Summary
- Underrated horror gems often dismissed by critics for relying on jump scares and gore for effect.
- Critically-acclaimed horror movies may still be misunderstood or underappreciated due to genre bias.
- Even commercial successes like Jeepers Creepers can be considered average by critics, despite unique elements.
Not all the best the greatest horror movies of all time.
Occasionally, critics are able to split the difference between films that raise enough eyebrows to not be considered altogether bad, but aren't enough to be recognized as the great movies they are. It's rare that a horror movie is simply regarded as "average" by professional movie reviewers, but when it does happen, it's often the result of a given critic not giving enough credit to the genre as a whole. From underrated horror gems to the most iconic names in the genre ever, plenty of great scary films have been dismissed as simply ok.
10 Best Documentaries About Classic Horror Movies
Many of the best horror films have made a lasting impact on pop culture and the genre itself, making for an intriguing subject of documentaries.
10 The Crazies
Released In 2010
The Crazies
- Release Date
- February 23, 2010
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
- Director
- Breck Eisner
Cast
Timothy Olyphant
WHERE TO WATCH
The Crazies is a 2010 horror film that acts as a remake to the 1973 movie of the same name. In the remake, a young couple must fight for their lives after a toxic virus infects their small farming town and turns its citizens into violent killers. Radha Mitchell and Timothy Olyphant lead the film alongside Danielle Panabaker and Joe Anderson.
A modern update on a forgotten 70s classic, The Crazies is the second film of its name and presence to grace the horror genre. In a small Midwestern American town, a biological weapon is accidentally unleashed against the normally peaceful population, turning half of the city's inhabitants into depraved murderers. Sitting at a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Crazies enjoyed a reception that could be called mixed at best, with vocal detractors lambasting the uneven performances and predictable plot.
Despite these shortcomings, The Crazies is a truly masterful prime example of horror direction excellence. Director Breck Eisner squeezed every iota of tension from the film possible, drawing out the infected citizens' murderous rampages into suspenseful nail-biting sequences. The pitchfork scene in particular was one of the most jarring horror moments of the 2010s, and deserved more attention than it got as a master class of the genre's ability to inflict negative emotions on its viewers.
9 Underwater
Released In 2020
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Underwater
- Release Date
- January 10, 2020
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Director
- William Eubank
Cast
Mamoudou Athie
WHERE TO WATCH
After a massive earthquake damages an oceanic research company's station, the crew must travel across the ocean floor to the safety of another base. The only catch is that the unknown waters are home to dangerous aquatic monsters. Underwater stars Kristen Stewart in the lead role alongside Vincent Cassel, Mamoudou Athie, and TJ Miller.
Underwater may have worn its influences on its sleeve, but its unique setting and star-studded cast should've afforded it more credibility upon its release. Set in a futuristic underwater research lab, the film stars Kristen Stewart as Noah Price, a mechanical engineer who must follow her captain to safety after a cataclysmic disaster befalls the undersea station. Not long after, the crew is picked off one-by-one by mysterious creatures.
ittedly, Underwater wears its Alien influence on its sleeve, being clearly derivative from Ridley Scott's horror sci-fi masterpiece. That being said, the unsettling, murky aquatic cinematography manages to evoke a sense of dread and thalassaphobia few films are capable of matching, which should be reflected higher than a meager ending of Underwater also manages to take the story in a surprising Lovecraftian direction in the last few moments, a flavor of horror modern cinema is sorely lacking.
8 Jeepers Creepers
Released In 2001
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Jeepers Creepers
- Release Date
- August 31, 2001
- Runtime
- 90 minutes
- Director
- Victor Salva
Cast
Jonathan Breck-
Gina Philips
WHERE TO WATCH
Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 horror film by writer-director Victor Salva. Headed home for spring break, siblings Trish and Darry Jenner are briefly tailed by an aggressive truck driver. Deciding to investigate him after seeing him dumping strange body-shaped bags into a nearby well, the two quickly discover they may have bitten off more than they can chew when they learn of the driver's supernatural and monstrous nature.
The early 2000s managed to set up its fare share of quietly successful horror franchise, not the least of which being Jeepers Creepers. A refreshingly simple creature feature, Jeepers Creepers follows a pair of siblings that find themselves in over their heads after earning the ire of the titular Creeper, a horrific monster that replenishes its strength with human body parts. On the bad side of average, Jeepers Creepers maintains a pitiful 45% on Rotten Tomatoes.
