It's hard to find anyone who hasn't seen or at least heard of Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or The Silence of the Lambs — all excellent examples of the top 90s horror. However, there are other horror movies from that era that deserve the audience's attention just as much but are often overshadowed by big franchises and are unfortunately overlooked.
The '90s was an exciting decade for horror that produced many films that are considered modern classics today, introduced impressive villains that stand the test of time, and launched the careers of many genre stars. With the sheer volume of worthy features that hit the screens in the 1990s, some movies might have slipped under the radar and were spotted and appreciated only by the hardcore genre fans.
Updated October 11th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: The 90s saw some absolutely odd, off-the-wall, and downright disgusting Horror movies. Although there are many out there that would argue that the 70s and 80s saw a much better boom for the genre, it's hard to disregard some of the twists and turns that Horror media saw within the era. Horror films may have seen a bit of a "reduction in quality" during the decade but that doesn't mean there weren't gems hidden among the rubble. In fact, there are quite a few great and underappreciated 90s Horror films out there that many people are unaware of. To shine a better light on some of the best 90s horror films, the following list has been updated to show even more underappreciated movies.
Necronomicon: Book Of The Dead (1993)
The 90s were a strange time for Horror, so what better way to celebrate the era than looking into tales from one of the strangest and most prolific of all horror writers, H.P. Lovecraft? Necronomicon: Book of the Dead is an early 90s Horror Anthology that features three separate tales of terror across its 96-minute runtime. Each creepy mini-story is inspired by Lovecraft's unique brand of horror and the creators went all out in bringing the strange and macabre visions to the big screen.
Though the acting itself is very "90s Horror," with strange and disjointed dialogue and over-the-top reactions, the gruesome and sometimes wacky gore should keep viewers on the edge of their seats. There is so much to appreciate about this film visually, which used a lot of odd, off-the-wall, and downright creepy practical effects to create an anthology that is both engrossing and gross.
In The Mouth Of Madness (1994)
Famous Horror director John Carpenter saw massive success in the 70s and 80s as he was responsible for some of the most beloved films to ever hit the big screen, with classics like The Thing and Halloween standing out among the illustrious pack. As time went on, Carpenter didn't seem as "prolific" in the Horror scene as he once was, but he was still responsible for some underrated gems throughout the 90s. Of those, his best is perhaps In The Mouth Of Madness.
This monster movie features some great (and spooky) effects from the master himself, with 90s star Sam Neill taking the helm as the story's protagonist, insurance investigator John Trent. Trent is sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a Horror author. What ensues is a chaotic ride that offers great visuals and tension while simultaneously poking fun at the same Horror genre it's part of.
Dead Alive (1992)
Peter Jackson was responsible for helping bring The Lord of the Rings story to life on the big screen, and it's easily his most impressive accomplishment, but once upon a time, he was a well-respected Horror director. In the early 90s, Peter Jackson was working on a variety of Horror films, and one of them allowed him to flex his comedic muscles, as well as showcase his special effects talents.
Dead Alive is an absolutely gruesome zombie film on a smaller scale, following a woman that's bit by a Sumatran Rat Monkey and then transformed into a disgusting abomination. The film features some great comedic overtones. Fans who loved Evil Dead will definitely appreciate the campiness of this 90s Horror film. It's a wild, wacky, over-the-top, and extremely disgusting ride.
Cronos (1993)
Guillermo Del Toro is a true master of phantasmagoric horror and dark fantasy that has been mesmerizing the audience for almost three decades. Cronos, Del Toro's feature debut, set the tone for his upcoming movies and placed the Oscar-winning Mexican director on the map.
This gory, intelligent horror/drama follows a pious antique dealer Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi), who discovers a 400-year-old mechanical device in a scarab shape that can grant eternal life and youth but curses its holder with a hunger for blood and aversion to sunlight. With the help of his granddaughter, Jesús must find a way to reverse the curse while keeping the scarab out of the hands of the evil Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) and his nephew Angel (Ron Perlman).
This masterfully realized horror film offered a unique and fresh take on the well-worn vampire trope and helped establish Del Toro as a promising and strong director who will later deliver such masterpieces as The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth, and a more Hollywood-centric but still original Hellboy.
The Ninth Gate (1999)
This neo-noir horror thriller, directed, produced, and co-written by Roman Polanski, features Johnny Depp as Dean Corso, a cold-hearted and darkly charming rare book dealer/detective who is hired to authenticate a seventeenth-century satanic book, The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, that was allegedly co-written with the Devil and had the power to raise him. He is also tasked with tracking down two other surviving copies of the book and obtaining them by any means possible. The chase turns deadly, with Corso slowly but steadily descending into evil.
The Ninth Gate doesn't need jump scares to create an atmosphere of cold terror, suspense, and unease. Polanski uses minimal effects, allowing the sound, framing, and settings to foster the growing feeling of fear and approaching darkness. This underappreciated horror is seductive, dark, and deserves a place alongside Polanski's Rosemary's Baby and Donner's The Omen.
Ringu (1998)
While the American remake of this movie, The Ring, has popularized it for the Western audience, the original Japanese version remains one of the best examples of raw terror even decades later. The premise is simple: whoever watches a cursed tape with an ominous well gets killed by a creepy crawling girl in seven days unless they copy and pass it on. Sadako Yamamoru (known as Samara in the remake) is relentless, void of emotions, and can't be reasoned with or escaped — and that's what makes her and the movie so terrifying.
Ringu has launched an expansive franchise, prompted several remakes, and popularized Japanese horror in general. The film gets under the viewers' skin by getting close to breaking the fourth wall — after all, if everyone who watches the tape becomes Sadako's victim, doesn't it include the audience who just saw it as well?
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
This Tim Burton's dark, atmospheric, and visually-stunning gothic tale that stars Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lee, and Christopher Walken is one of those '90s gems that doesn't get enough recognition. Based on Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the movie follows a big-city police constable Ichabod Crane (Depp), who is sent to the village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders allegedly committed by a mysterious Headless Horseman. It's a beautifully-made Victorian-style murder mystery blended with supernatural elements and centuries-long secrets and persecution. The film manages to combine dark humor with outright terrifying and grotesque scenes and visuals, never slipping into absurdity or senseless gore.
Almost two decades later, Sleepy Hollow was followed by an acclaimed series of the same name that ran for four seasons and starred Tom Milson and Nicole Beharie. The original film is considered by many to be one of Burton's best creations and his collaborations with Depp and deserves a watch regardless of the season.
From Dusk till Dawn (1996)
The product of collaboration between the two innovators and masters of the genre, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, gained a cult following, spawned a franchise, and launched the film career of George Clooney. The story follows two American outlaw brothers (beautifully played by Tarantino and Clooney) who take a family hostage in order to cross the Mexican border and stop at a saloon that reveals to be a vampire den.
This bizarre mix between a hostage movie and a vampiric blood bath is filled with brilliant Tarrantino-style dialogues, overflowing gore in the best tradition of Rodriguez, a soundtrack that became as iconic as the movie, memorable scenes referenced in countless films to come, and an excellent cast that also features Salma Hayek, Dan Trejo, Harvey Keitel, and John Hawkes.
This masterpiece of modern horror spawned a worthy franchise that includes sequel films, a video game, a comic book, and a popular From Dusk till Dawn TV series. Due to its mixed genre, outlandish story, and explicit slasher gore, this movie, while revered by the Tarantino and Rodriguez fans, is often avoided by the general audience. However, it deserves the attention of any genre connoisseur and stands out as a hallmark of the '90s horror.