The 2000s was definitely a hit-and-miss time for horror movies. Scream 3 was released in 2000, which isn't the best film in the franchise but still got a lot of buzz. The decade includes some stand-out stories like The Ring (2002), Jennifer's Body (2009), The Orphan (2009), and The Others (2001).
But while some 2000s horror movies are underrated, there are many films from this time period that don't feel thrilling for a few different reasons, whether they're too by-the-book or lack the type of compelling characters who are necessary to power a movie.
What Lies Beneath (2000)
The 2000 thriller What Lies Beneath feels like a paint-by-numbers movie that uses horror and thriller film tropes. It has the "crazy" wife who talks about a supernatural presence who no one believes. It has the cruel husband who does everything within his power to keep his wife in the dark. And it has a beautiful old house, which effectively makes it a scary movie about a haunted house.
While the movie has excellent actors, as Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire Spencer and Harrison Ford portrays Claire's husband Norman, the film's entire run time feels flat. Claire ultimately realizes that the ghost of her husband's mistress, Madison Frank (Amber Valletta), is haunting the house. By the time audiences learn that Norman killed Madison, there's not much hope of being scared by this story, as the dull characters and familiar story just don't feel exciting.
The Messengers (2007)
There are some amazing Kristen Stewart movies, but The Messengers isn't one of them. Far from a unique haunted house horror movie, this one sees a family moving into an old house in the country that is (surprise) filled with spirits. Jess Soloman (Stewart) can tell that something is up, but her parents Denise (Penelope Ann Miller) and Roy (Dylan McDermott) think that living on a farm will be positive for everyone and keep believing that living here will work out.
Although John Corbett often plays adorable, beloved characters, from Aidan Shaw in Sex and the City to Ian Miller in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, he's the evil villain here. The family meets John Burwell, who seems to be kind, but he is actually John Rollins, a man who murdered his family in this house. The Messengers is full of corny horror elements, like crows that are supposed to signal something is wrong, and fans of the genre will expect more.
April Fool's Day (2008)
The 2008 horror movie April Fool's Day is a remake of the movie from 1986 and neither one is something that horror fans would remember. The main character Desiree Cartier (Taylor Cole) loves playing pranks on people, and she has a party where she messes with her friends. After Milan Hastings (Sabrina Ann Aldridge) dies during this party, the friends are brought together one year later by an anonymous person who tells them to go to Milan's gravestone on April Fool's Day 2008. This feels like a teen horror show like Pretty Little Liars, but it's not as well-crafted.
The characters are extremely unlikable so there's no one to support or enjoy watching, and that's the movie's fatal flaw, as it feels like everyone is a bad person who deserves to go down for Milan's death.
Sorority Row (2009)
After The House on Sorority Row, which was released in 1982, Sorority Row came along in 2009. Audrina Patridge of The Hills fame starred as Megan Blaire, who wants to pretend to die so her boyfriend, Garrett Bradley (Matt O'Leary), freaks out. But Megan actually dies, which leaves Chugs Bradley (Margo Harshman), Claire Wen (Jamie Chung), Ellie Morris (Rumer Willis), Jessica Pierson (Leah Pipes), and Cassidy Tappan (Briana Evigan) in a terrible spot. Like many other horror movies, the girls are now being haunted and stalked by a killer who knows what they did.
While there have been many scary slasher movies recently, Sorority Row doesn't deliver any frights, and the reveal doesn't have a smart enough explanation to make horror fans excited about this movie.
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)
I Know What You Did Last Summer isn't a critically acclaimed, legendary horror movie, but it's a fun time. The '90s horror movie's sequel is just as good. But the Amazon I Know What You Did Last Summer TV show is missing many things that made the original film enjoyable, which proves that not every part of this franchise is going to be worth it.
The 2006 direct-to-video movie I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer stars Brooke Nevin as Amber Williams. When Amber and her friends mourn the death of their friend P.J. Davis (Clayton Taylor) after playing a prank on him when they act like the Fisherman killer is there, they realize that something is actually wrong. The plot is similar to the first movie, so the movie feels unnecessary, and it just doesn't feel as fun.