To be fair, Jeepers Creepers isn't the most intelligent film, with a bit of a meandering story laden with clumsy exposition. However, the Creeper is an utterly unique horror menace sure to send shivers down the spine of even seasoned veterans of the genre, and was a huge commercial success for a good reason. Not only that, but Jeepers Creepers has the rare honor of being a horror film to see both its protagonists unequivocally dead by the end, a rarity even by modern standards.
10 Best Horror Movies Of 2024
The best horror movies of 2024 offer a variety of sub and mixed genres among mainstream and indie hits, providing an experience for all audiences.
7 The Ruins
Released In 2008
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The Ruins
- Release Date
- April 2, 2008
- Runtime
- 91 Minutes
- Director
- Carter Smith
Cast
Jena Malone
WHERE TO WATCH
The Ruins is a horror film directed by Carter Smith, centering on a group of friends who encounter terrifying forces at an ancient archaeological dig in Mexico. As they attempt to escape, they realize the ruins harbor a sinister presence. The film stars Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, and Laura Ramsey, and is based on the novel by Scott Smith.
Horror movies starring killer animals are nothing new, with the first modern blockbuster, Jaws, hinging its success on the primal fear of such a premise. What's less common, however, is the concept of a killer plant, and other than a single infamous scene in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead, The Ruins is the only game in town. The film follows a quartet of tourists in Mexico that stumble upon the ruins of an ancient Mayan temple, only to be set upon by the killer carnivorous vines that have since taken over the building.
Sitting squarely at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Ruins has the definition of an average reception. The more squeamish, less horror-savvy critics may have been turned off by the film's cringe-inducing gore, which finds some disturbingly creative ways for simple plants to become terrifying. That being said, The Ruins manages to stay engaging even when it isn't terrifying viewers with its horrendous plant-based violence, keeping the tension high all the while.
6 30 Days Of Night
Released In 2007
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30 Days of Night
- Release Date
- October 19, 2007
- Runtime
- 113 minutes
- Director
- David Slade
WHERE TO WATCH
30 Days of Night is a 2007 horror film centering on an Alaskan town that is invaded by a group of violent vampires. Josh Hartnett leads the cast in the David Slade-directed film along with Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster, Mark Boone Junior, and Mark Rendall.
Vampires have come a long way since their introduction to pop culture literature in the late 19th century. From the romantic yearnings of the Twilight series to the leather-clad coolness of the Blade trilogy, vampires were quickly losing their horror presence in the mid 2000s. That is, until the bleak terror of 30 Days of Night made vampires scary again, telling the story of a tribe of vampires that descend upon a northern Alaska town in the Arctic circle where the sun doesn't rise for 30 days out of the year.
30 Days of Night is a harrowing story, a marathon of terror that lasts an entire month compared to the usually short time span of other horror films. Confoundingly, the film has a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, not accurately representing the success with which director David Slade navigates the ingenious premise. The carnage that befalls the town of Barrow, Alaska is compounded by the bleak, inhospitable cold, not to mention some of the most terrifying movie incarnations of vampires ever depicted.
5 Saw
Released In 2004
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Saw
- Release Date
- October 29, 2004
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Director
- James Wan
Cast
Dr. Lawrence Gordon-
Leigh WhannellAdam Faulkner-Stanheight
WHERE TO WATCH
Saw is the first installment in the horror franchise directed by James Wan. Released in 2004, the film follows two men who awake shackled in a derelict bathroom, discovering they are part of a sadistic game orchestrated by the enigmatic Jigsaw, requiring them to follow cryptic instructions to survive.
Saw needs little introduction as the film that essentially created the torture subgenre while simultaneously spawning a legacy of Saw sequels, each finding more twisted methods of torture than the last. The first film centers around two men trapped in a bathroom by the Jigsaw killer, a serial murderer who forces his victims to make drastic choices in order to survive his "games." To survive long enough to be found by the obsessive Detective Tapp, they'll need to unravel the mystery of their cunning trap.
For how iconic of a horror movie it is, Saw was surprisingly poorly-received upon its initial release. Even today, Saw languishes at a mere 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, betraying the film's excellence in performances, non-linear storytelling, and thrilling twists. While the Saw franchise may have never reached the heights of its progenitor film, the original 2004 recipe deserves more credit from critics as a genuinely great thriller, albeit one buried under a layer of snuff-adjacent gore.
4 Funny Games
Released In 2007
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Funny Games
- Release Date
- October 20, 2007
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
- Director
- Michael Haneke
- Writers
- Michael Haneke
Cast
-
Naomi Watts
Michael Pitt-
Brady Corbet
A wealthy couple enjoy the start of their vacation with their son in a house by a lake. Shortly after arriving, they are approached by two threatening young men who take the family hostage, subjecting them to a game of perversion and violence.
