciousness. For the two people that know nothing about The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis plays a pediatric therapist who tries to understand a small child’s ability to communicate with the dead. It’s an intriguing set up, and if you haven’t seen the film (and the twist somehow hasn’t been spoiled for you), stop reading this and go watch it right now. It’s one of the greatest plot twists in film history, and it has inspired countless other story turns in the years after its release.

What’s interesting about Urban Legend isn’t the film itself so much as it is a perfect encapsulation of what the horror movie genre was like in the late 90s. There was a definite galvanization of the horror movie genre that bended around the meta, and how any urban legend could be turned into a story. This Jared Leto flick plays upon the overriding idea that the local urban legend could be true in a time where more and more urban legends were being made into films.

This is a total guilty pleasure movie. Yet another late 90s horror movie, this high-concept film follows a group of teenagers as they begin to suspect that their teachers are from a different planet. It harkens back to a childlike belief that the teachers you see every day aren’t quite normal. Shows like Doctor Who were heavily influenced by this movie upwards of ten years after it first came out.

Stir of Echoes was a few years ahead of its time. Seemingly influenced by the likes of Se7en, this film focused on the cerebral, psychological aspect of the horror genre. The Game, Se7en, and Stir of Echoes all contributed to the evolution of the psychological horror movie. It was after this period in the 90s when a seemingly unshakeable fascination with insanity and psychological conditions seemed to grasp the imagination of the admittedly young audiences who came to see these kinds of films. Led by Kevin Bacon, Stir of Echoes never quite had staying power, but it’s more than worth checking out if you’ve never previously had the chance.

Locked-room horror was also on the rise. Many attribute Saw with the popularization of the sub-genre, but I can’t help but see that as a total snub of Cube, a film that is far superior in terms of quality. Cube’s concept is simple. A group of people wake up in an ever-shifting modular cube-like maze with lethal traps. As they move through, they begin to turn on each other, leading to some of the most enjoyable, popcorn-munching drama to come out of this period in cinematic history. If anyone ever tries to tell you that Saw is the most influential horror movie of all time, point them in the direction of Cube and watch their preconceptions disappear.

The slasher film to end all slasher films. As much as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th are pinnacles of the genre, Scream was able to combine all the best elements of the strange but popular arena, offer a commentary on the horror film industry, and deliver an entertaining roller-coaster ride. Scream will likely stick around for a while longer.

To call the performance of Anthony Hopkins anything short of legendary is a discredit to the unanimous discomfort he is able to instill in every viewer in his short 17 minutes of screen time. It just goes to show that his legacy of that character has developed a life of its own. A powerful influence on popular culture and an example of humanity's less than pleasant nature, The Silence of the Lambs will serve as a strong part of horror's history for years to come.