Dialogue really makes or breaks a horror movie. While setting and characters are often the focus, as audiences need those elements to be scary and creepy, a film's script is really the deciding factor in whether fans want to turn it off or keep watching.
There are many '90s horror movies that need more appreciation, and several of these have dialogue that stands out, whether these quotes are unnerving, terrifying, or in some cases, they add some humor to an otherwise tense and dramatic story.
Nicole Walker Is Cynical In Fear (1996)
"Everybody says one thing and then does another."
Some '90s horror movies don't hold up but Fear is both a thriller about a serious subject and also a story with a fairly campy tone, which makes it watchable today. David McCall (Mark Wahlberg) and Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon) meet and fall in love right away, but it turns out to be a terrible, toxic relationship as David is abusive.
While Nicole has lived a regular life and seems happy, she feels different from others and like she doesn't fit in, which is why she feels so drawn to the mysterious and rebellious David. Nicole's quote describes something that many teenagers and even adults feel: that it can be hard to trust people as not everyone is reliable.
Sarah Zoltane Makes A Joke In I've Been Waiting For You (1998)
"Garlic is for vampires! Just ask Buffy! Doesn't anyone in this school watch television?"
I've Been Waiting For You is an underrated teen horror movie, with Sarah Chalke playing the main character Sarah Zoltane, a unique and original girl who moves to the small town of Pine Crest. Sarah definitely doesn't fit in or see eye to eye with her classmates, who are concerned with being good-looking and popular.
While the movie doesn't have an unpreditable plot twist, as it's clear from the start that everyone is right about Sarah being a witch, Sarah's joke about Buffy The Vampire Slayer is hilarious and just right for the moment. Sarah is wittier and more clever than the people in her new town and it's easy to sympathize with and root for her.
Stokely "Stokes" Mitchell Is Shocked In The Faculty (1998)
"I always thought the only alien in this high school was me."
Clea DuVall's character says this hilarious quote in The Faculty, the underrated film from Kevin Williamson. The theme of the movie is that the main characters are considered misfits who aren't having a good high school experience. When they discover that their teachers are aliens, Stokes can't help but share that she always felt strange and different from other people and now she realizes that the teachers are the ones who don't fit in.
While there's a debate about 1990s horror movies, The Faculty is well-written, with great actors and a story that doesn't let up. Even though it's a science-fiction story that couldn't really happen, it's easy to imagine it really taking place.
Julie James Sees Ben Willis In I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
"My God, you sick freak!"
Although I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a corny horror sequel, it can be considered underappreciated as it delivers fun moments, some genuine scares, a great friendship between Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Karla Wilson (Brandy), and a fantastically creepy atmosphere.
While Julie thinks that she's going on a fun vacation with her friends, she quickly learns that there's a killer on the loose and this is most likely connected to the fisherman who thought that she accidentally killed a few years earlier. When Julie is faced with Ben Willis (Muse Watson) once again, she lets him know what she thinks about him. Julie's quote is so bold and honest that it's definitely hilarious.
A Nod To A Classic Quote In Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Norma Watson: "I didn't mean to make you jump. It's Halloween. I guess everyone's entitled to one good scare."Laurie Strode: "I've had my share."
Halloween H20 is a better movie than horror fans think, tracing Laurie Strode's (Jamie Lee Curtis) life working at Hillcrest Academy and raising her son (Josh Hartnett). In one hilarious scene, Laurie talks to Norma Watson (Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis's mother), the secretary at school. Norma references the famous quote which Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) says in the original Halloween from 1978: "Everyone's entitled to one good scare."
Laurie proves why she's an ultimate final girl when she says that she's had too many scares for one lifetime so she doesn't care about celebrating October 31st. Anyone who has been in Laurie's position would definitely agree, as ghost costumes, masks, and fake blood don't interest her much after years of running from Michael Myers.