The '90s was a unique time in horror movie history. Slashers like Scream were especially popular, as audiences loved the humor that was blended into these scary films. There were also many movies about teenagers, and several films had corny tones that fit the time period. A movie night featuring one of these films is always going to be fun, whether the story is a total classic or a personal favorite that might be underrated.
While there are many beloved '90s horror movies, some of them might not be worth the praise that they got back in the day, and there are definitely a few scary movies that fall flat when today's horror fans watch them.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blair Witch Project started viral marketing, and horror fans are familiar with moviegoers thinking that the story was actually true. When fans of the genre watch this movie again today, it doesn't have quite the same feeling, which suggests that the excitement around how the movie was advertised might have made it more fun to watch.
While the concept of college students filming themselves staying in the woods and investigating whether there is a witch sounds great, the movie isn't scary, which makes it tough to love. The shaky camera work also gets a bit tiresome after a while and fans don't get the chance to really get to know any of the characters, which results in a film that seems like it's lacking a few common horror movie elements.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)
From the creepy monsters that Buffy kills to the different relationships that she has, there is a lot packed into the seven seasons of the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The 1992 movie starring Kristy Swanson as Buffy Anne Summers doesn't have the same exciting feeling. While the character is mostly the same and still kills vampires while living her teenage life, the movie has no scary scenes and the tone is very different from the TV show.
One thing that fans of the show love is the tone that is both creepy and funny. The movie feels cheesy and dated instead, especially when someone watches it today. It's fun to watch Luke Perry as Oliver Pike, as he does a great job with this character, but otherwise, the show is much better and really dives into what it's like to be a high schooler who has this double life that deals with the supernatural.
Tremors (1990)
The 1990 horror movie Tremors was really popular and led to a franchise, and Kevin Bacon starred as Val McKee, a repairman who dreams of a different life and who comes across monsters who are killing people. While the movie is celebrated and beloved, the monsters feel cheesy today, as they look like worms and are absolutely huge. It's tough to take the plot seriously because of this, and it feels like there are more interesting movie monsters.
There are some good things about the movie, like Val's feelings for Rhonda LeBeck (Finn Carter), and the actors do give it their all. But while Kevin Bacon is always a talented actor, it's more enjoyable watching him star in Stir Of Echoes, a '90s horror movie with bad timing because The Sixth Sense overshadowed it.
The Haunting (1999)
The Haunting Of Hill House's bent-neck lady is just one brilliant and horrifying element of the popular Netflix series from Mike Flanagan. Before Flanagan adapted Shirley Jackson's 1959 gothic novel, The Haunting came out in 1999 and also featured the story of the Crains.
The cast is definitely awesome: Lili Taylor plays Eleanor, who also goes by the nickname "Nell," Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Theo, and Owen Wilson plays Luke. But while the movie made a ton of money at the box office, it's hard to say that it compares to Flanagan's beautiful work. The movie plays like a straightforward haunted house horror movie instead of saying something meaningful about grief and family as the Netflix series does.
Idle Hands (1999)
A demon possesses Anton Tobias (Devon Sawa) in the 1999 horror movie Idle Hands... or, more accurately, it's only his hand. The movie is known as a totally cheesy story and it isn't trying to be something more. But the movie has a pretty large fanbase, with a 58% Audience Score rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Idle Hands doesn't add much to the teen horror genre, as there are no characters, relationships, or settings that feel special and important. It's fun seeing Seth Green play Mick, and the movie is definitely an enjoyable throwback if people enjoy seeing movies from this decade. But it's ultimately not super interesting because Anton is presented as a stoner character who doesn't have a lot going on, and he's not very compelling.