A fascinating thought experiment in exploitative content, Funny Games elaborates on the ideas presented by its predecessor of the same name. Taking the same name as its 1997 predecessor as a remake created by the same director, Funny Games tells the upsetting tale of a picture-perfect nuclear family set upon by a sadistic duo of criminals who torture them for sport. Perhaps a bit too intense for the average film critic, Funny Games has been sentenced to a 53% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
When the film needs to get dark, it can and does, showcasing the deft skill with which filmmaker Michael Haneke remakes his own material.
Funny Games functions as a scathing indictment of violence in media as a form of entertainment, breaking the fourth wall in creative ways not usually seen in a horror movie. When the film needs to get dark, it can and does, showcasing the deft skill with which filmmaker Michael Haneke remakes his own material. There is something to be said about critical assertions that the film is guilty of the same exploitative content that it chastises the viewer for enjoying, but asks some thought-provoking questions in a way few other horror films do.
3 Sleepy Hollow
Released In 1999
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Sleepy Hollow
- Release Date
- November 19, 1999
- Runtime
- 106 Minutes
- Director
- Tim Burton
WHERE TO WATCH
Sleepy Hollow is a supernatural horror thriller by director Tim Burton and Starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. Based on the original tale by Washington Irving, Sleepy Hollow follows constable Ichabod Crane as he is sent to the titular northern New York town to investigate a series of beheadings. However, the scholarly Crane's foe is a supernatural being that cannot be explained - The Headless Horseman.
Adapting the classic story of the Headless Horseman, Sleepy Hollow does justice to the iconic horror story it's derived from. A lesser-known entry in the filmography of Tim Burton, Sleepy Hollow sees the visionary gothic director in one of his most unrestrained projects yet, positively oozing with his signature style. Critics have only been able to mildly appreciate his efforts, capping the film's critical reception out at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It's hard to appreciate Sleepy Hollow without the background knowledge of Burton's Hammer horror film influences, with almost bright-pink blood and over-the-top performances paying clear homage to his visual predecessors. But even so, the phenomenal performances from the all-star cast, beautiful set design, and ghoulish atmosphere should've been enough to sway any critic. Sadly, Sleepy Hollow remains underappreciated as a horror movie and a Tim Burton entry.
2 The Thing
1982
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The Thing
- Release Date
- June 25, 1982
- Runtime
- 109 minutes
- Director
- John Carpenter
Cast
-
T.K. Carter
-
David Clennon
WHERE TO WATCH
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter's 1982 film is a remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
Today, John Carpenter's The Thing is regarded as a horror classic, inspiring a whole retinue of copycat films while becoming the gold standard for concept sci-fi thrillers. Telling the story of a tight-knit team of researchers who are torn apart by an insidious alien life form, the series has endured long after its release as a cult classic. However hard it may be to believe, there was a time when The Thing didn't have so favorable of a reputation.
Upon its release, The Thing was a commercial and critical failure, being lambasted as nihilistic and overly-reliant on gore by vocal detractors. How critics of the 80s were unable to see the appeal of the layered performances, ice-cold tension of the atmosphere, and groundbreaking special effects seems like a mystery forever lost to the rapid change of culture. The film's failures may have to do with being released around the same time as Stephen Spielberg's charming E.T. the Extraterrestrial, a far more palatable take on alien visitation.
5 Best Opening Scenes In Horror Movies, Ranked
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1 The Shining
Released In 1980
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The Shining
- Release Date
- June 13, 1980
- Runtime
- 146 minutes
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
Cast
-
Danny Lloyd
WHERE TO WATCH
The Shining is considered to be not only one of the strongest horror movies ever made by modern standards, but one of the best works ever by famed director Stanley Kubrick. Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, the film regards the Torrence family as they spend the Winter season in the isolated Overlook Hotel, only for patriarch Jack to slowly go mad in the wake of the evil location's corrupting influence. Like The Thing, The Shining may be considered a horror classic today, but that wasn't always the case.
One of the most vocal critics of the film is none other than Stephen King himself, who famously hates The Shining for how it handled certain aspects of the source material.
Opening to mixed reviews, The Shining was chided for its nonsensical story beats and loose plot threads that never get followed up on. One of the most vocal critics of the film is none other than Stephen King himself, who famously hates The Shining for how it handled certain aspects of the source material. All that said, there's no denying that Kubrick's vision was a masterful descent into madness that firmly earns its position as a horror movie staple.
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