1993 was a huge year for horror movies from slashers to more high-minded concepts. It was a good year for Stephen King in particular as he had a lot of his movies adapted into movies or mini-series. The 80s and early 90s were like his peak years in the movie industry.
Another big name that film buffs will recognize is Peter Jackson, the man behind The Lord of the Rings movie adaptations. He too distributed one of his earlier movies in the U.S. in 1993. These days, it's possible to find most of the best horror and thriller movies from 1993 for free or for rental via streaming networks.
8 Children of the Corn 2: The Final Sacrifice
Children of the Corn 2: The Final Sacrifice was far from the final movie in the franchise despite what its name might suggest. There would eventually be over ten movies, including remakes. This sequel was released almost ten years later, but the plot begins not long after where the original left off.
The children from the cult are seemingly lost without their parents so the town tries to raise them as best they can. However, it’s all a ruse because they are still under the influence of the cult and start causing havoc around town. The children are not as creepy as in the original but some funny bad moments make the movie well worth watching.
7 The Dark Half
The Dark Half is based on a Stephen King novel, one of many adaptations from his novels in 1993. It follows a writer who has a mysterious alias that is seemingly coming to life after he tries to kill the character in the books.
Is the author doing it himself and blacking out, or is there a mystical side to this story? The mystery is more complex than the one that is initially set up and should keep viewers guessing until the end. It has one of the wildest movie death scenes featuring birds too, which is reason enough to watch it.
6 Dead Alive
Dead Alive was released as Braindead in New Zealand in 1992 before getting rebranded for the U.S. market in 1993. It was directed by Peter Jackson when he was into horror movies and before he jumped into The Lord of the Rings. It is one of the wildest movies ever made and is almost indescribable.
The basic setup centers around a zombie infestation that was caused by a rat monkey. From there, it goes full kooky bananas involving zombie babies, a kung fu priest, and one of the vilest dinner scenes ever put to film. It is a must-watch for horror fans that like cheese.
5 The Good Son
The Good Son is like the unofficial sequel to Home Alone if Kevin McCallister grew up to be a legit murderer. A young Elijah Wood loses his parents in an accident, so he goes to stay with his aunt and uncle. Macaulay Culkin plays his cousin, who sees this as an opportunity to frame him for heinous acts.
Culkin plays an unsettling child so well which is why the Home Alone joke works so well. Other fan theories like to imagine Kevin growing up to be Jigsaw in the Saw movies, since both characters love to play with elaborate traps.
4 Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday is the second time in the franchise where the word “final” is used. The fourth movie, entitled The Final Chapter, was also going to be the end. After The Final Friday, there was one more numbered sequel, Jason X, followed by Freddy vs Jason, and then the reboot in 2009.
While the franchise did go on until 2009, the title is not completely misleading as Jason indeed goes to Hell. After returning to Camp Crystal Lake and going on a rampage, he is defeated once again. Then the literal gates of Hell open up to drag him down which was a wild way to end a movie in this franchise.
3 Leprechaun
Leprechaun is about a Leprechaun that kills people. It’s as simple as that and the original movie plays it safe. There are some silly moments but they pale in comparison to where the sequels would go well into the 2000s. There’s even one called Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood and it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.
This original movie can be thanked for creating one of the wildest horror franchises of all time along with giving the world an introduction to Friends star Jennifer Aniston. Also, Warwick Davis rules in anything he is in and it’s clear he is having a blast here.
2 Needful Things
Needful Things is another Stephen King adaptation. It also features the same Sheriff, Alan Pangborn, although the actors are different between the two movies. Ed Harris plays him in Needful Things and Michael Rooker plays him in The Dark Half.
This movie has been parodied in other media like Ricky and Morty with the episode “Something Ricked This Way Comes.” A mysterious man who is probably the devil comes to town selling items that corrupt its citizens. That’s the most basic of plot summaries, but it is engaging beyond that.
1 The Vanishing
The Vanishing is more like a thriller than a straight-up horror movie but it is indeed creepy. Perhaps the strangest thing about it is Jeff Bridges, who is putting on a voice of unknown origin. His manner of speaking is never explained but that’s partly why he is so unsettling in the movie.
Sandra Bullock and Kiefer Sutherland play a couple who retreat into the nearby mountains around Seattle to get away when Bridges’ character manages to kidnap Bullock's. Three years pass and Sutherland's character is still searching for her. He eventually finds out what happened to her and very nearly suffers the same fate.