It’s hard to put a label onhorror moviesfrom the 1990s. It was a decade that followed one of the most flourishing times for the genre at the box office. The 1980s gave us monstrous villains, killers who had it out for anyone who drank, smoked, or had sex. It was also an era of amazing special effects that horror fans look back on fondly. So, what would horror in the 1990s be like?
The 1990s had just about everything that scares you on the big screen. Ghosts, witches, aliens, realistic serial killers, and vampires all ruled the market. Everything you can think of in terms of sub-genres had made its way to the forefront. There wasn’t a top-dog genre in horror. A lot like today in the genre, there was something new each week being presented to us in a whole new light. It’s an era we keep going back to; you can’t put a label on 90s horror films. There’s too much going on in them. But you sure as hell can rewatch them multiple times. So here are the 20 most rewatchable horror films of the decade.
20The Haunting (1999)
One thing the genre began to do really well in the decade was attract A-list talent to the genre. By the end of the 1990s, a slew of haunted house movies had begun to show up. Some were even remakes of classics. 1999 saw the remake ofThe Hauntinghit the big screen, starring the likes of Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and an up-and-comer by the name of Owen Wilson.
Some may call this an atrocious adaptation ofThe Haunting of Hill House. And in comparison to Mike Flanagan’s Netflix limited series, it’s a fair argument. However, there are some awesome atmospheric scares in the film. The gothic mansion is beautifully created in the set design. However, some of the ghostly special effects take you out of the movie. But all in all, this one doesn’t deserve all the hate it gets.
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19Anaconda (1997)
Speaking of movies that get a lot of hate but work perfectly with turning your brain off and having a good time with, 1997’sAnaconda.Once again, an A-list cast in a horror movie, this time it stars Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Ice Cube, and once again a young and up-and-coming actor named Owen Wilson, and is about a giant snake that is stalking a film crew on the Amazon River.
The snake is laughable in its CGI moments, but in its practical puppet work, it is actually kind of terrifying if you really get into the mindset of encountering something like this. The film as a whole has incredible replay value. But to really break it down, watching Jon Voight, who, by the way, looks like he’s having a ball playing his bad guy role in this film, getting eaten by a giant snake can easily get embedded in one’s mind. What a wild death scene!
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18The Frighteners (1996)
The Frighteners
A few years afterThe Frightenerswas released, director Peter Jackson would go on to make one of the best fantasy adaptations of all time withThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy. ButThe Frightenersis living proof that his roots are in horror. In what would be Michael J. Fox’s last leading role in a film, he plays an architect whose wife died in a car accident, and now he can see ghosts and tell who is about to die.The horrific moments in the film mesh well with its humor.It solidifies Peter Jackson as one of the few directors who can blend both genres really well.
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17Stir of Echoes (1999)
Stir of Echoes
It’s utterly disrespectful how overlooked 1999’sStir of Echoesis. The fact that it came out a month afterThe Sixth Sensemay mean it was stuck in its shadow, potentially. Kevin Bacon returns to the horror genre as a blue-collar working man with a wife and son who moves into a tight-knit neighborhood. When his sister-in-law performs hypnoticism on him, it conjures up visions of a ghostly teenage girl.
The mystery behind these visions unravels a dark secret in the neighborhood. It’s a film with insane, ghostly jump scares, but it’s nothing that even a fairweather horror fan can’t handle. There is also an intriguing mystery that unfolds as the film goes on. An underrated horror/thriller gem to turn onto anyone who may have passed up on it.
16Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Jacob’s Ladder
If you read above,Jacob’s Ladderis actually labeled a drama. And there is some truth to that. The film is an utterly terrifying commentary on PTSD for a Vietnam veteran (Tim Robbins). It is a film that follows its lead as he descends into madness, not knowing what is real and what is fake. The hypnotic, grizzly imagery of what Jacob sees is what sells this movie to its audience. Horror fans may want to watch this over and over. General movie fans may be one and done with it due to how absolutely frightening and dramatic the film is. Also, the remake of this isn’t worth your time. Stick with this classic.
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15The Exorcist III (1990)
Exorcist 3
The Exorcist IIImay just be better than you remember if you saw it in theaters. A film that has gotten a massive following over the last few years. The originalExorcistdirector, the late great William Friedkin, praised this one (and most likely hated the other ones). It starred George C. Scott, who is investigating murders that look like they were done by a killer who has been dead for fifteen years. To say more gives away the fun of all of it.
The Exorcist IIIblends horror and mystery around a serial killer story, and then adds in the occult into all of it. And let us not forget, it has maybe thegreatest jump scare of all time.
14Bride of Chucky (1998)
Bride of Chucky
In a cast that includes Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, John Ritter, Alexis Arquette, and an early role from Katherine Heigel.Bride of Chuckybreathed life into theChild’s Playfranchise, which has killer doll Chucky reconnect with his old girlfriend. The fourth installment of the franchise has so much rewatch value due to the humor being at an all-time high, as Jennifer Tilly’s performance as Tiffany (the human and the doll) matches up with Brad Dourif’s Chucky so well. Their chemistry is off the charts with their toxic relationship. It sets up the next few films ofChuckyand even the more recent television series quite well.
13Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
New Nightmare
After a string of sequels that made Freddy Krueger look like a cartoon character, it was time for one of the masters of horror to step back into a franchise he created.Wes Craven’s New Nightmaregets super meta in its plot line as it brings back Heather Langenkamp to play, well, herself. As a matter of fact, almost all major parties involved in the originalNightmare on Elm Street(no Johnny Depp though) return for a film that rebooted the franchise, to speak.
In it, they all learn that Freddy is indeed real and is trying to make his way into reality.New Nightmaremade Freddy scary again. He doesn’t have any witty catchphrases; he’s just there to do harm. The movie is yet another testament to Wes Craven and his genius in regard to making a great horror film.
These Are The Best Wes Craven Films, Ranked
The seminal director passed away in 2015, but left behind a tremendously spooky and varied filmography that’s hard to top.
12Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
With an all-star cast that includes Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Gary Oldman in the title role. Francis Ford Coppola created a spectacle that frightened audiences but also mesmerized them with the crafting of the classic vampire story,Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The argument is out there that the old Universal films and Hammer films were morefaithful to the Bram Stoker storyand its characters, but Coppola creates a world we can’t help but be intrigued by.
There is also great production design that looks up-to-date for the 1990s but also seems to pay homage to the older films with its sound stage style of production. Everything feels so lived-in, down to the costume design. There hasn’t been an adaptation like it since, with a director on Coppola’s level to helm it.
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11Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow
With films likeBeetlejuice, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands,and evenBatmanunder his belt. By the end of the decade, it was time for Tim Burton to really dive into the horror genre. Although there is humor inSleepy Hollow,it can get pretty scary. The adaptation of the Washington Irving classic story about a headless ghost who haunts a Hudson Valley town in the 1700s fits Burton’s aesthetic quite well; as a matter of fact, they were made for one another.
The Headless Horseman is relentless as he rides in on a horse to slice someone’s head off and then doubles back to pick it up to add to his collection. Sleepy Hollowwas also yet another great film that pairs Burton with his frequented leading man, Johnny Depp.
